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Pregnancy

Group B Strep questions ...

4 replies

BorgLady · 02/07/2008 10:33

Hello,

I was told last week that I have Group B Strep, and will therefore need to be on a drip during labour etc. The consultant said "Unless you have a cs" ... but it wasn't like she was offering it as an option, iyswim. She put stickers on my notes and gave me a leaflet which made the whole thing seem pretty serious. I wish I'd asked more questions at the time, but I wasn't very well informed on the subject and I thought the leaflet might answer them.

I'd just like a few opinions. Do you think that a cs would be an option with something like this? Did she just not suggest it in an "optiony" way because she didn't want to offend me if I have my heart set on natural birth?

Also, if labour starts (I'm 38wks) should I now go straight to hospital to get the drip started instead of staying at home as long as possible as had been previously advised?

If I'm honest, the whole thing seems really nasty. My poor baby! I'm probably overreacting, but I really am not keen on being on a drip throughout labour and then having baby on a course of antibiotics afterwards. It's all quite daunting enough.

I realise that if cs was an option it would not be an easy one, but at least it would be my discomfort and not his, and the symptoms etc seem so nasty! How much of a risk is it compared with the other risks of cs?

Please don't have a go at me about considering this, I want to weigh things up properly, not get yelled at for considering surgery!

TIA

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bethoo · 02/07/2008 10:36

i think she mentioned a cs jsut in case you have to have one for other reasons. having GBS does not mean you ahve to have a cs. i have it too and usually yu have to have the IV about 4 hours before yuo give birth so as soon as you are in active labour they give you in as yu have to have 2 doses at two hour intervals. correct me if i am wrong but that is what i had.
although GBS is worrying, you are nto alone and 30% of women actually are carriers and it is only a real worry if it is active at the time of labour and no one is aware so now that the mw are aware you will be fine.
HTH

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belgo · 02/07/2008 10:37

Please try not to worry. Something like 30-50% of women are GBS+! The vast majority of babies will be fine. It's a good thing that they've picked up on it, so that they can prevent complications.

It really is not a reason to have a c-section - in fact I gave birth at home in a birthing pool despite having GBS - but I live in Belgium so I have private midwives, so slightly different to the NHS. I had the IV antibiotics during labour, and DD2 was fine.

There is loads about this on mumsnet.

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themildmannneredjanitor · 02/07/2008 10:40

i was gbs positive in both my pregnancies and both my kids and i were absolutely fine!
it's really common and quite rare for anything bad to happen. having a cs for it would not be advisable!

here is the gbs website but don't get too scared reading it!

i didn't have any drugs with ds1 and he was fine. had one dose with ds2 and he was fine.

had natural active labours with both kids.
please try not to worry too much.

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BorgLady · 03/07/2008 09:42

Thanks everyone for your reassurance, really helps to put things in perspective. I'll go and have a look at the websites and other MN threads now ...



Worrying abiut everything at the moment, so it all helps to put my mind at ease!

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