Pressured to Induce for Old Strep B Result 😢 Will This Happen Again?
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Hi everyone, I’d really appreciate some advice as I’m feeling anxious about my next labour after a difficult experience during my first.
I was never tested for Strep B during my pregnancy, but when my waters broke, I called triage to let them know (my plan was to labour at home as long as possible but called in cos it was my first baby). The midwife on the phone told me to come in immediately because they would need to induce me. I was shocked and asked why, and she said I had tested positive for Strep B.
I explained I had never been told this by my midwife, but was told I had to go in anyway. Midewife at triage said it was in my notes from five years ago. I now vaguely remember being given antibiotics by my GP years ago, but I was never told it was Strep B.
So at triage, they insisted on starting induction and giving me antibiotics. I was progressing quickly in labour, and within 5 hours of my waters breaking I was nearly 4 cm, so I asked for just the antibiotics without induction. The midwife repeatedly told me, “You’re a smart woman, you wouldn’t want your baby to die, would you?” which she said multiple times and really made me feel like I was going to kill my own baby and that just asking for antibiotics was so silly of me. It left me feeling distressed and pressured during early labour.
After 3 hours of me refusing induction, she finally agreed to just give me the antibiotics, which I had been asking for from the start. My labour continued naturally, and my baby arrived 14 hours after my waters broke, healthy and without any problems.
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I’m now worried about my next labour. Will they pressure me to be induced again just because I tested positive for Strep B years ago? Will I get tested during my pregnancy and if it’s negative what would they do when I go into labour? If it’s positive will I have no choice but to be induced?
Any advice from medical professionals or mums with similar experiences would be really appreciated. I just want to feel prepared and empowered this time. Thank you ❤️
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That sounds like an awful experience - sorry you had to go through that.
Where are you based?
For reference, my first baby was born with strep B, so in my second labour they treated me as if I had a positive strep B infection.
I went into labour spontaneously, and I was allowed access to the midwife-led unit for a water birth, and antibiotics were administered to me through labour in the MLU ☺️.
Hiya I’m based in Southampton, and yes whenever I think back to it I feel so sad and anxious about my next Labour… they let me get into the pool in the MLU and then baby heart rate went up so I had to give birth in the Labour ward, so they didn’t say u need to be induced at all?
No, they didn’t ☺️. I had the added complication of a previous c-section too, which meant I was high risk (both pregnancies ended in emergency sections).
Due to previous section, my consultant wanted to book me in for induction of labour at 41 weeks (think they originally mentioned 40 weeks, but I refused). My midwife suggested I go to hospital at 41 weeks at the time of the induction appointment, just have all obs etc done and, as long as I was feeling comfortable and confident, refuse the induction and walk out.
To be honest, I joined a load of evidence-based supportive facebook groups and read so many stories of people advocating for themselves, and it helped massively. I also read up on statistics and risks.
I had a birth debrief discussing my first labour/birth during my second pregnancy because I found my first traumatic (I actually found it helped loads!). *but* the person leading the debrief scoffed and half-laughed when I mentioned that I planned to go to the MLU for my second - she said that no one would okay entry for me with risks like previous section and a baby born with a step B infection… but my community midwife was so so so incredibly supportive of me and my decisions, and my consultant was also surprisingly supportive - most of my appointments and discussions actually revolved around the fact that I’d had a previous section.
Honestly, my Strep B positive baby barely got mentioned 😅. Initially they said they’d swab me in late pregnancy, then I think they realised that baby was actually born with an infection rather than me just having been positive in my previous pregnancy, so they said they’d automatically give me the antibiotics if I consented.
The consultant ensured there was a prescription ready for antibiotics/it was on the front of my orange notes that I needed them. Then I just mentioned it when I phoned the MLU before going in, and they just ensured they had them ready for me and administered them to me when I was there - I think they managed to get three doses in me.
I was adamant I didn’t want to be induced because my first induction was horrific and I know that any interventions increase the likelihood of a c-section, which I was also trying to avoid again.
Sorry, I’ve waffled so much here.
Have you discussed all this and your concerns with your midwife?
so sorry completely forgot to reply but thank you soo much for sharing your experience! That’s incredibly reassuring!
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