How does one find out their own blood group?

[DangerQuakeRhinoSnake]

Presumably it's on file somewhere, I've just never known.

I had my children in the 90's and definitely had an anti-D injection as I was Rhesus negative blood group. No idea what blood group either of my DC's are though, inspite of DD having had more blood tests than I've had hot dinners.

My husbands and I have the same type B+ so my kids could be B or O, + or -

But I don’t know as it hasn’t been tested as it isn’t relevant to anything as they have never needed a blood transfusion.

I'm AB rh neg and had anti D after my kids were born but wasn't told their blood groups.

I had anti-D after giving birth to the babies whose cord blood showed that they were Rh+ve (all but one) but not routinely during pregnancy as happens now.

@Greybeardy do you mean they wouldn't match types if you had to receive blood? Racing drivers I knew had their blood type embroidered on their suits for this reason...

Im rh- and had anti d, my daughter is rh- too.
I wish I could donate blood but sadly I have had a previous pulmonary embolism so im ruled out. Makes me feel sad.

Get a kit and test yourself

most surgery doesn't routinely get anywhere near to needing blood transfusion - if we group and saved all of those patients it'd cost a flipping fortune and would be wasted money. Where blood loss is anticipated or the implications of blood loss are likely to be high at lower volumes than usual then yes, group and saving/cross-matching would be done pre-op. If it's clear things are bloodier than usual during surgery that's usually not bloody then samples would be taken in theatre and sent urgently.

In an immediate emergency (like major trauma/massive vascular event etc) someone would receive o -ve blood as a life saving intervention while samples were being sent and processed urgently. For many things though there is usually time to send urgent G&S and at least get group specific, if not fully cross matched blood (takes about 30 mins). Couldn't care less what's written on someone's clothes (imagine if they'd borrowed someone else's that day!) - if they came into hospital they'd still get o-ve in a disastrous scenario or group specific/cross matched otherwise.

Not sure what the medical set up at the really 'high end' motor racing events is with proper medical facilities - i guess they may have a proper blood bank with blood suitable for individual competitors...based on recent samples though not what they're wearing (group and save has a short 'life span' before it has to be repeated (within 3-7 days) for it to remain useful).... but equally it could just be o -ve. Be interesting to know actually!

I would like to donate blood as I'm such a rare group but as I needed blood after an operation 20 years ago, I'm not allowed to.

I'm o- (knew already from donating) so had anti-d throughout pregnancies. All 3 babies were tested at birth and results were definitely written on notes somewhere because I read them to find out what they were. Not in red books I don't think. DC1 is O-, DC2 is O+, DC3 is A+. So we can work out that DH must be A+.
I took part in a study when pregnant with DC3 to test how early they could identify the babies blood group from a maternal blood test in pregancy, so had 4 or 5 extra blood tests through the pregnancy. This was 16 years ago so I don't know whether it's now a routine thing to test the babies blood this way or if they still do it after birth?

I have given blood and in the past, you got a little card from the donor service that had your blood group on.

Because I'm rh negative, my baby's blood was tested in utero to determine whether or not I needed the anti d injection. She has the same blood type as me so I didn't need it.

It matters if you're considering being a living donor.

Thanks everyone. I'll try digging out my maternity notes before making any calls etc.

Not really. They'd do all the necessary tissue matching as part of the process. I guess it's vaguely useful if you could then say you absolutely wouldn't be a match, but that's about it.

Well exactly. Not much point even consulting with the hospital if you're not even the same blood type! 😂

Yeah but if you don't know, it's very easy for them to check. So shouldn't be a barrier!

The point is... I wouldn't want them to go to that trouble if I can find out myself. Plus getting the recipients hopes up for no reason.

It’s not a heel prick, it’s cord blood to check rhesus status. Only done if mum is Rh-.

Ah I was going to say I recall it being notes somewhere in DCs discharge paperwork but I am Rh- so that makes sense

Yeah the big medical mystery.
I too found out what my blood type was, and my dhs, when we both donated blood.
I always wondered why there was no record, and I had no idea what our DC's blood type is.
I never got around to asking a GP why is it such a mystery, guess I'll have to wait until the DC's donate blood to find out.

if it's the same Trust you've delivered at they will know if you're the same blood group. They will also be very happy to consider you if you don't know. And they'll repeat it even if you do find it in your notes so you won't be saving yourself a blood test by having found it (for the same reasons we don't just take people's word for it if they tell us when they come in needing blood). Honestly, if you're seriously thinking about it then just let them know.

We got a kit from Amazon as a bit of fun for the kids really. Dh and I did ours too which were both correct so I’m confident they work. Interestingly, all 3 kids were a different blood group

Thank you.

It's interesting though isn't it, how it's not really common knowledge for us to know our blood type!

I had the anti D injection pre and post delivery. I'm A-, they offered to test my husband to avoid tbe Anti D and he was B+. Blood calculator says DD will likely be AB+, but we never got to find out, and its not in her red book. I'm interested to know though as it would be a rare type.

If you are considering being a living donor, would you consider a circle swap?

In that case your kidney goes to someone else - and your recipient will get one from that someone else's living donor. Or the chain might have a bit more parties.

I don't know whether the UK participates in the program, but there were succesful circular swaps like this around Europe.

I'm not commenting on whether you should do it or not, just that the mismatch of blood type might not be the end.