Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Strep B
Options
-
10-10-2009 10:58pm#1
Comments
-
Group B Strep is an organism that lives on the perineum of some mothers without any problems, in some women it can cause urinary tract infections and the like.
In many countries, women are screened for GBS but here in Ireland it isn't! I'm sure it has a lot to do with the cost etc... I think apparently they say that even if you screen and get a negative result you can still pick up the organism before giving birth, therefore there is no point in screening.
GBS only really becomes a problem if the baby contracts it during a normal delivery (obviously during a C-Section the baby doesn't go near the perineum) If the mother is known to carry GBS she will be given antibiotics in labour which will pass through the placenta and protect the baby. The baby will then be monitored more closely for 48 hours after delivery - transfer to NICU should only be needed if any problems are identified.
The risk of GBS passing to the baby I believe is quite small, but its a risk all the same!
Unfortunately I don't think the policy is going to change any time soon on routine screening in Ireland, so the best thing to do is to familiarise yourself with the symptoms of GBS infections in babies, such as poor feeding, floppiness, very rapid breathing. I'm sure google can tell you more about what to look for
0 -
-
-
-
I was reading about that too, Molly. It's a bit alarming that they don't test for it here even if it is very rare for it to cause infections.
On both mine my waters broke early @ 32 & 29 weeks. I held on for 10 days but on both I caught Strep & pushed me into labour. I was fairly sick afterwards but babies were both perfect ( eventually). Hospital only realised on both cases when my temp shot through the roof & intense labour started rapidly. On the 2nd one I was actually sent home from the hospital with my waters gone as there was a much higher risk of me catching an infection in there. Speaking from experience a simple test would have prevented the drama it caused in there0 -
Advertisement
-
-
-
-
-
-
Advertisement
-
-
-
-
little ol me wrote: »I was worried about Strep B too and requested it at my 36 week appointment-I was a public patient. The midwife initially told me that it wasn't necessary but I persisted as a friend's baby became quite ill from it. She made a song and dance about asking her superior, and to my surprise she came back and did it no problem there and then. Apparently it you request it, they will do it- just don't take no for an answer if you're at all concerned.
You know what makes me mad? That you have to go out of your way to request things. I'm not a medical professional for ffs, I cannot possibly be aware of every single test. And yes, most of them are not necessary for the majority, but there's no harm in letting people know what is available, what is it for and what size the risks are. And THEN you can start making some sort of informed decision and request or not request things.
I went for a pre-conception appt. with my GP (well, I thought I might as well do this thing properly
) and asked for the blood tests and rubella test. They were quite confused in there why I wanted rubella test since they test for it once you're pregnant. I pointed out that it's a bit late finding out that you're not immune coz you can't get rubella vaccine when pregnant. They did do a test at the end.. 0 -
-
-
-
-
-
-
Advertisement
-
Hi Girls, sorry your baby is sick lolli!
I'm 38 weeks now and was going to request strep B test (I'm with midwife clinic). My understanding was that you either have it or not and if you do you just get antibiotics in labour and you are sorted.
Turned out midwife brought it up herself as one of the difficult to predict complications that can occur.
Well, unfortunately it is not a simple yes or no answer. Turns out many people are carriers and it is a transient thing - if you have it at week 35 does not mean you'll have it during labour or even a day later! It's that annoyingly unpredictable. Also even if you have it during labour baby will not necessarily catch it (it's something around 0.5-1% chance) and risk is highest for very long labours (no waters for over 12 or 18 h) and instrumental deliveries.
So I was going to get the test just for the peace of mind, but I don't think I will now after speaking at length with 2 midwives about it...
I think I'll just have to hope for the best. It is also slightly reasurring that I had a few urine samples sent to the lab recently and no strep there.
It is really annoying that you ca't just get a yes/no answer with the test 0 -
-
The homebirth midwives I knew in San Francisco prescribed a treatment of supplements like garlic, probiotics etc. The idea was to boost the mothers immune system along with resting and a healthy diet then retest at 39weeks.
I guess it'd be much like a yeast infection that flairs up when our immune system is stressed. No wonder long labours etc. are at highest risk.Well, unfortunately it is not a simple yes or no answer. Turns out many people are carriers and it is a transient thing - if you have it at week 35 does not mean you'll have it during labour or even a day later! It's that annoyingly unpredictable. Also even if you have it during labour baby will not necessarily catch it (it's something around 0.5-1% chance) and risk is highest for very long labours (no waters for over 12 or 18 h) and instrumental deliveries.0 -
Slainte_sf wrote: »The homebirth midwives I knew in San Francisco prescribed a treatment of supplements like garlic, probiotics etc. The idea was to boost the mothers immune system along with resting and a healthy diet then retest at 39weeks.
I guess it'd be much like a yeast infection that flairs up when our immune system is stressed. No wonder long labours etc. are at highest risk.
I decided not to do it after all. Just trying to continue to remain healthy and hope nothing shows up in the urine tests.
I'm not sure if it is sensible or irresponsible, I guess I will find out in a couple of weeks
:eek: 0 -
-
-
-
-
A word to the wise if you are given antibiotics in labour, make sure to get a diflucan tab after. I forgot and am riddled with yeast (sorry unpleasant). Have been treating it for two weeks and it's only marginally better. Especially bad for breastfeeding.
Is Diflucan a probiotic?
Yeast is really tough especially as you said for breastfeeding, when you pass it back and forth. Since a new baby's gut is sterile at birth it needs mothers 'good' flora from the vagina (sorry unpeasant!!) and from breastmilk. As well as taking the probiotics you could try a candida cleanse.
Candida Related Complex is a yeast imbalance. Once all the good cultures in your gut are killed off (along with the bad Strep
by the antibiotics, it thrives on breads, rice, sugars etc. You could check 'Body Ecology Diet' by Donna Gates from the USA. Some of her ideas might be new like making your own cultured veggies(sauerkraut) but worth a look if you are not getting the yeast infection under control. 0 -
Advertisement
-
Advertisement