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AIRLIE — AUSTRALIA
Born June 18, 2021 Late-onset Mother's GBS Status: Tested Positive Gestational Age: Full Term Age Harmed: Diagnosed at 9 days old |
Airlie was born at term, a beautiful but very fast delivery. The team of midwives barely had time to switch the lights on in the birthing suite before she arrived. There was no time for antibiotics.
She was such a champion feeder we nicknamed her truffles, after truffle-hunting pigs. Her rooting instinct was so adorable! So when she gradually stopped “truffling”, my mum-instincts started alarming. On a cold winter’s day, I counted her breaths, noted a slight fever and called the nurse hotline. They sent an ambulance.
After a nightmarish “full septic work up”, involving tests of all kinds, two different types of antibiotics and a lot of tears, the results came back positive for GBS. I was absolutely floored: right up to that moment we thought she had my toddler’s cold. We had no idea she was that sick.
Airlie responded well to treatment and was discharged after 10 days of antibiotics. Unfortunately, days later we were back in hospital, she had started vomiting and stopped feeding again. Over the next year, she continued to get very sick with a lot of vomiting, and was hospitalised a few more times. She was diagnosed with a separate-but-related kidney issue and was on long-term antibiotics until around 12 months.
Now she is 16 months and things have gradually gotten better. By all measures, she is developing normally. She is a little piece of sunshine, an active toddler who keeps us on our toes!
But we will never forget our GBS journey. I often hear people downplay the risks when discussing the merits of testing. I only wish they knew how serious and terrifying this illness can be.
-Rhiannon
I share my story in forums where mothers-to-be are debating whether to have the swab and/or antibiotics. In Australia, where I live, there appears to be a growing movement to reject the swab with a lot of misinformation or misunderstanding of why it exists.
I would LOVE to spread more awareness about GBS. I knew so little about it before it happened to us, and the pre-birth information in mother-focused online groups is really lacking in first-person stories. So many people seem to think GBS bacteria is so transient that testing is useless, for example.
She was such a champion feeder we nicknamed her truffles, after truffle-hunting pigs. Her rooting instinct was so adorable! So when she gradually stopped “truffling”, my mum-instincts started alarming. On a cold winter’s day, I counted her breaths, noted a slight fever and called the nurse hotline. They sent an ambulance.
After a nightmarish “full septic work up”, involving tests of all kinds, two different types of antibiotics and a lot of tears, the results came back positive for GBS. I was absolutely floored: right up to that moment we thought she had my toddler’s cold. We had no idea she was that sick.
Airlie responded well to treatment and was discharged after 10 days of antibiotics. Unfortunately, days later we were back in hospital, she had started vomiting and stopped feeding again. Over the next year, she continued to get very sick with a lot of vomiting, and was hospitalised a few more times. She was diagnosed with a separate-but-related kidney issue and was on long-term antibiotics until around 12 months.
Now she is 16 months and things have gradually gotten better. By all measures, she is developing normally. She is a little piece of sunshine, an active toddler who keeps us on our toes!
But we will never forget our GBS journey. I often hear people downplay the risks when discussing the merits of testing. I only wish they knew how serious and terrifying this illness can be.
-Rhiannon
I share my story in forums where mothers-to-be are debating whether to have the swab and/or antibiotics. In Australia, where I live, there appears to be a growing movement to reject the swab with a lot of misinformation or misunderstanding of why it exists.
I would LOVE to spread more awareness about GBS. I knew so little about it before it happened to us, and the pre-birth information in mother-focused online groups is really lacking in first-person stories. So many people seem to think GBS bacteria is so transient that testing is useless, for example.
To learn more about Perinatal & GBS Misconceptions, click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of Preterm Labor, click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of GBS Infection, click HERE.
To learn more about Why Membranes Should NOT Be Stripped, click HERE.
To learn more about How to Help Protect Your Baby from Group B Strep (GBS), click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of Preterm Labor, click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of GBS Infection, click HERE.
To learn more about Why Membranes Should NOT Be Stripped, click HERE.
To learn more about How to Help Protect Your Baby from Group B Strep (GBS), click HERE.