Doulas Unhinged
Birth and parenting deserve more than recycled advice and outdated expectations. This podcast exposes the hidden influences shaping modern birth and parenthood- unpacking hospital culture, trauma, identity shifts, and the stories we're rarely encouraged to tell out loud.
Each episode challenges assumptions, amplifies lived experiences, and offers evidence- backed conversations that help you reclaim your voice, your choices, and your narrative.
If you've ever felt like the mainstream version of birth and parenting doesn't fit- you're not alone, and you're in the right place.
Doulas Unhinged
Ep 6: GBS: What They Don’t Fully Explain at 36 Weeks
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At around 36–37 weeks, almost everyone is offered a Group B Strep (GBS) test — and for many parents, that’s the first time they’ve ever heard of it.
Suddenly there’s talk of “positive results,” IV antibiotics, hospital policies, and fear-based statistics… without a lot of context.
So what is GBS really?
How risky is it actually?
And what choices do you have?
In this episode, we break it all down without the scare tactics.
We cover:
- What Group B Strep actually is (and why it’s normal bacteria for many adults)
- How common GBS colonization really is
- The difference between colonization vs infection
- Routine testing at 36–37 weeks — what the swab checks for and its limitations
- False negatives, false positives, and timing issues
- What happens if you test positive
- Standard hospital protocol for IV antibiotics in labor
- Benefits and risks of antibiotics for parent and baby
- How antibiotics may impact the newborn microbiome
- Risk factors that change recommendations (fevers, prolonged rupture of membranes, prematurity, prior GBS baby)
- Alternatives and considerations some families explore
- Questions to ask your provider so you can make an informed decision
- How doulas support families navigating GBS conversations without fear or pressure
We also talk about the bigger picture:
Because “positive” shouldn’t automatically mean panic.
This is about understanding relative risk, knowing your options, and making decisions that feel aligned with your values — not just following a protocol you didn’t fully understand.
As always, information is power — and your birth gets to be informed, not rushed.