Boosting immune system?? - Page 2

[aprilushka]

Originally Posted by nighten

I guess the confusion comes into play when it's on top of what I'm already taking in prenatal and food sources?

Thanks for the clarification -- will still chat with m/w on it Wed.

Thanks

I think it's 10,000 mg altogether. If I have taken my supp plus eaten a lot of vit C rich food I usually take no more than 500mg of extra vit C. On days I know I haven't had much Vit C from food I will take 1000.

[AdinaL]

Originally Posted by love_homebirthing

Sorry to bring this back to the Rh thing, but Adina you mentioned not knowing if your dh was Rh- or not. Isn't the + or - thing just whether or not your blood type is + or - (like A+ vs. A-)? I thought so but I'm never sure since I haven't had to deal with this issue (both dh & I are O+ so our kids will always be too). Anyway, seems simple enough to find out and (potentially) put your mind completely at ease if that's the case.

Yeah, he is planning on getting tested to see what his blood type is. Not a big deal, quick and easy blood test.

I am not worried about it frankly, we are going to have the baby's blood tested after birth so I will have the Rhogam if baby is + and if baby is negative...no need!

I was more interested in whether or not doing things toboost my immune system would up the potential risk for being Rh-. Make sense?

[2+twins]

Originally Posted by AdinaL

I was more interested in whether or not doing things toboost my immune system would up the potential risk for being Rh-. Make sense?

Yep - I was just curious if that's all the Rh factor was!

[AdinaL]

Yep - that's all it is. Funny that something so simple can freak people out so much.

[nighten]

This isn't about the RH thing (sorry I can't be helpful there -- I'm RH+ and clueless), but just general immune boosting info. Here's my update since I said I'd post it

Saw midwife today -- she concurred w/you, aprilushka, about the Vitamin C thing -- it's pretty difficult to overdo it at this stage in pregnancy, she said (esp. given the amount of water we're supposed to be drinking), and she said the Zicam is absolutely safe and fine both as a short term preventative and as treatment.

She did tell me the anti-bac lotions and gels are bad though, not for baby (you'd have to basically bathe yourself in them nonstop I think), but for us, since they remove the beneficial bacteria from our hands that actually help to protect us from other people's germs.

So her recommendations for boosting your immune system were: washing your hands often with non-anti-bac soaps, taking Vit C and zinc, drinking lots of water and getting lots of sleep. (And eating sensibly, of course.)

Okay -- back to the RH discussion. Pardon the hijack

[jenny-g]

Originally Posted by AdinaL

A lot of people do not have it. There is some concern over the potential of thimerasol in the shot, and some people don't believe it is neccessary.
...

*quiet scream* There is no more thimerosal in the Rhogam shot. Hasn't been since 2002, and all the lots made with it have expired. I really want that information to get out there, because I've seen so much needless misinformation about this on these boards. If there other Rhogam issues, fine, but mercury isn't one of them. (I"m not trying to insinuate that *you* were trying to spread misinformation- I've just seen it around here quite a bit, and I'm not even a long time poster on here.)

I think even the most "crunchy" -but reasonable- of people on here (I'm crunchy too) would get the shot if they had a baby that was Rh positive! Not doing it, I think, would be a devistating decision. (A decision that's in line with, say, thinking you can change your blood type with diet- so totally off base one wonders where such wacko info comes from.) However, the 28 week shot is a different issue- it's more of a "protective" shot in case any blood mixing happens between that one and the end of the pregnancy. Since Rhogam does have a small risk, some people may decide that they don't want that shot. It's a very different situation than not getting the shot right after birth.

If you've had spotting, that can change the issue, and make it much more important to get that protective shot. But as the previous poster mentions, if there has been no spotting, and you're not at higher risk (i.e. travelling outside of the country or to a place where it would be hard to get the shot if something bad happens), it's not necessarly a crystal clear decision. Getting the shot after birth if you do have a Rh+ baby really should be a crystal clear decision, unless you are being sterilized to have no more children ever. Sometimes people forget what the actual risks are to not getting that shot, perhaps?

