GBS swab - what's the policy where you live?

[Arimeh]

I've never had it done or mentioned that I needed it at my hospital. Maybe its a hospital by hospital policy?

[Olive]

i was offered it this time and was advised by my middy not to have it, i also had no intention of having it, she knew i wanted and intervention free birth! i did the test first time with DD1 and it was neg.

[Jellyfish]

I've never had it done or mentioned that I needed it at my hospital. Maybe its a hospital by hospital policy?

Piggy back... this has been my experience as well.

[HotI]

Could also be differences between health care providers, those that see value in the test are more likely to offer it to more of the women they see.

[Cricket]

Hmmm.... I was sorely tempted to just pass on it this time, and now I really wish I had, because it was positive, which means no homebirth, unless I can get a negative result this week. (please! Trying probiotics and garlic, thanks to Alan's suggestions.) My midwives gave me a free choice, but when I've had a regular doctor in the past, they just go ahead and do it - no options really. (I've always had a negative result before.)
Well, next pregnancy, most likely, I'll just pass on this test. My babies are very unlikely to be high-risk anyways - never had a pre-term birth, or a long labour with waters broken.
Kind of wish I could go back on it now.... I could, really, but I know my midwives would be putting their reputations at risk by supporting me in that, and they are having a hard enough time gaining credibility in the community. If by some very small chance my baby did become ill, I would feel terrible, they would feel terrible, and it would look very bad on them.

[Cricket]

Oh, and I think this is the policy for the whole province of Ontario, BTW, although I haven't investigated too carefully.

[Snowy Love]

I wasn't swabbed with DS (same hospital as Arimeh) but my waters broke before labour and when I was in labour they put a canula in to give me AB's.

[bon]

I have never had it and have never had it offered to me at either of the hospitals I have been to. It has never even been mentioned as something to consider. The only reason I know about it is from pregnancy books and from here on BB. I don't think it's policy in the maternity hospitals around here to do it as routine.

[Novella]

I never got far enough with my pregnancy's to have the swab. As I had both girls around 36 weeks the policy was for IV antibiotics but I declined or dd2, dd1 I was discharged home on oral antibiotics after my waters had broken and told to come back for an induction in 2 days (she was born that night). I had nipple thrush and dd1 had oral thrush and it took months to clear it up and Im positive it was related to the antibugs

[~Raven~]

I've never had it done or mentioned that I needed it at my hospital. Maybe its a hospital by hospital policy?

Neither was I for any of my bubbas!