This is going to be quite a deep post but I have always said I want to be open and honest on my blog and most importantly, raise awareness about any issues I encounter in hopes to help other people.
When I got pregnant, it was all new to me. I hadn't prepared myself, I wasn't taking folic acid for the first four weeks which apparently is a must. I wasn't aware that infections down below caused pre-term labour, there was just so much I didn't know about. Little things that potentially made a big impact. My mum helped educate me along the way because her waters broke with me at 29 weeks (I was born at 34 weeks), so she knew there were plenty of risks I needed to be aware of. One risk that took us both by surprise was a condition called Group B Strep.
This is where I strongly believe in the celestine prophecy (everything happens for a reason, people cross your path for a reason, you are made aware of things for a reason). My mum had recently been chatting with somebody who had a premature birth (32 weeks), it was a shock for this person as she didn't know anything was wrong so an early labour took her by surprise. After a shocking but successful birth, she was told that she had Group B Strep. A condition which is linked to premature labour, a condition which nobody had tested her for, a condition the NHS doesn't even bother telling us about. Her baby was healthy despite the risks and her story ends happily but she wanted to raise awareness as she was aware of the damage it causes when left undiagnosed (I have known two people to lose their newborns from the virus). My mum relayed the story to me and I had a google. What I learnt was this:
'Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a normal bacterium which is carried by 20-40% of adults, most commonly in the gut, and for up to 25% of women, in the vagina, usually without symptoms or side-effects.
GBS can occasionally cause infection, most commonly in newborn babies, sometimes in adults and, very rarely, during pregnancy and before labour. GBS is not a sexually transmitted disease. Treatment of a woman and her partner carrying GBS does not prevent re-colonisation.
There are two types of GBS infection in newborns: early and late-onset:
- Early-onset GBS infection is more common (approximately 2/3 of cases in babies) and occurs when the baby is up to 6 days old; a key symptom is the rapid development of breathing problems, associated with blood poisoning.
- Late-onset GBS infection – usually presenting as sepsis and meningitis – occurs between age 7 days and up to age 3 months. After 3 months’ old, GBS infection in babies is extremely rare.
GBS is recognised to cause preterm delivery, maternal infections, stillbirths and late miscarriages; preterm babies are known to be at particular risk of GBS infection as their immune systems are not as well developed.' - https://gbss.org.uk'
I was only 20 weeks pregnant but knew I wanted to be tested for it immediately. Now this is where it gets frustrating. The NHS do NOT test for GBS, they feel it isn't necessary which is absolutely shocking considering the damage it potentially causes. So I looked online and found that you could order private tests for around £30 which is definitely worth it. I however, ended up going to the doctors for a general check up/ swab as I have suffered a lot with infections in the past and wanted to be on top of all that while being pregnant. I asked the nurse if Group B Strep was tested for at the same time (it covers BV, Thrush etc), and she said it did which was such a relief. She then went on to say that normally they wouldn't test for it if you were not pregnant as it's a harmless bacteria (to us) but while pregnant it's flagged up if found. Meanwhile, I had a consultation with my high risk doctor at the hospital (as i'm on thyroid medication), and I asked if he thought I would be prone to GBS and told him of my intimate health struggles of the past, he didn't even take his eyes off of the computer and robotically replied, ' I don't think so' , in other words he wasn't interested as the NHS do not take GBS seriously at all.
Low and behold, my swab came back as positive for Group B Strep. I wanted to cry. I had read so much about it, heard so many negative stories surrounding it so all of a sudden I felt like my whole pregnancy was at risk. I felt alone because the NHS just didn't seem to care but I was all too aware of how much damage this bacteria could do. I told my midwife and she put a big sticker on my hospital notes so that staff would be aware of the condition when I go in to labour. The only treatment they offer is 4 doses of intravenous antibiotics during labour, I've heard 4 hours be mentioned a few times so it would suggest that your labour has to last for a minimum of 4 hours for the antibiotics to take effect. This is supposed to clear the GBS from your system so the baby doesn't contract it. The problem is, some people do not last long enough and do not get the full amount of antibiotics and then the baby gets infected, and on the flip side if your labour lasts for too long the baby is at risk again. It's all one big gamble and the NHS have had a lot of losses on their hands because of the poor organisation of monitoring and treatment.
There are poor girls out there who don't even know they have GBS, and give birth and then get diagnosed after their babies are fighting meningitis and sepsis. It is awful and that's why I wanted to make as many people aware of this condition as possible.
I personally pray that I get all of my antibiotics before giving birth, I will be going in to hospital as soon as I start contracting because ideally you need the antibiotics before your waters break as that's when the baby is vulnerable to infection. I have also looked into natural remedies to kill the bacteria before I go into labour. I'm also going to insist that my baby have their blood work done before leaving the hospital (if found in their blood they get their own dose of antibiotics). And that's all I can do. It's frustrating because it's the unknown but it's also something we do not have much control over.
If anyone wants to talk to me about natural remedies, please email me. Or google how to cure GBS naturally. I am treating it externally and internally (probitoics/ supplements etc). I can't say that it has worked for me yet as there are no symptoms to judge if you have it or not, but I would like to do all that I can on top of having antibiotics to help my baby have a healthy start in life.
- On a side note, because of this ordeal me and my baby have to go through during labour, I have planned not to have any visitors in the first week. I know I will be paranoid, looking out for signs of GBS infection. She will be my china doll, vulnerable to everything. Because of the antibiotics, her immune system will be non existent. I'm going to have a no smoker rules - if somebody who smokes wants to see the baby in their first few months of life, that means not smoking that day so it's not in their breath, on their hands or on their clothes as any interaction with second hand nicotine has already been linked to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and my baby will have an even lower immune system than average. I will be a protective bitch for while because i'm absolutely riddled with fear.
Feel free to email me at: RobynJaneblog@gmail.com
Robyn x
