I just found out today that I tested positive for GBS this is my second pregnancy and I did not have with my 1st. Has this happened to any one else? One article I read says it is from sexual contact and others say it is not. I am concerned if it is from sexual contact as my husband is the only person I have been with. Any one have any good information about GBS. Please help as I am stressing over this. Thanks
It has nothing to do with sexual activity at all. It is just something that is in eveyone's bodies and one point or another. For you, just make sure you get antibiotics before you deliver the baby. I had it with both of my kids and had antibiotics for my entire labor and they were both fine. Don't worry about this, it really is no big deal. It happens often.
I don't know for sure but I don't believe it is from sexual contact. It is just something you have in your body and this time it is flaring up. The doc just gives you antibiotics when you first arrive for labor and delivery so that the baby doesn't get it as it goes through the birth canal. There are complications if the baby does get it. But that is why they do the screening and it's very common and after the antibiotic treatment it's like any other delivery. I wouldn't stress about it at all.
i don't believe GBS is related to sexual contact at all, it's from bacteria that is normal in adults (most adults anyway, i'm not sure everyone has it). there is a good article here about it and possible treatment options outside of antiobiotics -- http://www.mothering.com/articles/pregnancy_birth/birth_p....
I had group B strep with my third child only. I was freaked out, but everything was fine. No it is not a sexually transmitted disease. Just make sure you get your antibiotics before delivery. I believe it is suppose to be two rounds, which takes about four hours. I was only able to get one round in before I delivered and my son was fine. Good luck and don't stress yourself out!
A cut and paste from WebMD:
"Group B streptococcus screening: Vaginal and rectal swabs are taken at 35 to 37 weeks of pregnancy to detect group B strep bacteria. Although group B strep can be present in up to 30% of all healthy women, it's the leading cause of life-threatening infections in newborns and can also cause mental retardation, impaired vision, and hearing loss. Women who test positive are treated with antibiotics during delivery to protect the baby from contracting the infection at birth. As an alternative, your physician or midwife may choose not to test for strep but to treat you in labor if certain risk factors develop."
Quite honestly, it doesn't really matter how one gets it. It could be considered 'sexual contact' if there is cross-contamination between vaginal and rectal secretions. The bottom line is that you don't need to feel like you've done anything wrong.
I tested NEGATIVE with my first child, was in labor for 24+ hours after water broke and ended up with a c-section. At 7 weeks of age, my baby came down with bacterial meningitis (late onset). The doctors at Childrens Memorial believed that my test was wrong and that my daughter contracted the group B from me while I was trying to labor. She's 4 years old now and she's fine, but she was very ill and it was terrifying.
I've had 3 more children since then. Never tested again for Group B. The doctor just immediately gives me the antibiotic even though all of my kids were c-sections. Better safe than sorry.
I'm only telling you this in case you have more children. I would tell your doctor to give you the medicine, even if your test comes back negative. Just my 2 cents...
Good luck!
I tested positive for this with my first pregnancy, but not my second. My doctor never said it had anything to do with sexual contact, just that it's a normal bacteria that women may or may not have at any given time. Other than having an extra IV bag that I was hooked up to for the antibiotics, the GBS had no impact on my delivery. I'm so sorry & saddened to hear about Ruth's experience below. Fortunately, this is something that is routinely tested for now & treated proactively. Try not to stress about it - it's very common and you & your baby will be fine!
I had 2 previous deliveries before my 3rd son contracted strain of strep B. At 5 weeks of age, I almost lost my son, as 13 years ago it was not common practice(at least with my dr) to test for this. When it came time for my 4th (daughter) I walked in wanting them to start the antibiotic in the IV, to make sure I did not have to go through the 10 day ordeal again. I took him in on a Saturday morning with a high fever (103º). They did all sorts of tests, from many blood draws to a spinal tap. They finally told me on Tuesday what they had found. They had not had enough infants survive at that time to know what they were fighting, I was told. He had IV's everywhere in his little body and finally ended up in his temple. If you know that you are going to be able to deliver vaginally, get the penicillian going when you go in to deliver as soon as possible. From what I understand, C sections do not have to worry about this factor. It is bacterial that they can fight with antibiotics. Good luck to you...
Hi there...I just found out that I tested positive too. They found it in my urine culture. I am 15 weeks along. I was just wondering what your outcome was and if everything worked out ok with your little baby. Thanks and have a nice day!
