Soo unhappy....i tested positive for GBS....

[love.tillie]

Got my results for Strep B and was surprised to find that i was positive. I feel like a failure!!! Just wanted to cry when i was told.
This is my 3rd pregnancy and i have not had this result before so just wasn't expecting it....
Words of love would really help.
DH was soo wonderful and gave me a big hug.

[onthefly]

It's a really common thing, most people have it at one time or another. No need to feel like a failure at all!
Your DH sounds lovely

[Kazbah]

awww hun the test is just at a point in time, it doesn't mean that you're a failure. Just means some ABs and another test later. How much longer do you have left?

[*LittleMissSummer*]

I have heard it is very common. especially in later pregnancies. You didnt do anything wrong and you are not a failure.

[AndiE]

How far along are you? Is it possible that you can be tested closer to the time your baby is due? For some reason I feel I've read somewhere that GBS can sometimes "come and go" in pregnancy. Take it easy and don't be too hard on yourself hun. xx

[CinderToriella]

Don't be so hard on youself hun..I have heard it is very common thing to have, i also heard that its quite common for sometimes a test to say positive then the next one to be negative and vice versa

[*Efjay*]

Yep, its very common, so much so I don't even bother doing the test & just say put it down as positive as I am happy to have the AB's in labour. But don't fancy sticking a swab up my vajaja lol

[Trillian]

Don't worry any more about it. The GBS test is a snapshot of what is happening inside your vagina on that particular day. The GBS bacteria live in your body all the time and it is when they increase in numbers that they will give you a positive test - provided you have a test on the day that they have increased. If you had the test done again next week, there is every chance that you would test negative. Many women choose not to even have the test. However, if you are +ve at the time of birth, they will give you a cover dose of antibiotics and watch bubs for signs of illness, as unfortunately it can make them very sick. I tested positive for it with my last birth and just had IV abs - which I had to have anyway for my heart murmur and there wasn't a problem at all with either myself or bubs.

[Ginger]

i had it with ds1 and it all turned out fine. just some ABs in labour and all good
you're not a failure at all hun

[love.tillie]

Thanks ladies...i feel as if i've given my bub a bad start to life as the first thing i've given him/her is AB and i've been able to avoid having AB so far through this pregnancy. Which was really important to me. Now i get to give AB's during delivery.... Feel as if my bub will be negatively impacted as we all know AB kills good and bad stuff in your body. Bub has been going crazy in my tummy tonight, i think he/she knows i'm upset. I am 36+3days today. x Did having the IV through labour distract the progress of labour for you Ginger and Trillian??

[LionsandBears]

Try not to get too upset. It's better for bub to have ABs than contract GBS. It's very dangerous for them.

Colostrum is magic stuff according to my IM. If you feed soon after birth and concentrate on getting that good stuff into him/her it should help with colonising bub's gut with good bacteria.

Remember you have no control over having GBS. It's very common. What you could do if you want is insert garlic into the vagina on a daily basis for a week or so then retest. Garlic can kill off the bad bacteria. Alan has advice on that from memory.

Fyi, i had iv abs and barely noticed. I just dragged the iv thing around while i paced up and down until it finished.

[love.tillie]

Thanks for that info tashybabe, about the garlic. I will think about it and look it up. I've been thinking all evening about my new situation. : o )

[Artechim]

I am in a rural area and they don't bother testing for it here. I asked my midwife about it and she said there was more chance of a bad reaction to the antibiotics than the baby actually contracting GBS. She said that they monitor during the labor and would only act if there were other risk factors like prolonged ruptured membranes.

[love.tillie]

Hmmm...thats interesting, i will ask further about it then, i had just resigned myself to the AB during labour. THanks you have given me a little hope Artechim. When i was told the news, they did mention that i'd need it if my waters broke.... I guess i have a lot more research to do to be more informed..

[*Efjay*]

Another things, I requested that the AB's just be given via IV but no actual catheter be left in. The next midwife had a bit of a freak out by it but so what, my body my rules.

[love.tillie]

Ohh...well i obviously need to have a proper chat to my midwifes and work out what can be done.... Thank you ladies you have all been really helpful. And i will keep checking for extra updates!!

[Taurean]

My sister tested positive with both her boys. The only major issue was she had to be induced after she 'sprung a leak'. First time was a full induction, which was full on but her DS arrived quickly and safely (vaginal delivery) and had no side effects from the ABs. Her second DS was born in the bath, drug free, at a family birth centre Sure, she had ARM as she had a leak with him too but that was it. I guess he was given the ABs after delivery, I never thought to ask TBH as she was just so thrilled with the drug free water birth!

[2girls]

I was positive for DD2. Was induced so they put the cannula in at the start for the first lot of ABs, didn't really bother me at all during labour. But because she arrived just over 2 hours later, they monitored her fairly closely for the first day or so in hospital as I didn't get the full dose of ABs. Nothing serious, just lots of temperature checks to keep an eye on her. She had no issues.