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I have always known i have O negative blood type but never thought it would be a problem.
My doc tells me that if i bleed during the pregnancy i need to get an injection at the hospital. I have not bled.
Anyway, i started to read about it on the net. Something about if my blood mixes with the babies, it can harm the baby because my body will make antibodies against it.
Has anyone else had this blood type and what is your experience
You may be aware that there are four main blood groups: A, B, AB and O but alongside your blood group there is also the Rhesus factor (Rh). If you have this factor you are described as being Rhesus positive (Rh+ve) and if you do not you are Rhesus negative (Rh-ve).The majority of people are Rh+ve but 16
people out of every 100 are Rhesus negative. For most people, especially men, being Rh-ve is only really of concern if they need a blood transfusion. However, this is different for women, as being Rhesus negative can have an effect on your baby’s health during the first or any future pregnancies. In pregnancy, it is unusual for the mother’s and the baby’s blood to come into contact and mix with each other, as they both have separate circulation systems. For a mother who is Rh-ve and where her unborn baby is Rh+ve, if there is mixing between the two bloods (feto-maternal transfusion), the baby’s positive blood is seen by the mother’s body as a foreign substance (an antigen) to be attacked and destroyed. This sets off a reaction in the mother’s blood to protect her body from what is seen as something that is harmful.The time of greatest risk when this mixing of the bloods can happen is as the afterbirth (placenta) separates or at any time in pregnancy where the placenta is damaged, as this is where the fetal and maternal blood systems are closest. The reaction of the Rhesus negative mother’s blood to the foreign Rhesus positive antigen is called isoimmunisation.This follows the same process as the one used to immunise or protect us from harmful viruses, like polio.The body forms antibodies to fight and destroy the virus therefore preventing us from getting the disease. Antibodies are cells specifically designed to combat the foreign antigen and the presence of these antibodies means that the mother’s body will be sensitised to this particular Rhesus antigen for the rest of her life.These antibodies will then try to destroy the blood of a Rhesus positive baby. This can result in the death of the baby while still in the womb or, if the baby survives, the development of a condition called haemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN), where the baby requires medical care and often a blood transfusion shortly after birth. These antibodies are not usually present in the first pregnancy, as the Rhesus negative mother is unlikely to have had contact with any Rhesus positive antigens before the pregnancy. It is possible to prevent the formation of antibodies by giving the mother immunoglobulin.This blocks the sensitisation process and returns the maternal blood system back to how it was at the start of that pregnancy. The immunoglobulin, commonly called anti-D, is a specially processed, blood-derived product that can only be given by intramuscular injection. This can be given antenatally (ie prophylactically), where there is a risk of contact between maternal and fetal blood and sensitisation could occur. It may also be given as a treatment (therapeutically), where it is highly likely that fetal and maternal blood have come into contact with each other, which would happen most often after the birth of the baby. If you choose to have the injection of anti-D you can be reassured that there is much less risk of haemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) affecting the baby in your current pregnancy or a baby in a subsequent pregnancy.There are, however, a few issues that you need to know about so that you can make an informed choice. If both the father and the mother of the unborn baby are Rhesus negative, they can only have a Rhesus negative baby and the mother will not require anti-D. Likewise, if the blood type of the baby is known to be Rhesus negative, either from tests done in pregnancy or soon after the birth, these mothers do not need anti-D.
I havent got time to read Alans post but i'm sure he has eased your mine.
I too am O neg and have had 2 healthy pgs. With DD1 i had a bleed at 36wks which i recieved and extra dose of the anti D injection. We had NO complications and with DD2 i had a very early bleed at 5 week and spent the day in emergecy just to get an anti D shot as its what my GP told me to do but after finally been seen the ER Dr said i didnt need one as it was so early?!?!? Anyway i went on to have a H&H pg.
You could have just posted this link Alan :)
https://www.bellybelly.com.au/pregna...tive-pregnancy
Thanks Alan for the excellent info, I fully understand it.
Thanks for your experience Hoody, good to know
As this is my first pregnancy I'm trying to understand everything
Kelly that would have saved a lot of time LOL
I am A- and just had to have an anti-d shot after my twins were born and after my m/c. No biggie- just a shot in the bum. It was good that i did as one of my twins is A- and the other is A+ ( my DH is A+).
just gotta let your OB know. When the do the blood tests at around 10 weeks for the downs test, they will check your blood group and send you out a card with your blood type info. Even easier !
Odette
So it is normal to get a card with your blood type.
Sorry, I know I'm off track, but my last pg was the only one I got a card for. I've kept it in my wallet since, but I didn't know it was a routine thing.
i got one last year when i was pg- so maybe its a new thing that they have bought it- its great to keep in your wallet!!!
such a good idea
odette
So if I am O negative and my partner is A, B or O positive are we likely to get a rhesus postive baby or a rhesus negative baby?? I didnt really listen much in biology at school. Oops!
Im O-neg too, and from what I understand if you are -and partner is + then bub could be either? If partner is - too then bub will be -.
They check at birth though and then give you an extra needle (fun) - in my case bub was + at birth so I had all my pregnancy needles plus one once she was born. HtH.
I hate needles!!!! Always have...always will!! hahaha fun fun! Thanks for the advice Tanstar.
.s Your belly looks great! Well done!
Hi there,
I'm B-neg blood group and have to have the Anti-D shots during my pregnancy and after bub was born. My hubby is a positive type and our DS is B-positive. Alibaby, from what I can gather, bub's blood type could be either/or ... no rhyme or reason to it. Anyway, having the Anti-D shots was no big deal.
Here's a strange but small tip for you if you're not fond of injections ... get your Ob to take the Anti-D out of the fridge when you start your consult (to warm it up a little), then at the end of your consult as they give you the shot, get them to pinch up your skin between their fingers before they stick the needle into the pinched area.That make sense? Anyway, doesn't hurt a bit when they do it this way, I promise! Hmmm ... either that, or the pinching kinda distracts you from the needle. Worked for me, anyway :p. Oh yeah, my shots were in my upper leg, not my butt.
Andie