TL;DR (for busy parents)
- This is a real parent’s experience of Group B Strep (Strep B)
- Strep B is common and usually harmless, but can make some newborns very unwell
- The aim of this story is awareness, not fear
- This is not medical advice
- Links to trusted sources are included at the end
This article shares one family’s lived experience of Group B Strep (Strep B). It is written to raise awareness and help parents feel informed, not to provide medical advice. If you have concerns during pregnancy, always speak to your midwife or doctor.
When I was asked to write this
When I was asked to write a blog about something I was passionate about, I knew straight away what I wanted to talk about: Strep B.
Unlike meningitis, Strep B doesn’t get much publicity, yet it is one of the biggest causes of newborn infection. I had never heard of it — and neither had many of my pregnant or new-mum friends.
This post isn’t meant to scare anyone. It’s simply to share information and talk about the options available, and to pass on what I wish I had known during pregnancy.
Our experience
I had a fairly standard pregnancy. A bit of sickness, some aching hips, and a fear of pushing a baby out of there.
After a whole day labouring in the water pool in the MLU (Midwife-Led Unit) at The Lister, I was told I had a temperature and would need to move downstairs to the CLU (Consultant-Led Unit). Just a couple of hours later, she was here.
I felt relieved and elated.
The midwife went to lay her on my chest — but just as I was about to touch this new little life I’d spent nine months talking to, she suddenly said, “Don’t touch her!” and lifted her away, handing her to one of a growing number of doctors who had appeared in the room.
That moment replayed in my mind for months afterwards.
She was taken to the special care unit, and my husband — who, being gas-and-air free, was far more aware of the seriousness of the situation — followed.
The doctors told us she was very poorly, although they didn’t yet know why.
The days that followed
The next morning we went to see her. Our tiny bundle was covered in tubes. The doctors told us things hadn’t improved and that she had been having seizures throughout the night.
Later that morning, we were told she was being transferred to The Rosie at Addenbrooke’s, where they had greater capacity to care for very poorly babies.
As I was getting ready to go, a consultant took me aside and explained that I also had an infection — and that I had to stay where I was.
My husband went home briefly to shower before meeting the ambulance at the next hospital. My mum came to be with me, having waited patiently for news of her first grandchild since the day before.
Each day, my husband visited me in the morning, our baby during the day, and then came back to me on his way home.
Choosing her name
“What shall we call her?” my husband asked.
We had a shortlist but had planned to wait until we met her properly. “Do you still like Willow?” he asked. “I have a form to fill out and I don’t want to keep writing ‘infant surname’.”
“I do like it,” I said. “Although… is it too wacky?”
An irrational fear took hold — that she’d get muddled with other babies because she didn’t have a name, and her mum wasn’t even in the same hospital.
“Let’s do it,” I said.
Willow.
What we learned about Strep B
A swab I’d had taken came back positive for Group B Strep. It became clear that this was the cause of Willow’s illness.
She had been on antibiotics since birth as a precaution, but the infection had developed into septicaemia and meningitis.
Strep B is a bacteria carried by around one in four women, usually completely harmlessly. In a small number of cases, the infection can flare during labour and be passed to the baby during birth. When this happens, it can be devastating.
We were incredibly lucky — although at the time it didn’t feel that way.
In many developed countries, pregnant women are routinely tested for Strep B. In the UK, this is not standard practice, and many parents are not told about it at all.
I was extremely careful during pregnancy: no wine, no soft cheese, even changing face cream because it contained vitamin A — yet I’d never heard of Strep B.
Testing and antibiotics
There have been petitions encouraging routine testing, or at least better information during pregnancy appointments. While Strep B is taken seriously, there have been no firm changes to national testing policy.
If a mother is known to be a carrier, antibiotics given through a drip during labour are proven to significantly reduce the risk of the baby becoming unwell.
Although routine testing isn’t offered on the NHS, private tests are available.
Two common reasons given for not routinely testing are:
- Antibiotics may be given unnecessarily
Many babies born to Strep B-positive mums are completely fine. But as a parent who was affected, a dose of penicillin to dramatically reduce the risk of a serious infection feels worth it. - Strep B carriage can be temporary
This is true, but organisations such as Strep B Support suggest testing between 35–37 weeks, when results are most likely to reflect the situation at birth.
Holding her at last
Five days after Willow’s birth, I was transferred to the same hospital as her.
Wires and monitors surrounded her, with constant beeping filling the small room she shared with three other poorly babies.
One week after she was born, we finally got to hold her.
It wasn’t the moment I’d imagined during pregnancy — but it was beautiful all the same.
Wrapped in a pink blanket my nana had made, she yawned as she settled into my arms. For the first time, it felt real.
I was a mummy.
Life after
Once the infection cleared, we were able to go home and begin life as parents — easier said than done.
That was over a year ago now, and I’m happy to say Willow is doing wonderfully. She’s hitting her milestones and then some. She’s happy, energetic, loves nursery, her toys, and climbing the stairs whenever someone forgets to shut the gate.
Babies are incredibly resilient, despite how delicate they appear.
I know we were very lucky. Many families aren’t.
If sharing our story helps even one other parent feel informed or ask a question they might not otherwise have asked, then telling it is worth it.
All I know is that we couldn’t have picked a more perfect name.
Willow — strong enough to weather any storm by bending, not breaking.
Further support and trusted information
The Strep B Support team helped me enormously — explaining what had happened, helping me work through the guilt, and giving me the information I needed.
If you’re pregnant or have concerns, these trusted resources may help:
About this article
This article was kindly written for Babies & Children by a parent to help raise awareness through lived experience. If you are the author and would like your name added or details updated, we’d love to hear from you. contact us.
