Does anyone know about Rhesus disease and abortion?

[Searching78]

Last year I had an abortion and I know my blood type is negative. They offered me an injection to combat rhesus disease in future pregnancies and I said no.

My memories of it all are hazy, and there’s conflicting information with what I’m sure they said and what’s on the internet, including the NHS website. If I was to get pregnant now, does anyone know what this would mean for any future baby? I don’t want to waste a doctor’s time asking because I’m not trying or anything, I’m not even sure I want kids, but I feel so terrible about the abort and the thought that I might have stopped myself being able to have any more children is making it worse.

for you. My blood type is also negative, and I had a D and C after a miscarriage this year. They give you the injection as it may help in future pregnancies - but you can definitely just have the injection if you get pregnant again, and it will be fine. You definitely haven’t stopped yourself from having children!

Hi - I have a negative blood type. They offer the injections with any pregnancy even if it doesn't go to completion. Rhesus negative women can create antibodies that attack a baby that is rhesus positive. They will give it to you if you get pregnant again - be sure to let them know you previously were pregnant but didn't get the shot. It's manageable, don't fear.

Agree with the ladies above
O neg here and second pregnancy onwards there can be an issue so you will be given the injection in each pregnancy.

I'm rhesus neg. my first pregnancy ended before 12 weeks and if the pregnancy ends before 12 weeks you don't need the anti d injection.

After 12 weeks it's best to have it as a precaution but not having it doesn't automatically mean you will encounter problems in future pregnancies.

Due to a fuck up by a member of staff in my third pregnancy I didn't get the anti d injection after a bleed at 14 weeks. DD2 was born with no issues/ no antibodies detected.

Probably best to chat to a GP/obstetrician who has access to your medical record. It's been a long time since I last did O&G but just from having an educated quick look at NICE/RCOG (because I'd forgotten the rules & your post made me think...) - the risk of having a problem, as it sounds like you know, relates to the blood group of the foetus in the first pregnancy - if it was Rh -ve then there's no risk of a problem with the next pregnancy, but if it was Rh+ve then there may be an issue.

The Anti-d injection prevents sensitisation of the mother to foetal antigen so that the mother can't produce antibodies should she be exposed to Rh+ve blood cells in the future (ie during a pregnancy with a Rh +ve foetus).

If the mother has already been sensitised before (for example during a procedure such as an abortion/amniocentesis, etc) then anti-D injection won't stop her producing antibodies during a future pregnancy with a Rh+ve foetus (because the injection is designed to prevent her immune system learning to react to those antibodies, and if her body already knows to react to them the injection won't stop it). This won't be a problem if a future pregnancy is also Rh -ve (which if the dad is also Rh-ve it will be) but might be a problem if it's Rh +ve. The severity of the problem it can cause is quite variable though.

I think the advice re. not needing the injection before 12 weeks refers to spontaneous, complete miscarriage rather than a termination of pregnancy.

Bottom line I'd have thought is that if there's any chance of you getting pregnant again it's probably worth chatting to someone who really knows what they're talking about first!