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LUCA - USA
Born February 3, 2019 Prenatal-onset Mother's GBS Status: Not tested Gestational Age: 26 weeks Age Harmed: In-utero |
I had a fairly normal labor without complications. At no point in time, now knowing what the symptoms are, was I aware that anything was wrong. I had woken up on the first day of my 3rd trimester, at exactly 26 weeks, with severe back pain. I did not associate it immediately with preterm labor. After the pain persisted for over an hour, and after calling the doctor, I began to have semi-regular contractions and knew something was wrong. I went to the hospital and was found to already be 4 cm dilated and 60% effaced after just 6 hours of active labor. Despite efforts to stop my labor, I delivered my son at 26 weeks 1 day, just 19 hours later. I did receive a GBS swab when I had gotten to triage, and was prophylactically given antibiotics in labor, but the results were not determined until later. My placenta was cultured and found to have heavy GBS colonization after delivery. My son was born septic and, among the various, life-threatening complications of prematurity, spent 112 days in the NICU. Despite subsequently suffering bilateral severe IVH (grade 3 & grade 4), mild PVL, and persisting chronic lung disease, he is now a normal, healthy almost 2 year old. My goal is to find ways to help mothers advocate for themselves and their babies, born and unborn, provide education around GBS, and to prevent something like this from happening to someone else.
- Leeann Coltura
How Leeann spreads awareness:
- Leeann Coltura
How Leeann spreads awareness:
- Educates other mothers about the signs and symptoms of prenatal GBS infection.
- Educate others regarding the potential negative effects of GBS infection, as I was not personally informed of these until I had delivered my son.
- Advocates for routine urine GBS testing earlier in pregnancy, in addition to the testing in the 3rd trimester, to help prevent GBS related stillbirth, preterm labor, or miscarriage.
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.