[momsgotmilk4two]

Both times I was in the hosp. with my boys they took a blood test before and after delivery. I'm wondering why they do this and if it's avoidable. I already am having the rho gam shot and would like to minimize the poking and prodding. I'm delivering with a midwife this time who seems willing to go along with whatever you want (the no IV or hep lock I stated is not going to be a problem). If they are just testing iron level, I'd rather just take the iron supps for a month after delivery.

 

[stafl]

you should ask your care provider those questions.
It must not be totally necessary, as I didn't have any blood drawn, but I didn't go to the hospital for the birth of my second child, either.
I refused rhogam pending typing of DD's blood-type after her birth. She was also rhneg, so it wasn't needed.

even if your midwife is ok with your choices, the hospital may not be. during labor is not a good time to be fighting hospital protocol. Find out ahead of time what they expect to do to you while you are there.

 

[momsgotmilk4two]

Thanks, I'll bring it up with her today. I was not supposed to have the rhogam if my kids were rh neg either, but as it turned out they were both pos.

 

[Greaseball]

Before delivery, you can just tell them no.

After delivery, tell them no again, and don't let your baby out of your sight.

 

[doctorjen]

For Rh negative moms, usually an antibody screen is drawn prior to giving rhogam to make sure moms do not already have antibodies towards baby's blood type.
Most OB providers draw a blood count before and after delivery. Some hospitals also have the policy of drawing a test for syphyllis and hepatitis B on all moms admitted in labor.

 

[Jennifer H]

My hospital does a blood type on all women admitted in labor... seems odd since they are pretty low tech on everything else! Tjey draw the blood and then come in with a bracelet with your blood type on it later. Do that many women in labor really need a transfusion?

 

[momsgotmilk4two]

Well, I talked to the midwife and she said that she won't order one on me when I go into labor and that I can refuse one after as well. She also said that refusing the strep b test is not a problem and since the Dr. who will see the babe after the delivery is Dr. Sears he will not try to order any weird tests on the baby, he is used to moms not having the strep b test. Whew!

 

[thepeach80]

They draw blood to have a match for you in case it's needed. If you end up w/ a c/s (1 in 4 do) it's very likely you might need a transfusion as hemorrhaging isn't uncommon. They also take blood to make sure of your blood type on more time. While I type - at the DR's office, I type + in the hospital. If they would've gone by my blood card from the DR, I could've ended up w/ the wrong blood and had AJ been + (he wasn't) an unneeded rho gam shot.

 

[kimberlylibby]

I had blood drawn every hour, on the hour from the time I entered the hospital until I left 6 days later.

Granted, I had eclampsia/hellp and a c/s.

But it sucked.

 

[obnurse]

Quote:

They draw blood to have a match for you in case it's needed. If you end up w/ a c/s (1 in 4 do) it's very likely you might need a transfusion as hemorrhaging isn't uncommon

Actually, this is not true at all!! Transfusions are not common AT ALL! Honestly, I have worked full time in Labor and Delivery for 6 years. We do at least 1500 deliveries a year, and I can count less than 10 transfusions we have done in ALL that time! Granted, we do mostly moderatley low risk deliveries, but we do see our share of problems.
Our policy for pre-delivery blood draws is if you (the patient) did not have your blood typed at our facility during pregnancy, or your blood is a known Rh neg, it is tested again at time of delivery. We are NOT looking for a blood count or iron testing, only blood type. Reason being is many prenatal labs are just hand written in the patients chart from the office. Any Joe schmo could have written it in, and we need proof of blood type to verify the Rh neg moms. At time of delivery, NO one should be getting rhogam until after the babies blood is tested. This is done off a cord blood sample that is taken after delivery. (it is taken from the cord that is left haning off the placenta, not what is left attached to the baby!) IF the baby is Rh pos, then mom is REDRAWN for a fetal bleed screen, and a rhogam shot is given to her to prevent any future preganancies from having a problem.
It sounds as if you have a rh factor issue and need to clarify with your hospital and MW exactly what is needed and why.
As for routine postpartum blood taking, you can refuse for sure! This is where doctors check a hemoglobin and hematocrit to see if mom is now anemic. It is ordered more commonly if there has been a significant loss of blood. A truely bad postpartum bleed is also not THAT common. Honestly, where I am, a mom has to be EXTREMELY anemic ( and I mean EXTREME) and symptomatic before a transfusion will be discussed with the mom. Doctors are VERY reluctant to order transfusions here. Most women are healthy, young, and very capable of rejuvinating their blood with time and good nutrition, and possibly vitamins (iron too)
People that have medical complications like diabetes, PIH, HEElP syndrome, etc are a whole other story of blood draws to even discuss. I don't think this is what you are referring to anyway...

 

[nova22]

I hated that about my first birth! They must have taken six vials of blood from me. Then an hour later they had the nerve to say I looked pale, and wanted to give me an IV. I said, "Why don't you feed me instead, and then you can stop taking my blood from me as well?" Next time I had a baby there I refused all those tests. My OB, who was actually pretty mainstream, didn't seem to think all the tests were necessary anyway.