I tested GBS+ in both of my pregnancies at 36ish weeks. My experience:
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With my first I was planning a homebirth, and felt (continue to feel) that routine ABX during labour for 30% of the birthing population was overkill. I was comfortable with the risks involved in declining antibiotics. Then my water broke at 37 weeks. Coincidentally, I was at my midwifery clinic for a prenatal appointment at the time. The first thing the midwife wanted to do was "check to see what was going on". She should have known better. Arguably I should have known better too, but I didn't, so I consented to the vaginal exam. They sent me home, labour started a few hours later, but baby was badly positioned and progress was slow. Further vaginal exams were performed. By early the next morning (18ish hours since SROM and subsequent exam) the midwives were getting antsy about infection risk, and recommended that we transfer for ABX. We went, ABX were started, but too late. I developed a fever, baby's heartrate was increasing and non-reassuring. c-section performed. Luckily, baby was fine, though they kept her in the nursery and it was several hours before I was able to hold and attempt to feed her. I spent three days on IV antibiotics. Not fun, but better me than baby.
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Despite that whole ordeal, the only thing I would have done differently if I could do it over is decline the vaginal exams.
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With my second I again planned a homebirth. This also ended in transfer, this time due to slow progress (but no ROM) and midwives who were generally not very comfortable with the idea of HBAC 30 minutes from hospital. I did end up with a round of ABX because they wanted to break my water (wasn't thrilled about that, but that's another discussion). Had it not been for the AROM, I would have declined ABX in this pregnancy, even after my experience with my first.Â
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Tricky issue though, and everyone has different comfort levels with the various risks involved. It's good to be educated.
