Strep Test

MY sis in law just had her baby and she was positive for strep B too. When she got to the hospital they put some antibiotics in her IV and that was it. Nothing else came of it. She and the baby are both fine.

K.- I tested positive for my first child but not my second. I too looked it up and was freaked out by the internet findings, but it was really no big deal when it came down to it. They just hung a bag of IV antibiotics along with the other IV "stuff" and everything was just fine :)

Actually, there is a VERY small chance that your baby will contract anything from you. A lot of homebirthing women don't even have the test done and the rates of problems are no higher for them! But, if you want to be safe, you get a round of antibiotics once ever 4 hours you are in labor and your baby will be fine:)

I tested positive for my first two, the third was here before the test came back. With the first I got the antibiotic and no problems, the second came so fast that I didn't get the antibiotics and she is fine also. I'm sure they gave me the antibiotics for the third since I tested positive the first two times. It won't hurt you and with the antibiotice it won't hurt your baby. I had one without the antibiotic and it didn't hurt that baby either, so don't worry about it. Just one more thing to stress about that you don't need to.

Hi K., i know youve received a million responses to your concern already, but Im adding one more. I,too, tested postivie for Group B. When my water broke, I wasted no time getting to th hospital, just incase. I was given IV antibiotics every four hours until delivery. They said the baby should be born within 20 hours of my water breaking to prevent any cross-contamination. I went for 22 hours but she was still perfect upon arrival. My sister, with her 3rd delivery, did not know she was positive. Im still unsure why they didnt test her during her 3rd pregnancy, but anyway, her little girl did get sick. DONT FREAK OUT, they caught it within 24 hours, she remained in the hospital on iv antibiotics for about a week (which was still hard on all of us) but has been a perfectly normal child since then. Testing positive is so common, i promise, you are not alone. I would recommnd you head to the hospital as soon as you think its time. Better to be safe and have the antibiotics ASAP, right! Good luck and stop reading the internet! lol

K.,
I was Strep B with both of my boys and it was really not a big deal. It can be I think but just make sure that everyone knows and they will give you the medication you need when you need it. They just give you an IV with the antibiotic and everything is fine or at least it was with me. My second one was a little scary because they said they like to get a certain amount in before things really start and he was coming so fast. They got what they needed to though or at least enough because he was fine. They will check the baby too to make sure. It will be fine don't worry.
M.

Just one more person to echo that it is no big deal. They will just hang an antibiotic while you are in labor. Make sure the hospital knows that you are Strep B positive when you go in though b/c my nephew had to get antibiotic shots after he was born b/c it was missed. Still no big deal, but easier on you than the baby.

I agree with the others that it is no big deal to have the IV antibiotics. I would suggest, though, that you add some probiotics in your diet when you come home from the hospital to rebalance your good bacteria. Good Luck!

I am giving you this info as I was a labor and delivery nurse for years. This topic has been on here before and there was alot of info given that was incorrect. Strep B is something some women carry and others don't. There is no reason why, it's just that. It is carried vaginal, anal and intestine. It can pass to the baby during delivery whether you have vaginal or c-section. It CAN NOT pass to them thru the placenta during pregnancy only delivery. And YES, YES as long as you get your antibiotics in before delivery it WILL BE FINE!!!! If you ever go into the hospital for anything preterm labor, bleeding, etc. and they thing you might deliver make sure and tell them you are Strep B pos. because sometimes it may take them awhile to get your chart and you want to make sure they don't miss it. Don't assume they will see it, make sure and be proactive for yourself and tell them. If there would ever be a reason for early delivery or when you deliver at term they will do antibiotics first thing. Also, as long as you get one IV dose in you are covered, it doesn't have to be multiple doses. Hopefully this helps ease your mind. Believe me it happens very often and probably everyday I worked I had at least one patient who was positive.

I was positive too and freaked out when the nurse told me. Like you, my mind went straight to the worst case scenario. However, they gave me the antibiotics at the hospital and everything was fine. Rest easy!

I was positive for my second and third child. We had absolutely no problems. As stated by others, just make sure that the hospital staff knows and make sure that you get the antibiotics. You and the baby will be fine.

I always test positive for Group B Strep. From my understanding, it's passed to the vagina from the rectum. I think some women are just more likely to get it than others. Normally, it doesn't cause any problems, but it can be very harmful if passed on to the baby. In my understanding, you can only pass it along to the baby if you have a vaginal delivery. When you check into the hospital to deliver, they will give you and antibiotic in an IV. It's really nothing to worry about, as long as you get the antibiotic. I would be proactive when you go to the hospital and make sure they know that you need the antibiotic. It's honestly NOT a big deal at all!

