With our first birth we didn't test for GBS as our obstetrician didn't believe in it and we were having private antenatal care.

With our second pregnancy, we were told by the local hospital that it was a routine test, so we decided to go along with. We regret it now, as Victoria tested positive, which led to quite some weeks of worries, as the appropriate treatment is IV antibiotics. Eventually we managed to come to a plan which involved our independent midwife administering antibiotics at home (which is a little illegal without prescription. Shhh. )

In hindsight, after looking into a fair bit of recent research about the issue, we wish we had not had the testing done, as outcomes are proving very similar between those groups who have been screened, and treated, as opposed to those groups who are not screened but treated based on "risk factors" (such as having prolonged broken waters, having high temperatures during labour, a premature baby, or having had a baby in the past with a GBS infection at birth).

The good news is, after we got the positive result, we sought out some complementary therapies for boosting the immune system and getting rid of GBS, including some homeopathic tonics and peri washes. We swabbed again a week ago, and are in the clear. Woohoo!