Group B Strep Syndrome

[MrsGrant]

I found out last Friday that I have it
The midwife said it may interfere with my plans for a waterbirth because I will have to be on a drip for the whole of my labour.
Does anyone know much about the drip? I know it's antibiotics, but do they leave you on it constantly or give you a break now and then?
I just can't stand the thought of being strapped down for my whole labour! I want to be able to get in the bath and walk around, but if I won't be able to I want to be prepared rather than disappointed and let down during labour!

 

[Candyland]

Hi MrsG - Not at all sure what your midwife is talking about. You don't have to have a continuous drip when you're having antibiotics against group B Strep infection in a baby. You normally have the antibiotics intravenously (through a cannula, usually in the back of your hand) every 4 hours for penicillin, less frequently for other antibiotics. This can be given by slow injection over a few minutes or a drip over about 20-30 minutes. The rest of the time, you don't have to be attached and, although it's not a good idea to get the site of the cannula wet (surely that's not difficult to manage!), then there's not reason why you can't have a waterbirth if you meet all the other criteria.

So sad that so many health professionals don't know as much as they should about this!

There's a paper about GBS and waterbirths on the Group B Strep Support website - I'm not allowed to post links so you'll need to go to their website (put GBSS into your search engine and it comes up near the top) and then put water birth into their search engine on their page. I found it pretty easily.

While you're on their website, do check out the petition they've got running about better information and tests on the NHS. Their are links on the front page of the site.

Sorry, can't post links yet ....

 

[Princess81]

Hi, I had groub b strep. I was given shots of antibiotics every 4 hours via a canular. No drip involved. Don't know why she thinks that would be the case x


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[VikkiR]

At my hospital they put in a cannula and add anti biotics every 4 hrs not sure about a water birth though hth

 

[SarahCarps2be]

Google has turned out to be crap for this.

What actually is Group B Strep Syndrome!? I haven't heard of it yet?

 

[mrz85]

I got told I have strep b and will not b able to have a water birth

 

[MrsGrant]

Google has turned out to be crap for this.

What actually is Group B Strep Syndrome!? I haven't heard of it yet?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/group_b_streptococcus_infection.shtml

Explains it all on there hun.

As for waterbirth
Aparantely it's all down to hospital policies, midwife said it changes all of the time because of individual experiences not going smoothly.
I asked yesterday, and they said it's a "yes but" so as long as I keep my hand out & dry it should be fine providing the doctor on duty is not against it or something. >.<