To be slightly freaked out about Anti-D Jab?

[Verbena37]

I've only just thought about it having read another post about anti-D injections. My children are 14 and 1 and I had to have Anti-D injections with both due to a bleed in pregnancy and the second after having a rH + first baby when I'm rH A Neg.

However, at the time, I had absolutely no idea that Anti-D injections were a blood product.....blood plasma. Call me thick but I didn't even ask what it was. I now feel a bit weird knowing someone else's blood is in me! I know blood plasma doesn't contain white blood cells so no DNA belonging to someone else but even so, nobody even told me what to contained. Should they have told me it was a blood product and asked to consent. I might have signed something but I don't remember and I would have had more of a think about it had I known. I know they screen when they have donated blood but online, it says it's imported blood and a few years back, there was a scare about imported, contaminated blood.

At the end of the day, obviously I had the injections because I wanted my babies to be healthy but I feel there was a big time lack of information given to me.

[Kingfisherfree]

Thanks I didn't realise either. Were some batches contaminated?

[Champagneformyrealfriends]

I personally think yabu. You are lucky to have healthy children.

[pinkdelight]

I had the injections too but it doesn't make me feel weird. What difference would it have made for you to know? It's not a big deal.

[Bluecarrot]

My kids are 13 and 2 and I had to read info, listen to a short "speech" and sign a form for every single injection.
It's v rare which is why it's imported. Though it was only in the last few months I read about Mr Harrison....
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Harrison_(blood_donor)
Amazing

[Verbena37]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3034412/1-800-Britons-murdered-tainted-NHS-blood-denied-justice-scandal-age.html

[Verbena37]

The thing is blue carrot, the first time, I may have signed something but I wasn't told anything. It was an emergency as i had bled during pregnancy and I was in a panic at a hospital I didn't know etc and just wanted the baby to be ok.

Even with my seinf, I just went happily along to the midwife appointments and let her stab inject me. I was never knowingly told it was a blood product.

[ArgyMargy]

Would you have refused it if you had known? What do you think would have been the alternative?

[ArgyMargy]

I refused it, but that's because I didn't need it (they wanted to give it to me anyway...)

[Verbena37]

That the thing, I had no chicken given to me and no proper information about what the drug was, only what it would do. I guess if there was absolutely no alternative, I would have had to have it but it just just feels strange the way it was assumed I didn't need to know.

I tell my mum off for not asking the GP what her tablets contain etc so it was very unlike me not to ask more.

[TheDuchessOfArbroathsHat]

There is no point at all in this freaking out of yours. What possible reason have you got to be running round like a headless chicken in a panic? None of it matters. You can't go back and do it differently. I also had anti-D. I also didn't know what it was. That was 26 years ago. I'm still here and remain unkilled by anti-D or anything else.
Calm down!

[KillBillHill]

I was told during my first pregnancy about what it was and I was given a chance to go home and think about whether I wanted it or not. I was also very weary about having it because it was someone's else's blood product and my mum had contracted hepatitis C through blood transfusions so this scared me more. In the end I decided for it. I knew I wanted more babies and the health of subsequent children was very important to me. I'm surprised they didn't tell you it was a blood product. It's quite a big deal IMO, and yes, you should have been told.

[Verbena37]

Thanks kill bill.
I certainly didn't get chance to consider anything. They told me what it could cause if I didn't have it then I had it. The same with baby two.

I'm not panicking theduchesse and you're right, there is nothing I can do. I was just saying I was freaked out when I found out what it's made from.

[Newmanwannabe]

I'd be freaking out more about having a baby with rhesus disease. Yes the thought of all inoculations is scary but there isn't a better alternative unfortunately.

[OhtoblazeswithElvira]

Yanbu to be slightly freaked out. You should have been informed - I was.

It is a big deal, it's scary but as pp said, currently it's the best option.

[ridemesideways]

This issue of not being presented with the full facts, and therefore not being able to make a fully informed choice, is rife in maternity care.

There are no right or wrong choices, but they should be yours, with full knowledge of all the information available to you.

[ridemesideways]

There can be a great deal of coercion in maternity care, where there should be neutral information-giving, instead.

[Verbena37]

That is true rideme and for the first injection after the bleed, the nurse said something like "you'll need an anti-D injection". I said "ok". That's pretty much all I remember.

[sashh]

I now feel a bit weird knowing someone else's blood is in me!

Er....

OK the reason Anti D is given is because close to birth there is a mixing of blood from the mother and baby, so if you have 2 kids you have got as much of their blood as you have anyone else's.

[firesidechat]

I had the anti D jab after my first child and having read the other thread I'm very glad I did. Like you op I just accepted that it was necessary and I have no regrets at all. Worry about the things you change, not the things you can't.

[Oldraver]

I was aware of how Anti-D is made and as my Mum has anti-bodies after she had my younger brother (I am RH-, brother born before Anti-D was widely available) and subsequent miscarriages..I am very gratefull of the fact I could have it...

Despite it being a blood product it doesn't stop you giving blood. Would you feel the same if you needed a blood transfusion ?

I do think there is a case for more informed decision. It was always assumed that the patient would do as she was told and have the jab. I know my midwife was not best pleased when I said I would only have the last one if my baby was RH+, which he was.

[JanetOfTheApes]

You signed consent forms without reading them, mostlikely .
You're freaked out that you were given a quick and easy and free injection that protected your second and subsequent children from disease and death. How awful for you
If you're bothered about these things maybe try simply asking what you are being given.

[Verbena37]

I always normally do ask but don't forget this was 14 years ago and the first time, I was feeling very vulnerable and having had a bleed whilst on holiday in Scotland, was worried I was losing the baby. Im pretty sure they would have only said "can you sign to say you're happy having the injection" type thing. My DH doesn't remember us being told it was a blood product either.

[JanetOfTheApes]

That was the first time. You said you had them for both children, so what stopped you asking the second?
If they said "sign go say you're happy to have the injection" and you signed, you were happy to have it without asking any details. That isn't anyone else's fault.

I don't see what difference it makes anyway, its not like you would have said no is it?

[lottielou7]

YANBU - in my opinion anyway although people will disagree. Any blood product carries some sort of risk and it's about balancing the risk.

When my first dd was born, it was not yet policy to give anti-d in pregnancy as well as after delivery. The extra shots were introduced apparently, to cover women at risk from domestic violence because they would be unlikely to report a sensitising event.

In my last pregnancy I decided not to have any anti-d at all because I was sure I didn't want any more children afterwards. This is not necessarily something I would recommend, but you do have the right to read up about it and make your own decision about what to do.

[lottielou7]

Also, anti-d is not to protect babies from 'disease and death' it is to protect them from developing severe anaemia if the mother has antibodies because antibodies can cross the placenta and destroy a rhesus positive baby's blood cells.