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Anyone had a premature birth due to Group B Strep?

Hi,

I'm currently 27 weeks pregnant with my second pregnancy and have found out that I carry Group B Strep, it has been found in my urine which apparantly means I have a fairly high level of it in my system and it can cause premature births. :roll:

I'm going to see a consultant in the morning to hopefully get a bit more information as my GP is getting conflicting advice about whether or not I should have antibiotics now or whether they should just be given when I go into labour.

Obviously I am very concerned at the thought of having my lo prematurely, particularly when I don't know how premature it could be. I carried very low during my first pregnancy and was constantly told I wouldn't go full term (although I actually went four days overdue!) but this time I feel like I am already carrying really low down, and my hubby has commented that my 'waddling' has started early this time! I'm not sure if that is a sign that baby has no intentions of hanging around too long, and just wondered if anyone else had experienced a premature birth as a result of Group B Strep?

Liz xx

Replies

  • Hi Liz, iv tried to reply before but nothing came up so apologies if this is a repeat post.

    I dont have any advice about strep B but im sure your consultant will answer all your questions tomorrow. Write some questions down to take with you because its easy to forget to ask some things.

    Good luck
    xx
  • Thanks Denise, as you say hopefully the consultant will help answer all my questions tomorrow so I can relax a bit more - or at least feel more informed! xx
  • How did you get on at the docs today? Have you been started on antibiotics or is it just wait and see.
    xx
  • Hi,

    Well, they gave me another ultrasound (which was a nice surprise) and it was good to know our lo is growing nicely and actually slightly bigger than my dates by about a week. Unfortunately the consultant was German and didn't speak much English so the conversation took place in Norwegian (I live over in Norway) and my Norwegian isn't great lol! From what I could gather though he was talking about the big debate around Group B Strep, but said that since it had been found in my urine he thought it would be better to give me the antibiotics to reduce the risk of a premature labour. So I have started a 10 day course of amoxicillin today and hopefully that will help stop my little bean making too early an appearance!
    They will also give me antibiotics when I go into labour, and then take a blood sample from the baby when he arrives along with monitoring his temp every hour to make sure there are no signs he has become poorly.

    I still can't believe Group B Strep isn't routinely tested for in the UK when it can be so serious. I'm so lucky my GP out here tested me for it as it wasn't something I was even aware of until she told me I had it!

    I hope everyone else is doing well xx
  • Great news that your baby is doing fine and hopefully the antibiotics work for you.
    xxx
  • Thanks Denise xxx
  • hi
    i was found to have GBS with my 3rd. I had first 2 in UK and never got tested. Joseph was born in Bahrain where you are tested. I was found with high result. When my waters went on night before due date i went to hosp and they hooked my to iv drip. He was born about 15 hours later and was fine.
    My 4th I went 3 days over and again had GSB. He made a speedy entrance and there was no time to get 2 doses of antibiotics in so they gve him some afte birth for 2 days. He too was fine. My 5th I again had it and she did come 5 weeks early. However, I also had placenta previa and my placenta had started to come away from uterus so I think that is why i had her early. She was fine after week in SCBU/

    The best thing is that they know you have it and are treating it. Its those that have it but dont know that are at risk

    Good luck

    d xxx
  • Thanks Dee Dee, it is so reassuring to hear about someone who has had it and all was ok. I had a quick labour with my first which is why I have been extra paranoid that they aren't going to be able to get all the antibiotics into me. Good to hear that all your los were ok.

    The consultant and midwife have both said I will most probably go into labour early which is what set me worrying. Googling it didn't help too much either as all you start seeing is 'increased risk of still birth' etc etc that just get you worrying even more. You can guarantee I will go overdue now after stressing about lo coming early lol!

    I'm on the antbiotics now anyway which should hopefully reduce the risk of premature labour, and as you say the most important thing is they know I have it.

    Can I ask if you had any symptoms of the GBS? I have been a bit sore down below and it seems to have eased since I have been taking the antibiotics, just wondered if it was a coincidence.

    Thanks again xxx

  • Hi , I tend to ramble on so stop for a cuppa if you get fed up! lol.

    I had Strep B with my daugter last year (born june 08) Early by ten days that's all in the end but I was monitored very carefully all along. The risk to the baby is If the condition ISN'T detected. So the fact they know should reassure you you'll be ok.
    I had a few urine infections and was unwell alot in pregnancy (nothing specific just unwell) sore below/thrush/tired/etc just rubbish!