[jenny-g]

Originally Posted by newbie_mary

I'm RH neg. also, and my DH gave blood so he could find out his blood type (he's neg. as well). I see no need for me to get the shot.

My immune system seems to be extra boosted, though, because my allergies have been ATROCIOUS. I'm dying here without my antihistimines.

Mary

I am VERY jealous. (I'm neg, he's positive). But, I hear you on the allergies- mine have been terrible as well, and now, they have led to my old friend, the sinus infection. Which I am desperately treating with steam, gross saltwater sinus lavage, plain non-zinc zincam nasal moisturizer (my new favorite thing), non-crazy amounts of vit. C, and rhinochort. I'm resistant to all the pg-friendly antibiotics, and I'm terrified I"ll have to go on them. Anyway, sorry, I"m going all off topic.

I think a lot of people have good advice on here about boosting the immune system. I'd add anything that reduces stress. If you can afford massage therapy, DEFINITELY try it. (I'd be getting it ever week if I could afford it, and hopefully will start again soon). Water exercise may also be great, prenatal yoga, and definitely fresh air- keeping your nose warm, though! An interesting recent study from the UK directly linked NOSE TEMPERATURE with likelyhood of... getting cold symptoms! Everyone in the study got the cold virus, but mainly (by far) the cold nose people developed the cold symptoms. It was really interesting. Last year was the first year I never got sick, and it's also the first year I cycled to work year-round and wore a head mask with integrated nosewarmer. Hmmm.

Does anyone here do meditation to help their immune system? Any advice for a total novice never-before-meditated person? I think that might be a very good idea as well. -j

[mirandahope]

When I started bleeding with the first pregnancy (at 9.5 weeks, adn kept on bleeding for 10 long weeks), I was 1 hour drive from the hospital, without a car, at a conference. I called DH at his parent's place on the coast and made him go to the emergency room to get a blood test. I am RH- and he kept promising to find out and didn't. So he had to let me know, I thought, to determine if I needed the shot or not. Finally he said he would go.

It took 1 hour of asking several people and practically begging someone to take me to the hospital! before I could get someone to take me to the local outpatient clinic and get the shot. It turned out that DH was +, so I needed the shot. The hospital he went to on the coast said they were going to bill him for determining his blood type, but we have yet to get a bill (2 1/2 years later!). It was a mess, and just one of the many dramatic moments from the pregnancy.

I would get it again this time, and I think it is routine at 20-something weeks. I do not want to jeopardize my chances of having another child at some point just because I was not able to get the shot. I am so glad it exists now, unlike a few generations ago, and couples like me and DH have one less thing to worry about.

[AdinaL]

Whoa....I was answering a question about why people wouldn't get it....and that is a reason I have heard...it is NOT my reason - hence the after the statement.

I have already stated that in fact, if baby is + I will get it. I am not getting the 28 week shot, because I have had no spotting, there are no antibodies present and I don't want another damn shot.

If baby is - or DH is -, then there will be no shot.

I think that each person does what they feel is right for them. There is a lot of conflicting info out there about just about every shot know to man kind. You do the research, and you do what you need to. For me, the 28 week shot feels wrong. After all the research and all the reading - it isn't something I want to do.

Please be gentle about calling people whacked. Please don't assume that people are dumb or crazy because they have a different view. I appreciate that this is my first pregnancy, but I do know how to read, and I do do my homework when I havve questions. At the end of the day, I do know what I want to do and why. Asking questions on this board is a form of research as well...not asking to be lectured.


Now back on topic y'all....this is about boosting the immune system.

[jenny-g]

Originally Posted by AdinaL

Please be gentle about calling people whacked. Please don't assume that people are dumb or crazy because they have a different view. I appreciate that this is my first pregnancy, but I do know how to read, and I do do my homework when I havve questions. At the end of the day, I do know what I want to do and why. Asking questions on this board is a form of research as well...not asking to be lectured.


Now back on topic y'all....this is about boosting the immune system.

