Declining GBS test, thoughts??

[Beautitude]

I was talking to my midwife about how i was GBS positive with DS and how i had to be induced after my waters broke and nothing happened. I was telling her how i was concerned about having to be induced again and how i didn't want to have to labour in the hospital like i did with DS (id prefer to do most of my labour at home and just come in for the birth etc) and she basically said to me that i can decline the GBS test. Reading between the lines i felt like she was saying that the test can be a waste of time as even if you test negative you could be positive at the time of birth. What are people's thoughts on the test? Can anyone point me in the direction of some research so i can look at my options. Im really in two minds about it and dont really know where to look to get a bit more informed. I was concerned that the hospital would look down on me for declining the test but she said that it wouldn't be the case. Did anyone decline the test what happened after the baby was born? Did they make you stay in hospital longer etc to watch the baby? Thanks fot the replies.

[Arimeh]

I do know that some OB's don't make you take the test, because of the fact that even if you are negative, it can be positive at birth. My OB didn't expect me to take the test.

And also, my midwife for DD2's birth never once mentioned it, so I'm guessing they don't believe in it either? It was never mentioned.

If you don't want to do it - don't. I don't think they can make you

[~mamaspice~]

If you don't want to take the test, then don't. I don't think it's routinely done in the UK any more for the very reasons you've already mentioned. Just keep a good eye on bubs temperature for the first few days after birth. That should keep your mind at ease.

[chocolatecatty]

I declined mine last week. As AE said, it's a cyclic thing and just because you might have it at 36 or so weeks doesn't mean you'll have it at birth.

My midwife actually got the wrong file out for my last appt. and when I declined the test she said I should take it as my 'file' said I had quite a bad case of it when I did my wee test all those months ago..I think the term 'colony of it' was used and I nearly died when I heard that. She went on to say since it was such a strong case early in preg then I should take the test again as it would be silly not to - luckily I then looked at the file she was using and discovered it wasn't mine! Pity the file name is burned into my memory now...hope I don't meet her, I'd feel like I have secret info on her! Anyway, my point is - if you have a bad case of it adn it shows up in your urine test at the start of preg then I'd recommend taking the test in the last trimester - but otherwise, don't feel you have to.

I think it is becoming less routine nowadays as some people have stated - it's not expected you take it which is good. But if you take the test, and it comes back positive, they should be able to stick a bung in your hand and just give you the injection every 4 or so hours - you shouldn't be hooked up immobile to a drip or anything I think (at least this is what my midwife said). Different hosp. will have different policies I guess.

[Beautitude]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Arimeh I didn't know that some obs and midwives dont even offer it. I thought it was a routine test. That puts my mind at ease.

Mama Spice thanks for the tip about bubs temp. That will keep my mind at ease.

Chocolatecatty I dont think my urine came up with anything sinister but ill check with my midwife. Its true that all they do is put a thing in your hand and then they give you antibiotics every 4 hours but just the fact that i had to be in the hospital from when my waters broke made me feel like i was on the clock and didn't help me get a natural birth. If i was at home i could have relaxed and dealt with it better i feel. Plus when i was induced i was hooked up to every machine possible so that certainly didn't help me.

I spoke to a friend of mine about this the other day and she said it was in my best interest to have the test as her ob had told her that the reason they test at 36 weeks is if you have it then there is a very high chance that you will have it at birth as it wont go away after that time. I find that difficult to believe.

[*LittleMissSummer*]

I was actually thinking about this test and what happens if you have your baby before 36 weeks, how would they know if your testing positive to it?

[~mamaspice~]

I was actually thinking about this test and what happens if you have your baby before 36 weeks, how would they know if your testing positive to it?

They wouldn't know. It would just be a case of them keeping an eye on bubs temp and if it went up I guess GBS infection would be one of the first things they think of. As far as I'm aware, it's pretty rare as only quite a small %age of bubs born to GBS mums actually aquire the infection themselves during the birth process.

[Arimeh]

Arimeh I didn't know that some obs and midwives dont even offer it. I thought it was a routine test. That puts my mind at ease.

Definitely routine with "some" midwives and OB's - but not all of them

[~mamaspice~]

I just read these stats on another website:

It is thought that around 12 to 15 per cent of Australian pregnant women carry GBS in their vagina. About one or two per cent of babies born to these carriers will develop GBS disease. The risk of GBS infection is higher among premature babies.

Kinda puts it into perspective I guess.

Also I think that some homebirth midwives use some kind of natural douche before labour or in early labour to kill off any bacteria. YOu could look more into finding out what that's all about if it interrests you

[HotI]

At the hospital i went to, it was definately routine- and you would definately have a hard time declining the test.

[Jellyfish]

My OB (gave birth in a private hospital) never mentioned testing for this so it is definitely not routine for all practitioners.

[jaspen]

3 children and certainly not tested for the last two - can't remember whether they did for the first but don't think so. (all different doctors, hospitals and even state health systems)

[Cricket]

GBS is transient, it goes in about a 6 week cycle. So they test you at 36 or 37 weeks, because I guess they figure that's how they'll catch the most cases that would actually be positive at the time of delivery. If you tested much earlier, the bacteria may have come or gone by the time of delivery. And if you tested later, you'd miss a good number of the deliveries.
From what I've read, you are at highest risk for transmitting GBS to your baby if you've had a bladder infection with GBS, if you labour for a long time with waters broken, if you have a fever during labour, and if you deliver before 37 weeks. If you go into labour before 37 weeks, they might just hook you up to the antibiotics anyways, just to be "safe". I understand that the IV antibiotics have cut the number of deaths from GBS in half. However, the risk of transmitting GBS to your baby is quite small, over all. And antibiotics come with risks as well. So you should do some reading and decide for yourself what you'd like to do about the swab, and treatments, I'd say.

Here's a thread I posted a while ago asking about this, and Kelly and Alan gave some great info.

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...rs-others.html

All the best!

[Cricket]

Here's another thread I posted in my last pregnancy, after I tested positive at 37 weeks. I was planning a home birth, and had to change my plan last minute. I'm still in debate about what to do this time around. I think I will decline the test, and I think my midwife will not like it.

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...tive-help.html

[Beautitude]

Thanks for the links to the threads Cricket, ill have a look through. My concerns also lie with the risks of antibiotics on such a small baby, i need to read into that a bit more too. I dont think i will have an issue declining the test. I am going through a birth centre linked to my local hospital and my midwife actually said that i was well within my rights to decline and i got the impression that she didn't really believe in the test anyway. I need to question her a bit more on the hospitals thoughts on the subject as i dont want to be harrassed if she cant make it to the birth and i have another midwife etc.

[meow]

I went to a birth centre and considered declining the test. I had a good chat to the midwife who was all for me declining it. I ended up having it though as she said if I was positive I wouldn't be classed as "high risk" and have to leave the birth centre and I wouldn't have the antibiotics pushed on me and was well within my rights to manage the labour in other ways. If I was negative then that would be on my record and I'd be left alone if I had to transfer to the main ward.

I'd have a talk about what your hospital's protocols are with a positive or negative result and see what works best for you.

[Alina0210]

I'm not having the test this time.... It's not accurate and can cause unnessesary intervention and worry... I will be keeping a close eye on the new baby anyway (which all new parents should do anway)