    I had two urnine infections later on which ended up with being rushed into hospital both times due to headaches (severe) and fever. Thank god I didn't have high blood pressure or lily would have been delivered earlier! (pre eclampsia was always a question but never an issue).
    However I went into labour on the tues (after early cramps and another urine infection!). I was induced and put on an IV lily came in four hours so we both had a fever after delivery and I had more antibiotics after delivery but were both allowed home the next day fine! all is well with both of us!.
    the only comment I will make is that lily didn't feed that first few days properly due to the mild fever and I didn't put it all together until later on ! otherwise I would have supplimented her with something as well as breast milk as she ended up loosing just over a Lb in the first week and half a lb the second week. I think it was related to the strep b . The doctors came round every hour to take our temp and my blood pressure and I felt very much looked after and reassured that Lily was in the best hands. Strep B is very dangerous If undetected so thank god they know you have it. Rest and drink plenty to flush it through your system and rest assured I'm sure you'll be ok.
    We were fine and Only had gas and air and a rather quick delivery of a very healthy baby in the end.
    Hope it all goes well.!
  • Thanks Greenbulldog, it is giving me lots of reassurance hearing positive stories. So glad everything was ok with you and your little girl xx
  • i know this is an old post but just incase someone like me googles it i want to put my experience across, i had my baby girl at 27 weeks pregnant due to group b step i wasnt tested for it and didnt know untill after the birth that my daughter was born because of that, my daughter was fine for 3 weeks but with being so tiny ( 1lb 8oz) she sadly got another more agressive infection in her bowels which unfortunatly she couldnt fight. i miss my daughter more then i could ever explain in words i just think in uk we should be tested like expecting mothers in the us are. i would prob still have my daughter now if i was routinly checked 

  • Hi Gemma so sorry to hear of the tragic loss of your daughter - My son was born 6 weeks early weighing 4lb & have only just found out (10 months on) I have Strep B & wondered if this is what caused it. He is fine now but I often wonder why he came so early!  - I totally agree with you & am shocked that in UK it isn't something that is routinely checked for and could prevent sad experiences like your own.  I can not imagine how you have suffered.

  • Hi, I too had a very premature baby due to group B strep. I am sure her early delivery was also caused by my placenta previa, my placenta began to peel away from the wall of the uterus which ofcourse would not have helped. However my daughter was only a 22 weeker. I too, sadly lost her in Jan 13. I believe the GBS infection made her very weak, ofcourse she would have been anyway due to being so early, but she seemed to have every peemie problem she could possibly get. Like your little angel Gemma, my little one also cought that horrid stomach and bowel infection (NEC) for anyone unaware of what the term for this is. But in the end she had total renal failure. It was not the NEC which took her life. GBS made my tiny baby very sick. She was on antibiotics everyday of her short life. I was not tested for GBS before I had my baby, as I am also in the UK. I had never even heard of it. I was tested for it with my second baby (came back negative) but I would not have been tested for it had I not been through what I already had. They only did it due to my history, not because it was routine. There has been a petition floating around the net now for quite a while. I dont have the link however Im sure its easy to find. By signing it, we are trying to convince our UK government to make GBS testing routine for all pregnant women, rather than just in certain areas or for women with certain backgrounds. Testing saves many little lives x
  • Hi,

    I know this is a really old post but I was wondering how everything turned out? I just found out I have GBS at 28 weeks I have had contractions for the past 2 weeks and my lo has been trying to come early I just started oral antibiotics to try and stop everything but I'm super scared and am wondering how everything turned out for you. If anyone could reply it would be wonderful. 

    Thank you! 

  • I know it's an old post but am 31wks3d and I got tested for this GBSS because I had been getting really bad peiod pain in my lower stomach and really bad tightings and my midwife said it could be nothing but she tested to make sure..

    this is my first baby and they have just put me in antibiotics but am still really worried about having an early labour bwcause I know people who have even know they havs been getting treated for this..

    i got to see my midwife again early now to go through my broth plan early and it's made me worry more that I have to do that and am only going to be 32wk on friday

  • Have you been in touch with the charity, Group B Strep Support? I'm sure they'll be able to give you lots of information - their website is www.gbss.org.uk and they're also on facebook, twitter, etc.

    Hope you get answers to your questions :)

  • I can't even begin to explain how angry I am that NO ONE tells you about group B strep. I had NO idea. At 24+5 weeks with my second baby my waters broke, they gave me no reason and rushed me 100 miles from home. Four days later they realised I had an infection, not only that labour had started and I had SEPSIS! My son was born at 25+2 weeks weighing 897g! We are so lucky he is now 10 months old and there is nothing at all wrong with him! He never had any of the usual premature baby things thankfully. He came home on oxygen due to being on the ventilator for so long he developed chronic lung disease, which is nothing and he came off it months ago. But, I am so angry and upset that we weren't told, I wasn't tested and we BOTH could've died! I was in intensive care myself that night he was born 😡 I still haven't received an apology from anyone and today I found out I am five weeks and three days pregnant with my third child. This time I will be DEMANDING to be tested! The UK is useless at protecting us from these things. There are so many babies who have lost their lives because of this and families who have had to go through all that heartache needlessly. We spent four months travelling five hours a days to see our son. I never want to go through that again. 

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