Group B Strep: To have the test or not?

[CinderToriella]

Im googling and i read that there is an oral form u can take? is this true?

i really dont want to be strapped to an IV the whole time, if thats what they do.. i know me i would so rip it out lol

[HollyC]

My doctor prescribes a single dose oral antibiotic. The instruction is to take it once you are in established labour and about to come into the hospital. I think the timing is important though. If your labour is long or short the effect might not be adequate at the time of birth.

The other thing he does is insert a cannula and inject a few doses through that while in hospital. So that is just the bung that goes in your arm, not a full drip. It isn't comfortable, but it doesn't stop you moving around or getting in the water.

It seems to depend on your caregiver, they seem to have preferences. The info I have given is just my experience with my doctor. But the way I see it, having the test and the treatment don't have to be a negative experience. This pregnancy hasn't been easy and we are still facing some uncertainty about out bub's health. I'm just happy that I can take relatively easy steps to reduce this particular risk to my baby (no matter how small it is).

[Mummato2]

Im googling and i read that there is an oral form u can take? is this true?

i really dont want to be strapped to an IV the whole time, if thats what they do.. i know me i would so rip it out lol

Nah, you get a cannula put in your hand and they inject the AB via the cannula every couple of hours until birth

[HollyC]

That is how my doctor treats GBS. A single oral dose of amoxycillan (sp?) when labour is established.

[CinderToriella]

That is how my doctor treats GBS. A single oral dose of amoxycillan (sp?) when labour is established.

I had to take amoxycillan recently for a chest infection , lets hope if i did have GBS i dont know

[Tegam]

I had to take amoxycillan recently for a chest infection , lets hope if i did have GBS i dont know

LOL!

[Traveller]

IMHO there is no point in having a swab done in pregnancy. Group B strep is a transient infection which may be there at the test, but gone in pregnancy, or vice versa. This may result in a medicated birth unnecessarily, or a baby with GBS not being monitored for infection because the test was negative.

I believe parents would be better off not having testing, and having a discussion with their midwife or GP about spotting infection in the newborn instead. There is more than just GBS that can cause serious infection / sepsis in a newborn and testing for one then being relaxed just leads to mums (like me) thinking everything is ok and ignoring warning signs, and nearly losing their child as a result.