What Happens During Prenatal Appointments?
Testing positive for group B strep during pregnancy
At around 36 weeks, you’ll be given a test to determine whether you have group B streptococci. “We do it as late as possible because it’s a normal body flora so the swab can be positive or negative at any time,” says Georgoussis. About 20 percent of women carry the bacteria normally on their skin, but it can cause severe infections in newborns and can be passed on to them during a vaginal birth.
The test involves swabbing the outside of the vagina and rectum with a Q-tip. “If you test positive, it doesn’t mean you have an infection,” says Georgoussis. “It just changes how we manage your labor.” If you have the bacteria, you will receive intravenous antibiotics when your water breaks or when you go into labor, whichever comes first.
Meet our expert:
Susan Georgoussis is the co-founder of Becoming Maternity and Parenting Centres and a mother of four. She is a certified perinatal nurse specialist (PNC), lactation consultant (IBCLC) and Lamaze childbirth educator (LCCE). For more than 25 years, Susan has focused her career on women’s health issues related to birth and parenting.
