Group B Strep Testing????

[Lyndsey]

Hello everyone

Just thought I would ask - has anyone raised this issue with their midwives or has anyone already been tested for it? I have read articles saying that this is something not routinely offered by the NHS and that you can "buy" test kits for yourself..... but is this done through the magazines or would your midwife offer to do it???

from what I have read this is a serious issue but nothing has been said at any of my appointments or visits to the hospital....

 

[Jaidy]

I was thinking about this the other day too Lyns...

To be honest nothing has been mentioned to me either at my antenatal check ups and you'd think that if it was a big issue we would be informed at least so we could be aware (cos im sure there are ladies that are not) and make a choice as to whether we want to buy a testing kit

I dont know what to do either..I dont know anyone who has bought a testing kit do you?

 

[Lyndsey]

No I don;t know anyone but I have been reading about it and it only costs £30 and it can be done at home... from what I have read your baby can be really sick if you do have it and don;t have antibiotics......

I may ask the consultant about this on Friday......

 

[Jaidy]

Yes do and let us know how you get on

 

[Tasha20]

My friend had group strep b, but they only found out she had it becasue she just wasnt feeling herself, she felt very poorly and emotional.

As far as I know its not routine unless you are concerned in anyway or someone in you family has had it, other than that its not a priority to test.

I was tested when I was at the hospital with my lady bits problem and they only checked it because I was there and they just thought ay what the heck shes laying there anyway lets prod her some more

 

[madmish]

i had it in my last pregnancy and also have it in this one.
they detected it when i had a vaginal swab, after some light bleeding (cervical erosions), so in this pregnancy i was routinely tested at 36 weeks. i didn't get the anti biotics in my last pregnancy as the labour was so quick. so after the birth we stayed in hospital for 5 days under observation and Lenox was in scbu for 24 hours on an iv antibiotic treatment.

i think it's discgraceful that it is not tested in every woman as the infection the baby could get can turn into menengitis. it's a serious issue that needs to be addressed.

 

[Rubys mummy]

I have been wondering too about this, looked at webste and the kit is around £32, its an anal swab and vaginal swab, which I think GP has to do for you? Mymidwife and GP arent much cop, which puts me off to be honest....
Dont know what to do

 

[Sassyminx]

nothing is routinely mentioned about GBS, but its one of the biggest problems in pregnancy which when undetected can cause foetal death

i guess it does make you more wary if your aware of it, i for one cant afford to pay £30 for the test though

a woman i know miscarried at 23wks when i was pregnant last time, and she had a right battle to find out why the baby died, and in the end the post mortem revealed that she had GBS yet if she hadnt pestered them to find out she prob would have had subsequent pregnancied that could have potentially ended the same way, had she not had the appropriate treatment to prevent it, i hadnt even heard of it 4yrs ago when she had it though

 

[LucyBee]

The other Lynsey did a post on this a couple of weeks ago but I can't find it.

She PM'd me the place where you can get tests from. It says here that there's no charge (?).

http://www.gbss.org.uk/

 

[LucyBee]

I've just ordered a screening pack by e-mailing them.
There definitely doesn't seem to be any charge so we'll see what happens.
Nothing to lose if it's free I guess?!
Lx

 

[LucyBee]

Oh, hold your horses, I've just reread it and it's £32!

Oh dear!

Still...got to be worth it I think.

 

[Daggers]

I only found out about B-strep after going to A&E with some spotting at around wk19 of my pregnancy, an internal exmaniation was done and apparently a swab was taken, i didn't know but from the swab they grew some cultures and that's how I found out I had B-Strep (or was a carrier of it). Apparently something like 1 in 3 women are have it - either as carriers or actively inside them. I was worried at first but after doing some reading it seems like a fairly common thing and as long as the baby is given antibiotics before or after birth (if the B-strep is not identified before birth) then your baby should be fine. I think the reason they don't do testing for this normally is because it takes awhile to grow the cultures - not that that's an excuse mind you! Personally I won't worry to much about it, cause if your baby does get the B-strep during labour it should be picked up while your in hospital and treated accordingly.

 

[Jaidy]

Ive been in hospital twice now with bleeds and they have taken a vaginal swab twice...so am I right in thinking they probably would have checked this out??? I havent heard anything.

 

[Lyndsey]

I personally thing that £30 is a smallprice to pay if it means that you can avoid making your baby seriously ill. I mean this bug can casue severe meningitus and even death!!

One of the websites I went on said you can do the test yourself at home and send it in the post but you have to put your midwifes name on so they can send both you and her a copy of the results...

I think it was from the Doctors Laboratory... which is provided in the link posted earlier. I am also going to ask the consultant tomorow and let you all know.

 

[cloud9]

I spoke to my m/w about it and I am gonna have the tests done on the NHS...I have to have a swab done by nurse then she is gonna send off a urine sample ...This is gonna be done at 24 weeks so worth asking your m/w.

 

[Daggers]

Jaidybaby, not sure how routine these tests are and seeming that every hospital has got it's own set of procedures you may want to call up and see if this was checked.
Again just to reassure someof you if your baby should catch B-Strep from you during birth then they will display the symptoms which will be identified by either the MW's or Health Visitors, but obviously it's not a major problem or else these tests would have be made mandatory - or so mi thinks after having done some research once I was told I had this

 

[LauraKC]

My pregnant friend has jus tbeen diagnosed with this at 34 weeks. whats scary is that she had no symptons, she only had a swab because her last baby was 4 weeks early. she is very worried that she will lose the baby but the consultant has reassured her that she is one of the lucky ones who knows about her condition and it can therefore be treated.
I know the NHS should test all women but my friend is urging all pregnant women to pay for the test as its just not worth the risk.

 

[Lyndsey]

I keep hearing stories like this.

Didn't feel like asking the Dr from hell about this today so I will talk to my MW about it on Monday but I am thinking I will buy this and do it myself...

 

[nathanmum]

even if you have group b strep it very rarely passes on to baby and even more rarely causes a major problem. if it did dont you think testing would be done routinely? it is very rare although there are many carriers.

 

[Lyndsey]

I think the NHS will do anything to save money!

I know they don't offer the right type of anti sickness drugs on some wards becasue of cost... I wouldn't put anything past them!

( Yes I am a nurse!)