Olivia was born on 3 October 2012 at 40 weeks and 3 days. I had never heard of group B Strep.
Immediately after birth, Olivia was clearly unwell. She was lifeless and struggling to breathe. The room suddenly filled with doctors and medical staff as she was given oxygen. When she didn’t improve, she was taken straight to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
This was one of the scariest times in my life, watching my newborn baby go through something so scary and life threatening is the hardest thing to watch as a mother, You feel helpless. I was so angry to learn that this is preventable.
My daughter was born with early-onset group B Strep Sepsis and was extremely poorly, she underwent a lumbar puncture, X-rays and IV antibiotics within her first few days of being born. Her veins were so small they had to regularly change her cannula, and take daily bloods to see if her infection markers were coming down. It was an awful experience.
After ten long days in hospital, we were finally able to bring Olivia home. While we were relieved, the fear did not leave me. I was terrified she would die from this condition. I watched her constantly, checked her temperature over and over, and was very cautious about who held her. At first, I didn’t even fully understand how Group B Strep was transmitted until I reached out to Group B Strep Support for more information.
Then when you think your out of the woods, and home safe & sound, at 7 weeks old Olivia became floppy and lifeless, developed a high temperature and was refusing her feeds. In sheer panic I rushed her to my local A&E and did not wait to be booked in. I just walked right up to the nurses station and said “please help my baby”. The nurses were amazing they took one look at her and rushed to help her. I remember being told by the doctors that my baby was very sick and they were going to do everything they could for her.
I was hit with the news that this was group B Strep Sepsis again and that she was going to have to fight this – again. I think about what would of happened if I wasn’t quick enough to realise there was something wrong. I’m so thankful that I was living in sheer anxiety everyday that my panic saved my daughters life.
