I have strep where???

This post deals with medical issues...

My doctor just called with the results from my urine sample and my blood tests. It turns out that I have strep, in my urine and in my *clears throat* vagina...um yea. So she is setting me up on some baby safe antibiotics and hopefully that should clear it all up.

So I have to wonder, how does one get strep down there? I didn't even know it was possible. Makes me wonder what causes it and what I can do to prevent it in the future. Time for research...

So, according to what I have read strep in the vagina is caused by Group B Strep (GBS), according to the many articles I found GBS is often found in many people in their intestinal tract and in their rectum. Sometimes in women this can be passed along to their vagina and urethra. In adults GBS is usually harmless, it will often show no symptoms and most people don't even know they are a carrier. The medical field is not completely sure how people pick it up or how it is passed. They are certain that it is not a sexually transmitted disease.

GBS is however dangerous to newborns and unborn children (oh yay), and can cause Sepsis, pneumonia, and meningitis in newborns. Newborns often catch GBS from their mothers when being born. GBS is treated by giving the mother antibiotics during delivery, newborns who test positive for it are treated the same way. Newborns who survive illnesses caused by GBS often suffer hearing loss, vision loss or mental retardation. Also from what I read the antibiotics I take now will not mean that I won't need antibiotics when I deliver. So it will be something I will need to remember.

Hopefully this does not end up hurting our baby in anyway. Of course when you are pregnant everything seems worth worrying about. Ah well, hopefully it turns out ok.