Its not really a big deal anymore, thanks to antibiotics. They'll hook you up when you come to the hospital and give you a dose then and I think another later on (6 or 8 hours later) depending on your labor. It's just so you don't pass it on to the baby during the birth. Group B strep is something all us ladies have "down there" and sometimes it just grown more in some of us. Try not to worry. Ask your doctor, and he or she will give you the lowdown.

I had tested postive as well. It is no big deal as long as they catch it before you deliver. They give you a shot of antibiotics and your fine.

Kellly,
Don't worry. This is very common and the doctor will take precaution to make sure the baby and you remain healthy.

Hi, K.!
I gave birth on Tuesday - and didn't know I had Group Strep B! I don't think I tested positive for it at 36 weeks, but did test positive for it in the hospital.

However, my delivery went so fast (I got there at 2 a.m., they admitted me at 4:05 a.m., he got here at 4:32!) that they didn't have time to give me an antibiotic for it! The pediatrician was really concerned at first, and they kept an extra close eye on my son, but he is perfectly healthy & doing great! My water was only broken for two minutes before he came, though, so I'm sure that helped!

My advice would be to try not to worry about it too much - just make sure to get to the hospital in plenty of time, and make sure the admitting people know you tested positive for it!

Best of luck & congrats!

Its very normal & as long as they give you antibiotics during labor, it can't pass to the baby. In fact, even if they didn't give you antibiotics, there's still only a smallish chance that the baby could contract it.

Hi K.. I also tested positive with my second child for strep. The colonies of strep continued to grow as the pregnancy proceeded and I was given antibiotics prior to delivering my daughter. I was told I was not to go into labor on my own and was put into the hospital at midnight....given IV antibiotics for 12 hours then labor was induced. This insured that the antibiotics were in my body before birth. On my third pregnancy they just gave me an IV antibiotics as I went into labor. Once the strep virus was in my system...they automatically treated me as if I had the virus still. Both pregnancies resulted very positive. The doctors are very much on top of this now. Many years ago that wasn't the case. You are in my prayers!

K.,
I have three girls. I only tested positive with my last one. I am sure you will get lots of responses to this as I think it is fairly common. As for me, it was not a big deal. They gave me IV antibiotics before she was born and that was it. I had no complications because of it and my daughter is almost four and is healthy as the other two. Try not to worry about it too much, I am sure everything will be fine. Sometimes looking things up on the internet is the worst thing you can do.
Good luck. T.

I had this with my last baby and it's really not a big deal. They put you on an antibiotic drip and they have a certain amount they need to get in your system total. So you might have a drip for a bit after you deliver. We also had to stay an extra day in the hospital to monitor him, which is normal. Don't stress about it. It's pretty normal and they are pretty used to dealing with it.

K.,

I tested positive for Strep-B as well. They just administered antibiotics during my delivery so I didn’t pass anything on to my baby. It is something you don’t even have to think about during the delivery.

The important thing to remember is that when you get to the hospital to deliver you need to mention it to the staff incase they do not have your medical chart. They are very familiar with it and it is very common.

Good luck!

I was strep B positive as well with my first. Like you, I was pretty freaked out, especially after reading all the stuff on the internet. Like everyone else has already posted, you'll get the intravenous antibiotic during delivery, and everything will be fine. Don't stress!

It's not a big deal at all. I started testing positive from the time I was 6 months pregnant. They give you a med to take if you test positive everytime they do a urine test. It can't hurt the baby until you deliver. The doc will make a note in your file for the hospital to start giving you this med when you go in to labor thru your IV every 4 hours so you don't pass it on to your baby while giving birth. It is harmless as long as they give you the med while you're delivering. This is not worth stressing about in any way. It can not hurt you and it's just a gene you carry that is harmless to you. When you check in to the hospital to deliver and they put you in the delivery room just remind them that you tested positive for Strep and they will treat it.

All I can say is to make sure the hospital gives you antibiotics RIGHT AWAY, as soon as possible. I was induced at 39 weeks and was Group B strep positive as well. Well, my little guy decided to make an early arrival so I did not get enough antibiotics into my system before he was born. He was fine, but the nurses had a very hard time getting an IV into my 6lb. 4oz. baby boy to give him antibiotics. It was TERRIBLE watching them sticking him with the needle and listening to him scream everytime. It made me cry, but I knew that it needed to be done to be sure he didn't get sick. Just make sure that the nurses are aware that you need the antibiotics. Good luck!