Does GBS cause your water to break?

[Gemini529]

I was looking around online about whether or not my water might break again before labor starts and came across a few people saying that being GBS positive is a risk factor for having this happen.  My doctor never mentioned that this could be a cause and even being GBS positive again this time, he still didn't say that it might cause it to happen again. (I'll have to remember to ask at the next appt, but anyway......)

So I'm curiously looking for anecdata from other ladies!  If you were GBS positive at the end of your pregnancy, did you go into labor by having your water break first?  Also, was your baby born early?  My last baby was born 2 weeks early.  My water broke and then labor started a few hours later.  He was born about 14 hrs after my water broke.  

I had always attributed my early labor to the fact that I had high blood pressure at the end, but maybe it was the GBS?

[jocelyndale]

I was GBS+ a few weeks prior to birth.  My water broke as I entered transition.  Kiddo was born less than three hours later.

My official EDD was 24 April, he was born on the 21st and well-cooked.

So there's some conflicting anecdata for you.  

[onetwoten]

I think there may be a bit of misinterpretation- although I could be wrong, as I haven't read the same studies you have. Anyways-- having your water break early, increases the chances of passing the GBS on to a baby. So one of the risk factors for GBS is having prolonged rupture of the membrances-- but, this doesn't mean conversely that GBS puts you at risk for your water breaking early. I believe your chances of that are essentially uneffected. It's only if you have PROM that they worried about the increased risk of GBS being passed. And for that as well, you shouldn't have to worry until 18-24 hours... though that is why they will tell you to go right to the hospital as soon as your water breaks-- so that they can start the antibiotics. 

Does that make sense? I feel like I'm rambly. 

[Gemini529]

Originally Posted by jeninejessica 

I think there may be a bit of misinterpretation- although I could be wrong, as I haven't read the same studies you have. Anyways-- having your water break early, increases the chances of passing the GBS on to a baby. So one of the risk factors for GBS is having prolonged rupture of the membrances-- but, this doesn't mean conversely that GBS puts you at risk for your water breaking early. I believe your chances of that are essentially uneffected. It's only if you have PROM that they worried about the increased risk of GBS being passed. And for that as well, you shouldn't have to worry until 18-24 hours... though that is why they will tell you to go right to the hospital as soon as your water breaks-- so that they can start the antibiotics. 

Does that make sense? I feel like I'm rambly. 

No, that makes sense...and that is always what I thought the connection was.  But some of the stuff I've read says that the GBS itself weakens the membranes and could cause them to rupture early.  Most of it is anecdata from women whose doctors told them that this is the case.  

[Plummeting]

Do you have any of those studies? Also, 2 weeks before a due date is not early. That's well within the normal range, no weird cause necessary.

[Gemini529]

Originally Posted by Plummeting 

Do you have any of those studies? Also, 2 weeks before a due date is not early. That's well within the normal range, no weird cause necessary.

2.3.3 Pre-labour rupture of membranes

Some studies suggest that carriage of GBS in the vagina and urinary tract may cause pre-labour rupture of the membranes48;49 (waters breaking before the onset of labour), although other studies do not support these findings50. Although GBS may be a rare cause of pre-labour rupture of membranes, as can other organisms, other, as yet unidentified, causes are far more common (see also our experts‟ view on Prelabour & preterm rupture of membranes on page 22).

http://www.gbss.org.uk/section.php?section_id=10&section=downloads

Above is the quote/link that I found while browsing online.  It comes from the PDF document called "GBS: The Facts for Healthcare Professionals."

From what I understand, it's not actually "the norm" for your water to break before labor starts, which is what happened to me.  By early, I meant before, rather than after, my due date.  I am just looking for anecdotal stuff from other moms since all I could really find was that nothing has really been proven.  

[Shami]

I had GBS.  Baby girl came one week prior to due date.  Water broke first then labor began, but it took 24 hours before I delivered a healthy baby girl.  Similarly to you, OP, I had high blood pressure when I got to the hospital.  That changed everything in my birth plan, but thankfully still had a healthy little girl in the end!

BTW, I am GBS positive with this one too.  Due Oct. 28.  Have high blood pressure now.  If I remember, I'll come back and let you know how it all plays out.

[Gemini529]

Thanks, Shami!  My BP has actually been normal so far so hopefully that won't be an issue for me again.  It'll be interesting to see if my water breaks again this time, though.  I'm just curious as to what causes it since there seem to be no real answers anywhere.  :)  I'll definitely update here, too.  37 +1 weeks today so pretty soon!

[emmaegbert]

I've never heard that. And I was GBS+ with both previous pregnancies (am negative this time, yay!) and my water broke just right before transition both times- the first time actually it wasn't clear quite when it happened but was trickling out by the end of the labor, the second time it broke with a POP about 10 minutes before my baby was born.