Step B

[Ilithyia]

Hi!

I got my results back from my pap test the other day. It said that I tested positive for Strep B.

Now I'm not pregnant or planning to be in the near future (but it sure would be nice ) but I was just wondering if anyone could tell me if I will be affected during future pregnancies. What should I expect?

My plan for #3 is a homebirth so the last thing I want is some measly infection affecting my chances of that.

Any info appreciated.

Cheers!

[paradise lost]

Strep B is a bacteria which lives naturally in the canals of the human body (nose, vagina etc.). When it overgrows and thoe body isn't keeping it in check you're said to "have" Strep B. It can come and go so quickly that in the UK they rarely test antenatally for it, since a woman can be positive 3 weeks before the birth and negative AT the birth or vice versa.

Strep B becomes a problem for the baby if s/he becomes infected during birth. Early rupture of membranes (artificial or not) and vaginal examinations make this far more likely. Most obs, for safety's sake, will administer antibiotics to mum once the membranes have been ruptured for 18-24 hours or more.

I was never tested for strep B (and would have refused to be because of it's on-again/off-again nature) and having a StrepB+ in your notes might cause problems for getting a homebirth depending on where you are and how you do it - an Ob might tell you it's dangerous to "risk it" and want to give you antibiotics throughout the whole labour, a midwife might do no more than bear it in mind and take your temperature a little more carefully during labour. There are lots of natural things one can do at the end of pregnancy (garlic is especially potent, both eaten and inserted into the vagina - so a homeopath for this!) to ensure the Strep B is in check for the birth.

I had a homebirth and my waters ruptured at the start of labour, 15 hours before DD's birth. My midwives brought oral antibiotics (in hospital they give them IV) for me to begin taking at the 18-hour mark. If i'd gotten a temperature or become fevered they'd have transferred me to hospital.

As an aside, my DD was shocked at the suddeness of her birth (as was i - i had a long pre-labour and a very short sharp "true" labour with no active 2nd stage to speak of, which is apparently very rare for a 1st time mum) and aspirated a little meconium. My midwives suctioned her nose and throat and put her on my chest with an oxygen tube under her nose to give her a little help. Her apgars were 9 at one minute, 7 at five minutes and 10 at ten minutes, so you can see how quickly this minimal help did the trick. I was told that in hospital she would have been denied skin-to-skin, and put in SCBU to be monitored for the whole of the first night, just because of those 2 minutes of struggle at the start of her life. I'm SO glad i was at home. Sometimes hospital procedures, in medicating for the worst case scenarios, are actually quite harmful to the majority.

Bx

[Ilithyia]

Thanks so much for that info!

So very helpful stuff!

I was told that in hospital she would have been denied skin-to-skin, and put in SCBU to be monitored for the whole of the first night, just because of those 2 minutes of struggle at the start of her life. I'm SO glad i was at home. Sometimes hospital procedures, in medicating for the worst case scenarios, are actually quite harmful to the majority.

Yes I have seen first hand this happen.

I had a client who had Strep B and her experience, in a public hopsital, was very similar to this. Bub came out grunting etc and was whisked off to the SCN and kept overnight. In the end all was fine.

This is exactly what I don't want for myself.

So when I do acutally fall pregnant, Should I tell my midwife?