All pregnant women are routinely tested for GBS. If you're a GBS carrier, you won't have any symptoms (it isn't related to group A strep, the kind that causes throat infections) — which means you won't know you have the bacteria. That could potentially spell trouble come delivery time, because a baby who picks up GBS during childbirth is at risk of developing a serious infection (though only 1 in every 200 babies born with GBS-positive mothers is affected). This test is now usually performed around 36 weeks of pregnancy (testing earlier doesn't always predict who will be carrying GBS if women deliver after 40 weeks). Some hospitals and birthing centers offer a rapid GBS test that can screen women during labor and provide results within the hour, taking the place of testing a few weeks earlier. Ask your practitioner if that's an option at the facility where you'll be delivering. During a pelvic exam at a prenatal appointment, your practitioner will test for group B strep by taking a swab of your vagina and your rectum. The swabs will be sent to a lab for analysis. GBS can also show up in a urine culture obtained during a prenatal checkup . If it does, it may be treated right away with oral antibiotics and again in labor with IV-administered antibiotics.
A friend of mine developed a fever in labour and had to go into isolation and did a swab test. She just gave birth last week!
If you dont have any symptoms, not required for swab test. gave birth end nov.
Thank you very much for the info! :)
Jenjane PT