I’m looking to see if anyone else has had a situation like I am having. I have two children. With my first child I was tested positive for GBS at my 36 week appointment. I received antibiotics during labor with no issues. My second pregnancy I was told I had GBS in my urine at my first appointment and needed to take antibiotics. Well, it wouldn’t go away. I was on different antibiotics my whole pregnancy trying to get rid of this GBS UTI. I never had any symptoms of a UTI, it just showed up in my lab results. My concern is I still have this “GBS UTI.” My OB referred me to a Urologist which said that with the levels I have I am fine. My OB says if I still test positive for GBS next time we will do the antibiotics all over again. This makes me nervous. Does anyone else have elevated levels of GBS or recurring GBS with pregnancies? Being on that much antibiotics has definitely messed with me. The Dr.'s act like they haven’t seen this before. Please let me know your GBS situation if it’s different like mine!
I had positive GBS swabs with my first and second pregnancies (and was treated with IV antibiotics in early labor if I’m remembering right); with my third I believe I tested negative; same with #4 and #5–so no need for the antibiotics with the latter three labors.
So, my understanding is that GBS isn’t exactly a UTI. It (beta strep) is normal flora (bacteria) of the vagina or rectum that can “colonize” the vagina (meaning, it’s detectable when they swab you there near the end of pregnancy) and (possibly, if you didn’t treat it w/ antibiotics at the right stage) can cause issues with the newborn as she’s exposed during the birth process.
It’s one of those things that they somewhat expect you to have in future pregnancies once you’ve had it during a previous pregnancy, but in my case my immune system must have cleared it or something. So for this pregnancy, you have it and you’ll be treated this time, but in future pregnancies, you may or may not. This is why they test you with each pregnancy.
I’m sorry but I’m not sure what you mean by elevated levels of GBS. Maybe you should call and ask for clarification from the doctor.
i’m sorry I wasn’t more specific. I have GBS in my urine. They call that a GBS UTI. [name_m]Just[/name_m] like you said, it’s normal for it to be in the vaginal canal but it’s not normal in the urinary tract. So when they tested my urine for the first time when I was pregnant with my 2nd child it came back with the GBS in my urine and I had it all throughout the pregnancy and still have it now 9 months later. They said I must have elevated levels of the GBS bacteria. Both the urologist and my OB say that it is ok for me while I’m not pregnant but when I am, that is a different story. So since I will know I have GBS from the start and more than normal as well as in places it shouldn’t be, that makes me nervous for another baby. I know it’s serious for them if they get it and I know they can get it in the uterus not just while being delivered. I was looking for other women that have been treated with antibiotics the whole pregnancy and for multiple pregnancies since that is what my OB wants to do next time. I don’t know if I can handle that much antibiotics again. I’m already dealing with issues because of 9 months of them. Thank you for your reply! Hopefully I was a little more informative this time.
Oh, wow. Ok, yes, that’s different. I’m sorry you’re dealing with that! The good news is that your OB has a plan for future pregnancies and isn’t just telling you not to ever get pregnant again or something. [name_f]Hope[/name_f] you get some answers and feel better soon.
Oh man, that sounds frustrating.
I tested positive for two pregnancies out of 5. I was on antibiotics during labor, and it was all fine.
hi i know this is a old post but how did your pregnancy end up going and delivery?
…i keep getting UTI and now just finished my third antiobiotic and still feel like i have a UTI. i also tested positive at my first baby appt for GBS and it has been found each time i have peed because i thought i had a UTI. i am now 21 week and am so scared to keep taking antiobiotics and that something will be wrong with this baby.