If you look back at a few of my recent posts you will find some information about Strep B [click here for post].
Ironically, as I try to raise awareness about it, when it is my time to take the private home test – the results come back two days later positive!
Although I knew there was a chance they could, to be honest I still didn’t really expect it.
At first I became quite upset, I started to blame myself for potentially having this infection that could spread to my baby, but then I started to think – well at least I now know in advance and I can take precautions during my labour to make sure he is safe and monitored.
I also thought this meant I wouldn’t be able to have my planned water birth, however, my local midwife birthing unit are now able to deal with this by giving mums antibiotics and an IV a few hours before birth.
Whilst speaking to my mum – still a young mum at just 53 – she explained they just didn’t have the technology back then in the late 80s, including scans or knowledge of these things – so perhaps she could have had it and never known about it, as is the case with lots of mums.
So for me, nothing will really change apart from the antibiotics I need to be given and my baby will have to be monitored 12 hours after birth to make sure he is free from infection.
You can find information about getting tested for group B strep on the Group B Strep Support website.