Are you referring to my post? I didn't call anyone whacked, dumb or crazy (if you got that out of it, I didn't say it)! I did say the theory about changing blood type with diet is whacko, and that's because it is . It doesn't mean that people led to believe it are whacko- just poorly informed.

Actually, I was sort of explaining and defending your decision to not get the 28-week shot, even though it is standard of care. Putting out information is helpful -not lecturing- especially when you don't have the time to go through everything.. and neither do the rest of us . Using the boards for research would be useless if we didn't help each other out with what we knew, and someone had asked about the shot who didn't seem to understand the difference between the 28- week one and the after birth one. I didn't know ANY of this before I got pregnant, and I myself find it very useful and informative when people post useful information!

Anyway, back to immunity- I think you were concerned that there was a link between Rh- to your immune system overreacting, but there is *not*. Other things are certainly related to overreactive immune systems, like lupus, but the Rh issue is just one of blood biology. The immune system is actually not *overreacting* in that case- it's reacting normally to something that doesn't belong.

It's funny- I always wondered why I got so sick when I have such bad allergies (allergies=overreactive immune system, right?!). I think there is a difference between your true immunity, and how that immunity *expresses* itself in abnormal ways. I think those things are actually sort of different. I think nothing but good can come from boosting your natural immunity, and I think we all find that a challenge during the winter! Personally, I think exercise first, and stress reduction second (which of course is also linked to the exercise) are the best immunity boosters around. -j

[eilonwy]

Originally Posted by love_homebirthing

(both dh & I are O+ so our kids will always be too).

Slightly : The fact that you and your husband are both O+ means that your children will always be type O, but not necessarily Rh +; you could certainly have children who were O-, because unlike A/B/O types which display codominance, Rh factor is one of those typical, Mendellian traits and Rh - is recessive. You and your husband could both be carriers of the gene for Rh - and you'd never know it-- until you had a baby who was Rh -.

[2+twins]

Originally Posted by eilonwy

Slightly : The fact that you and your husband are both O+ means that your children will always be type O, but not necessarily Rh +; you could certainly have children who were O-, because unlike A/B/O types which display codominance, Rh factor is one of those typical, Mendellian traits and Rh - is recessive. You and your husband could both be carriers of the gene for Rh - and you'd never know it-- until you had a baby who was Rh -.

Huh - okay! That's good to find out then. Thanks!

ETA: So the whole RH thing has always eluded me. Is this something I'd need to be concerned with then?

[nighten]

I thought the only time you need to worry was if you were RH-. I'm RH+ so it doesn't matter what my hubby is, right? The baby can be - or + and it's all okay...?

Wow I'm entirely confused now and I thought I had that one sewn up in the don't fret file!

[AdinaL]

Nope Renee - you are fine! You are + so you are all set, no worries.

[nighten]

Originally Posted by AdinaL

Nope Renee - you are fine! You are + so you are all set, no worries.

Oh hooray! Thank you

I love it when I get to not fret

[eilonwy]

Originally Posted by love_homebirthing

Huh - okay! That's good to find out then. Thanks!

ETA: So the whole RH thing has always eluded me. Is this something I'd need to be concerned with then?

As nighten said, you're fine. Here's how it works:

Rh is a kind of protien which sits on the outside of some blood cells. When we say that a person is "Rh +," we're saying that they actually have this protien; when a person is "Rh -," this particular protien does not appear at all in their blood. If a mother is lacking this protien but their unborn child has it and their blood mixes, the mother's immune system will recognize the protien as a foreign agent and make antigens to destroy it. If the mother is Rh +, she has the protien and her body won't recognize it as a foreign entity, and thus won't create antibodies to attack it.

There are actually several different kinds of blood type incompatibility, but most of them are very, very rare.

[AdinaL]

Rynna you are a wealth of Rh knowledge!

[eilonwy]

Originally Posted by AdinaL

Rynna you are a wealth of Rh knowledge!

Nah, just a geek. Once upon a time, Rynna was a biochemistry major...

[2+twins]

Thank you, Rynna!