Hi Laura,
I tested positive at 10+3 weeks.
I have been doing loads of research and the information I have been getting is contradictory. My midwife and consultant say one thing and then I receive info from
http://www.gbss.org.uk which says something different.
In the end I called the helpline on the internet site and spoke to some very lovely people who reassured me it was actually they who knows what they are talking about. The NHS aren't very informed and it seems like they are taking some precautionary measures that are not actually necessary.
For example some hospitals in the NHS insist on your baby also having antibiotics as soon as its born for 3 days just in case the infection has passed on but if the mother receives at least 4 hours worth of antibiotics then this isn't necessary. The reason they say 3 days is because some hospitals take a swab from baby's bellybutton, ear and nose to see if the infection has been passed on, and the results take 3 days to come back. So if it shows the infection has been passed on then another 2 days worth of antibiotics for baby and it it its negative then there is no need. However, GBSS say that if the baby has passed down the birth canal where GBS is colonised then of course a swab will show GBS is present, the only sure way to test if the baby has GBS is via a blood test.
I would strongly recommend you find out what the normal practice is in your hospital and also contact the helpline on the GBSS website and ask them to send you some info. All of the info I have quoted above is from one of their publications for women who have GBS, its a lengthy and very long paper but worth finding out the facts then you can make a decision on what you feel is best for your baby.
Hope that helps and at least they have diagnosed this so at least you can have antibiotics to help prevent this being passed to your baby.
