rhesus negative

[emma76]

Is anyone else rhesus negative? I was wondering what your thoughts are on the anti-d jab?

In the UK you have 2 shots during pregnancy and 1 after. I went along with it last time, but I'm not sure whether it's really needed. I've heard so many negative things about anti-d.

Any thoughts/info? Thanks.

[Amila]

There are a lot of good threads on this topic if you do a search. I chose NOT to get any shots during pregnancy, had the baby's blood typed after birth, and then had the shot when it was positive.

[JenMidwife]

Originally Posted by Amila

I chose NOT to get any shots during pregnancy, had the baby's blood typed after birth, and then had the shot when it was positive.

yep, that's what I did w/ my 1st too. I wasn't convinced about the prophylactic/preventative use. fwiw, in the US the protocol is to give is @ 28 weeks & then after birth.

But this time, I've had bleeding during the pregnancy, so I did choose to get it during this pregnancy.

& you know, if you're certain of who the father is, it's worth having his blood typed too. If he's Rh negative & you're RH negative, you're guaranteed an Rh negative baby & the anti-d/Rhogam is a non-issue.

hth!

[Snugglebugsmom]

I am rhesus negative also.
I've had the shots before, but not during my last pregnancy with dd#3, since I was able to convince my Dr. that it's not medically necessary since dh is also negative. I've spoken with my midwife, and let her know this. She agrees it won't be necessary then to give me the shots.
I'm really not aware of any of the research on this, and have never heard anything negative about the shot. But since dh is also negative, it's kind of a non-issue for us. All I have to do is convince my hcp that dh is the father, lol.

[Spark]

I am Rh- and my DH is Rh+. We have 3 kids together & are expecting our 4th. I'm not sensitized, all my kids are positive (eldon card) and yet I've never had RhoGam. I really believe that a lot of sensitization happens from modern medical practices.

If I was in an accident or some other trauma and thought it was prudent, I'd get RhoGam then. Or if the birth was medicalized (cord clamping, pulling on cord, forced pushing, placenta issues, trauma, etc).

For me the risks outweigh the benefits.

one thing to remember is that if you're going off of an Eldon Card as to your baby's blood type, they are NOT always accurate. So, if you REALLY want RhoGam for a positive baby, don't rely on a negative Eldon for that info.

[mhaddon]

I got it before w/ both LO's and will this time. DS1 was neg so I only had it durring and then DS2 was pos. so I had it after. I am sooo clumsy that I was always afraid that I would fall and tear or something would go wrong. Plus, one of my good friends lost her baby b/c of this and it scared the crap out of me That's me personally

[Stargirl]

I am rh neg and dh is rh pos. I had the shot at 28 weeks with dd and not after her birth as she is also pos. I really struggled with the shot. In Canada, the rhogam shot is thimerosol free so my next concern was that it was a blood product. After reading the outcomes for babies who are affected by this situation however, I consented to the shot. I will again this time have the prophylactic shot and test baby's blood at birth to see if a second injection is necessary. Good luck with your decision!

[punky monkey]

is this something to worry about? I dont know what dp is and my blood type is O+ and the OB hasnt said anything to me about needing this

[JenMidwife]

Originally Posted by punky monkey

is this something to worry about? I dont know what dp is and my blood type is O+ and the OB hasnt said anything to me about needing this

If your blood type is + (the letter doesn't matter & baby's father's blood type doesn't matter) it is a non-issue & won't be offered to you by any provider.

It's only a concern for women who are - (any letter)

[emma76]

Thank you for all your replies...you've all given me something to think about.

I need to do some more research as I'm still not sure about what I'm going to do.

ack, something else to worry about

[yvonnemlv]

Originally Posted by Spark

I am Rh- and my DH is Rh+. We have 3 kids together & are expecting our 4th. I'm not sensitized, all my kids are positive (eldon card) and yet I've never had RhoGam. I really believe that a lot of sensitization happens from modern medical practices.

If I was in an accident or some other trauma and thought it was prudent, I'd get RhoGam then. Or if the birth was medicalized (cord clamping, pulling on cord, forced pushing, placenta issues, trauma, etc).

For me the risks outweigh the benefits.

one thing to remember is that if you're going off of an Eldon Card as to your baby's blood type, they are NOT always accurate. So, if you REALLY want RhoGam for a positive baby, don't rely on a negative Eldon for that info.

WHat she said applies to me too and i agree with the rest.