Minor Fender Bender and I'm RH Negative - what to do? « Back to Group Discussions

[thegoodearth]

Yesterday we got rear ended in minor fender bender accident. I kind of freaked out b/c the situation was similar to the car accident we were in when I was 30 weeks pregnant with DS in Jan 2010. Except that the accident we were in with DS's pregnancy in 2010 was a lot worse. We were rear ended by someone going 65 mph and I was hospitalized for 24 hours. Fortunately everything turned out okay with DS - it was emotionally very traumatic and scary experience.

So yesterday's little accident was nothing like that BUT I am rh negative (O negative) and I was planning that for this pregnancy w/ DD I would not do the rhogam prenatally. That was before yesterday. Now I don't know what I am going to do. Yesterday's accident the car hit us at maybe 10 mph - it just felt like someone gave you a good hard shove. But it wasn't terrible. I'm seeing my midwife today at 3 pm - she's going to take some blood to see if there are any fetal blood cells in my blood. But I don't know what to do! Should I do the rhogam? If I do decide to I only have 72 hours from the time of the trauma. Plus it hasn't help that I've googled situations like this and some women had placental abruption even when the accident wasn't that serious. SCARY!   I probably shouldn't have done the google search b/c it freaked me out. Sorry for the ramble... my thoughts are jumbled up and I just feel confused about what to do. 

[yellow73]

I'm so sorry that happened to you!  It does sound frightening and even if it wasn't as bad as your other one, how scary that it happened at all!  I don't know much about being Rh negative, but don't you just need to get a shot?  Is there a reason you wouldn't want to do it? Sorry, I just don't really know...I hope your midwife will be able to give you a clearer picture of what may or may not being going on, and why it might be helpful.  I guess I would better be safe than sorry, unless there are some negative side effects that you are concerned about.  Best wishes mama, I hope you can spend sometime doing something calming and relaxing after your appointment. 

[katiedidder]

This is totally a personal choice, but I would do the shot.  From everything I've read there isn't really a downside to prenatal rhogam, particularly if there is a specific reason for it (like a car accident).  Particularly if you want to have more children, it seems like it would be the safest thing to do. 

[thegoodearth]

I am leaning toward getting the rhogam. I saw my midwife this afternoon and she seemed to be fine with either way I went. I'm going in for an ultrasound on Wednesday as well just to make sure the placenta is fine and that there is no internal bleeding. I think everything will be fine - but its better to double check and make sure. 

[jocelyndale]

It's a case where I, too, would probably opt for the RhoGAM injection.  I skipped the prenatal shot with DS, but I tolerated the postpartum shot very well.  This time around, I was going to get it because I had a feeling something was up with the pregnancy--just a gut feeling.  I had *just* decided to go ahead with it recently, in fact.

Well, something *WAS* up as I had DD at 28 weeks (before I got the shot), but she's Rh negative, so we're good.  So my intuition was right about something being up, but totally skewed on the Rhesus bits.  ;)

Definitely a personal choice, though.  Good luck!