Well, the GBS HealthUnlocked community has been going now for a little over 9 months. Iin that time, we've had lots of visitors and 126 people have signed up to be members of this community.
How about we get to know each other a little - why not introduce yourself here, tell us a little about yourself by commenting below.
To use the slogan from a memorable advert, it's good to talk ....
I'm Claire,I'm 29 from cheshire. I'm 34 weeks pregnant with my first baby.
I was told I had Group B Strep at 28 weeks,it was found during a routine swab at 25 weeks. Bit worried about giving birth as I also have severe SPD and I'm on crutches!
I'm so glad that the Group B Strep was found,and that I will have the antibiotics throughout labour. The thing that bothers me is that had I not had the swab at 25 weeks then this wouldn't have been found and I could have ended up in a similar situation to my friend who didn't know she had Group B Strep and so her daughter was infected and had meningitis at a couple of weeks old. I find it disgusting that its not seen as dangerous or important enough to screen for routinely during pregnancy when so many other countries do and when the solution is so simple,just a course of antibiotics during labour..............anyway,rant over 
I'm Sue and am nearly 50 (five attempts at IVF meant our children arrived a bit later than we expected!). I'm a Cheshire mum too. My daughter is a twin and she is 9 and now seems unscathed by her experience as a tiny baby. I don't think you could call her parents unscathed and 'imagine how lucky we were compared to alot of people! In 2004 we didn't know what Group B Strep was until we were told that Hannah had it. She had two lumbar punctures in four weeks, two lots of intravenous antibiiotics and we were all in hospital. Not quite the start you picture with your new baby or babies! The first time we came home Hannah couldn't hold her temperature and we rushed her back in to hospital. The second time she came home she didn't feed well, went blue/grey and looked like a little old lady. She was 3lb 11oz - I went into prem labour at 32 weeks. No tests were done or offered. I do wish someone out there would LISTEN to Group B Strep Support. Jane and the team have been working on this since the mid '90s. What's it going to take. Please keep ranting! The more of us that 'rant' the better chance Group B Strep have of getting this sorted! Come on Mr Cameron - you were on the gbss.org.uk web site as an MP!
I'm Hannah, I'm 24 from Norfolk. I had my little boy Kyle in February this year (2013), my pregnancy was really good and the first time I knew anything was wrong was when I was being rushed from MLBU to the delivery suite! They couldn't find Kyle's heartbeat very well and I had developed a high temp. When Kyle was finally delivered, he wasn't breathing, very floppy and not crying. Luckily the doctors realised he had an infection due to my high temp and that my waters smelt very bad (sorry for tmi) so they started him on general antibiotics as soon as he reached NICU. At the time they didn't know exactly what the infection was so had to do a lumber puncture. Throughout our 3 weeks in NICU Kyle had to have and MRI on his brain, an ultrasound on his kidneys, needles in his head to monitor the seizures he was having and many of things. Unfortunately for us the torture did not finish when we left the hospital, we had to go for endless blood test due to Kyle having a raised lactate level. We are now waiting for a date for when Kyle will have a biopsy on his muscle and skin tissue from his thigh, I'm just praying this will give us some answers. The question I ask is why is not every pregnant woman test, if it can prevent the horrendous experience my family have been put through it seems money well spent!
I just hope the next time I have a baby it will be an enjoyable one.
