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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...