Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

How to find out blood type?

71 replies

Busband · 26/01/2025 14:27

DD asked me what hers is and I realised I have no idea what my own is!

apart from giving blood is there any way to find out?

OP posts:
caramac04 · 26/01/2025 16:18

DF to my DC is + as am I. His DM is - as are 3 of my 4 children.

sanityisamyth · 26/01/2025 16:18

Donating blood.

Cookerhood · 26/01/2025 16:18

Back in the dark ages we did tests in biology lessons in school, that how I found out.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Children's health General health
Yourinmyspot · 26/01/2025 16:18

I only found mine out when I was pregnant as I can’t give blood for a few reasons. I was interested to see what mine would be as my Mum is A and my Dad B. Two siblings are B and me and my other two siblings are A. So us children could have been any group. All rhesus positive.

I will hunt out DD’s red book to see what she is. Likely she will be A as it’s a 75% chance of her being A and 25% chance of being O.

PermanentlyFreezing · 26/01/2025 16:19

nocoolnamesleft · 26/01/2025 16:12

Your blood type would have been checked in pregnancy. Your baby's blood type would only have been checked if you were Rhesus negative.

This is what I find weird - my DC’s blood types were all checked at birth as I am O-, but it wasn’t noted anywhere for 3/4 of them. Like if they’ve done the test, why not note it in their medical notes?

I do think there is a bit of a thing in the NHS of not giving people autonomy over their own medical information. My youngest two are identical twins, but were DCDA in the womb. (2 placentas, 2sacs) I think it’s somewhere around 10% of DCDA twins, who are identical but the only way to know for sure is DNA testing. My twins weren’t tested and we were told we (and they) didn’t need to know. We had to pay for private DNA testing at 6m old to know for certain they were identical because the NHS said there was no medical need for us to know. 🤯

sanityisamyth · 26/01/2025 16:19

3678194b · 26/01/2025 15:34

Yep I only know through pregnancy! Not sure it was ever written down I just remember.

I can't donate blood as being an AB+ the 'universal recipient' it's not wanted whenever I've tried to book in 😭

I'm the same blood group. They'll take it in Wales, but I got a "thanks but no thanks" letter in England.

cakeorwine · 26/01/2025 16:20

Cookerhood · 26/01/2025 16:18

Back in the dark ages we did tests in biology lessons in school, that how I found out.

Now that could have caused some difficult home conversations.

I'm B. Mum - you're O. Dad you're O.

dementedpixie · 26/01/2025 16:21

My mum was B- and dad was A-
I have 4 other siblings and we have a range of blood groups;
B- Me
O- my sister
AB- my brother
A- no 2 brother

Don't know the last brother's blood type as he's never given blood.

CurlewKate · 26/01/2025 16:21

Pretty sure it's not in Red Books, they don't do routine blood tests on babies.

Buffalogills · 26/01/2025 16:22

Im almost 40 and have no idea! I can’t donate blood due to iron deficiency anaemia (which I’ve had for years!)

I guess it was in my maternity notes which are taken away and archived at the local hospital as soon as you give birth.

CurlewKate · 26/01/2025 16:22

I know it's interesting-but why else would you need to know?

nocoolnamesleft · 26/01/2025 16:22

PermanentlyFreezing · 26/01/2025 16:19

This is what I find weird - my DC’s blood types were all checked at birth as I am O-, but it wasn’t noted anywhere for 3/4 of them. Like if they’ve done the test, why not note it in their medical notes?

I do think there is a bit of a thing in the NHS of not giving people autonomy over their own medical information. My youngest two are identical twins, but were DCDA in the womb. (2 placentas, 2sacs) I think it’s somewhere around 10% of DCDA twins, who are identical but the only way to know for sure is DNA testing. My twins weren’t tested and we were told we (and they) didn’t need to know. We had to pay for private DNA testing at 6m old to know for certain they were identical because the NHS said there was no medical need for us to know. 🤯

Show quote history

But there wasn't a medical need, and the NHS is seriously broke. The joined upness of information is another problem entirely...don't get me started on that one.

dementedpixie · 26/01/2025 16:23

Theunamedcat · 26/01/2025 16:18

I've received anti D during all my pregnancies but they haven't actually tested the children (if they have its not in there red books) they said its "just in case" I have a positive baby ex husband was told he "didn't need to know" his blood type when he asked (he asked because I was pregnant) so they knew and just decided he didn't need to know I'm not sure why the information is such a closely guarded secret what are people going to do with this information?

I think they test the cord blood to check if they are Rh+ and if they are they give the mother anti-d

They don't mark down the full blood group.as far as I know

pinkroses79 · 26/01/2025 16:25

I only know what mine is from when I was pregnant and they told me - A negative. I don't know what my children's are and there isn't a record of it in the red book or anything. I assumed you had to have a blood test to find out. One of my children is an adult in mid twenties and he still doesn't know!

muffinlove · 26/01/2025 16:26

We did test at school in biology lesson(not uk). I got result B. My mother is A- and father AB+. Not sure if that right but I go for it.

Yourinmyspot · 26/01/2025 16:26

3678194b · 26/01/2025 15:34

Yep I only know through pregnancy! Not sure it was ever written down I just remember.

I can't donate blood as being an AB+ the 'universal recipient' it's not wanted whenever I've tried to book in 😭

It’s because only people with AB+ can have your blood and it’s only a very small percentage of the population have that blood type. If your were O- they’d have as much as they could!

HappyWhenItsSnowing · 26/01/2025 16:28

Funnily enough i found out last week by looking at my medical record online

I think they would of tested my blood type when i had a procedure under GA

Magpiecomplex · 26/01/2025 16:29

My discharge notes from first baby had my blood type incorrect. I know I'm O+ because I was tested at birth so they knew if my O- mum needed Anti D. The discharge notes had me down as A-, I assume the first one on the list. Fortunately I hadn't needed any blood. I should probably have made a fuss, but I was just grateful to be leaving the hospital.

Floralnomad · 26/01/2025 16:29

I know what mine is because I had a transfusion , and my husband knows because he used to give blood but I don’t know what either our adult children are for definite .

Yourinmyspot · 26/01/2025 16:30

muffinlove · 26/01/2025 16:26

We did test at school in biology lesson(not uk). I got result B. My mother is A- and father AB+. Not sure if that right but I go for it.

Yes it’s probably right as even though we are classed as one group ie A, B or O we actually have two one from each parent but A and B are co dominant and O is recessive so doesn’t show if you have an A or B gene.

So your Mum will be AO as your Dad is AB so you will have got the B gene from your Dad and the O gene from your Mum so you will be BO.

tanstaafl · 26/01/2025 16:39

Become a world class rally driver

FelixDoublyDelicious · 26/01/2025 16:54

We did it at secondary school as part of biology, so I knew from an early age. Pin prick to finger and then some sort of coagulant into a sort of ice cube thing - it was a very long time ago and when I gave blood it was exactly right

@muffinlove Same :-)

RebeccaDecember · 26/01/2025 16:59

You can have a different blood group to both your parents, can you not?

cakeorwine · 26/01/2025 17:01

RebeccaDecember · 26/01/2025 16:59

You can have a different blood group to both your parents, can you not?

Yes - If they are A (so AO alleles) and B (BO alleles) you could be A, B, AB or 0

SlapTheMelon · 26/01/2025 17:05

We bought test kit from AMAZON. GP doesn't do it and the only other way is blood donation which was a joke for us as there were so few appointments available.

Swipe left for the next trending thread