Scared!

[AKinsey]

Help please! I had something scary happen to me 4 days ago (I'm 14 weeks) and am highly colonized with GBS. I know this bc I get frequent UTIs from GBS so I'm on a prophylactic dose of 250mg of Ampicillin per day. I was under a great deal of stress and felt a gush of something in my underwater. It was like water and blood mixed. A light red color. Since then I've had some spotting on and off. Fluid levels are ok from ultrasound but I've had bleeding as well as itchiness and an irritation on my cervix. Also some slight cramps. The dr couldn't verify it was fluid bc of the blood so he sent me home and told me to just keep taking the 250mg. I'm so worried that this was a tare. The bloody fluid smelled very sweet. Can GBS in the fluid cause developmental issues with the growing baby? I'm very worried about the baby being delayed or sick. Any advice?! Thank you!!

[GBSSadmin Partner Volunteer Group B Strep Support]

Hi AKinsey - I'm so sorry to hear of the problems you are having. If a baby has a group B Strep infection, for example sepsis or meningitis, that infection can cause long-term issues for a baby. As you are clearly anxious, please do go back to your health providers as they will be able address your specific concerns.

[AKinsey in reply to GBSSadmin]

Thanks for the response! I can't seem to get a clear answer from my Dr. He says if baby is exposed while in the womb it will simply result in miscarriage. Does baby growing in there with the bacteria cause developmental issues? I mean will she still grow properly and have proper mental development? Can Sepsis and Meningitis happen in the womb or are these just manifestations once baby is delivered?

Thank you

[GBSSadmin Partner Volunteer Group B Strep Support in reply to AKinsey]

Your doctor is right that group B Strep can cause infection in a baby in the womb, which can result in problems before the baby is born. However, these events are not common and GBS is a rare cause of them. For a baby to develop a group B Strep infection before birth, ALL of the Mum’s and the baby’s various defence mechanisms need to have failed. And there really are quite a lot of natural defences – in the vaginal secretions, the mucous plug, the cervix, the amniotic membranes, the amniotic fluid and finally in the baby him/herself. With so many defences in place, against group B Strep, thankfully the large majority of babies are not affected by group B Strep.

Of course, if you have had any gynaecological or obstetric problems, or other infections, etc in the past, it’s important that these are investigated fully by a Consultant Obstetrician at booking (or before) as well as addressing the issue of GBS.

In the unlikely event that a GBS infection does develop in the unborn baby (which would usually be sepsis), a Mum would usually go into labour or her membranes would rupture.

When this (thankfully rare) event happens, it's usually late in pregnancy. If it happens much earlier in pregnancy, then sadly it may mean a miscarriage.

Of course, If you have any concerns about anything during pregnancy (including, for example, reduced fetal movements which can be a sign that baby is in distress), you should seek advice from your midwife in the first instance. If she’s not available, then you should contact her maternity unit – they’re there to help.

Hope this helps.