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LILY - USA
Born March 16, 2014 Early-onset Mother's GBS Status: Tested positive at 31 weeks & negative at 37 weeks Gestational Age: Full-term Age Harmed: At birth |
When I was 31 weeks pregnant with my daughter I thought I was in labor. At the time I was living on a military base and was going through the Naval Hospital. I was told to go home and eat because I was hungry, not having contractions. I was tested for GBS and it came back positive. Later that night I traveled an hour to another hospital and was told that I was contracting but more than likely just Braxton Hicks.
Come 37 weeks pregnant I get tested for GBS again and it came back negative. They told me that I wouldn’t have to be treated for it and I can go without an IV like I had wanted.
Fast forward to my labor and delivery. My water was broken for 28 hours before I gave birth to my daughter. I gave birth at 4am and later that day had a sit down with the doctor who explained to me that my daughter had GBS because I was positive for it. She told me that it was hospital discretion on what to do if a women test positive and then negative and they always went with the do not treat route and that we were now the reason that they would treat no matter when the mother tests positive in her pregnancy.
My daughter was hooked up to antibiotics and I thought that was that. The next day we get blindsided with them telling us my daughter is to be transferred to the NICU an hour away (where I went for a second opinion when I thought I was in early labor). I had no clue why because no one explained to me how life threatening GBS was.
Once at the NICU we were faced with making the choice of her to get a spinal tap to check for meningitis or not. That was the difference between 8 days and 28 days in the NICU. Again we weren’t told how bad GBS was. Thankfully she is now almost 5 and nothing beyond the NICU stay happened. But for a young mother not knowing what was going on it was a scary time.
I am now pregnant with my 2nd and I live somewhere else and am seeing a civilian practice. They aren’t testing me when it comes time but they are treating me.
There is much more to my story but it doesn’t have anything to do with GBS or at least I don’t think it does.
- Meghan Olson, USA
Come 37 weeks pregnant I get tested for GBS again and it came back negative. They told me that I wouldn’t have to be treated for it and I can go without an IV like I had wanted.
Fast forward to my labor and delivery. My water was broken for 28 hours before I gave birth to my daughter. I gave birth at 4am and later that day had a sit down with the doctor who explained to me that my daughter had GBS because I was positive for it. She told me that it was hospital discretion on what to do if a women test positive and then negative and they always went with the do not treat route and that we were now the reason that they would treat no matter when the mother tests positive in her pregnancy.
My daughter was hooked up to antibiotics and I thought that was that. The next day we get blindsided with them telling us my daughter is to be transferred to the NICU an hour away (where I went for a second opinion when I thought I was in early labor). I had no clue why because no one explained to me how life threatening GBS was.
Once at the NICU we were faced with making the choice of her to get a spinal tap to check for meningitis or not. That was the difference between 8 days and 28 days in the NICU. Again we weren’t told how bad GBS was. Thankfully she is now almost 5 and nothing beyond the NICU stay happened. But for a young mother not knowing what was going on it was a scary time.
I am now pregnant with my 2nd and I live somewhere else and am seeing a civilian practice. They aren’t testing me when it comes time but they are treating me.
There is much more to my story but it doesn’t have anything to do with GBS or at least I don’t think it does.
- Meghan Olson, USA
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.