GBS test

[Snacks]

Last pg I was at a different hospital and they gave me the swabs to do myself at home.
This time I am doing shared care with my GP and just had my 2nd last appt with the hospital OB yesterday @ 34 weeks (next one isn't til 40 weeks) and I forgot to ask what this hospital's policy is re GBS testing. Perhaps they don't routinely test?
I think I've heard people on here say their hospital doesn't routinely test for GBS @ 36 weeks? Is that right? So do you not have the swab at all, or is it done later?
I imagine my GP will want to do the test anyway, as she's pretty old school, but just thought I'd ask.

[2CheekyMonkeys]

i did shared care and didnt get offered the test.

[Serenitylee]

I am with our Public Hospital and in the KYM scheme and in my appt list at 36 weeks it says GBS test.

[Snacks]

Hollo: So you didn't do the swab at all then? Just not sure if I should be asking for one?
SerenityLee: That sounds exactly like my last pregnancy/hospital.

[Heaven]

I never had it at all, they never even mentioned it!

[catherinemoses]

If you want one ask for it but I personally wouldn't bother. The results can change from week to week so it is a bit unreliable.
HTH

[Pandora]

some offer it and some do not. you can always ask to have it if you want one, or decline to have it if its offered and you dont want it

I still havent decided 100%. Well, I decided not to have it at 36 weeks, as youd get ABs if you went into labour befre 37 anyway. I might decided to have it if I get to my EDD and there is no baby.

[Mama2two]

They offered it to me around 36 weeks..
It was swabs you did yourself there and then took to hospital pathology yourself.
I didn't have it with my first son as it wasn't offered. I did however with this pregnancy, i wasn't going to and i think i ended up doing it wrong anyway

[Snacks]

Ok. So it sounds like there's no harm in not having it then.
My GP will likely offer it, so I reckon if she does I'll say I will do it myself.
Thanks for sharing your experiences.

[Ozziehoffy]

It wasn't mentioned to me until I was 38 wks but I didn't do it. I went with the mindset of they will check bub and monitor after birth anyway. I was open to possibly having AB's IF waters were broken for long time, if I got fever during labour etc. I was offered AB's when I got to hossy and I said no - waters hadn't broken and I said to midwife that the "probability" was minor so I wanted to leave it and she was ok with that. They just monitored bubba's temp four hourly and so long as there's no fever in the first 24 hours then it's good.

[2CheekyMonkeys]

did get it offered to me in either pregnancy, but during second pregnancy i thought my waters might have been leaking and they did one then, but if that hadnt of happened i wouldnt have had it in second either. i have heard that for example if you come up positive at 36weeks it could be negative by birth and vice versa so there isnt really any point in having one, i dont think.