To not know my blood type?

[myexisanasshole]

So a thread yesterday reminded me that I should update my iPhone with my emergency contacts and the meds I'm on (quite a lot) and it asked my blood type?! I have no idea, asked my mum and she doesn't know either (thanks mum!) am I the only one? If I'm honest o do t know what my children are either 🙄 please tell me I'm not alone!

I found out when donating blood at 18. DM was AB+. DF was O+ and I am A+. DF was quite put out when learning that I had a different blood group from him. I don't think he ever forgave me .

I don't know what either of my DC's blood group is, or DGD's.

@springbreak3 if you have a negative blood type and the baby is positive it could affect future pregnancies. Negative blood doesn't react well with positive blood and tries to fight it. The first time negative and positive blood come in contact it's ok, but any future contact it remembers it doesn't like positive blood and tries to fight it which may lead to miscarriage or still birth or other health issues with the 2nd baby. It could also harm the 1st baby if the negative blood had previously come into contact with positive blood as it's remembered from the first time. So pregnant mothers with negative blood are tested and given the rehusus injection to prevent anything bad happening.

That's my lay persons explanation.

@recklessgran although I've just checked it with mine and DC blood. We are both negative which means DH is 50/50 to be negative (I can explain why if you are interested) and the calculator has said DH would be negative but from what I understand this isn't a given. The letters A/B/AB/O are probably right though

@babyfloof from what I can gather group A is dominant over group O so it's more than likely that my 5 DD's are A Pos. DD4 is a junior doc so I'll ask her as I assume she'll at least know her own blood group , ditto DD5. It's an interesting subject not unlike genetics - I'm guessing a bit of a lottery.

How can I find out? Would my Dr know? I've had enough blood taken over the years!!

Mum says I'm O so I guess I'm O

I only found out when pregnant. I'm A-, I remember it as it's not that common. I know my DCs are negative also but don't know the letter

I'm O-

We are universal donors I believe - don't bloody quote me on this if one of you are about to transfuse each other lol! I have never given blood, but have had two transfusions in my life.

But we're not universal recipients - we can only receive blood from O-.

I think. Nods wisely.

I have no idea what my dd is. But I was given 'anti-d' after a bleed.

@myexisanasshole possibly, but having blood taken doesn't necessarily mean they would check blood type. Have you had children?

@recklessgran not necessarily positive as both my parents are positive. Your DNA is made up of double helix and when you make a child half of the mothers DNA and half of the fathers DNA is passed on to the child. With regards to positive and negative blood groups.. the DNA in blood group is a double helix so would be ++, , +- or -+. For someone to have a negative blood group both the DNA double helix has to be . If someone has +- they would be positive regardless of the - part of the blood DNA. If both parents were +- and both passed the - DNA to a child that child would be rh negative. If one parent passed the + and the other passed the - that child would be positive as it's takes 2 - for someone's blood to be negative. Both my parents are positive but I'm negative and so is DC which means my DH has to either be negative (as we would both only have - to pass on) or his blood DNA is +- and he happened to pass on the - making DC negative (as I'm negative I have -- so will always pass a negative on).

I dunno if that makes any sense at this time of night

@Verynice yes that's right

Btw - was anyone awake/aware during a blood transfusion? It's like a military operation - I think one or maybe even 2 doctors (maybe one was a student or something), and 2 nurses present. Everything had to be scanned and signed twice by the various people involved. All it is really is a drip then once they've sorted it and it's going in - I thought they were about to perform open heart surgery on me there were that many of them around me!
The other one I received I was in a coma for, so don't know how many units I received or anything about it at all.

Yes I've had 2 kids, both my parents are the same type but mum can't remember what it is lol, going to ask my dad tomorrow. I wanted to give blood as well but looks like I can't 😢

I only know what I am (o-) from donating blood. All I was told (and is in my notes) from pregnancy is that I'm rh-

My parents and sister are all A- so I was a bit worried when I found out I was O! When my children were born I know the first one is O+ as I needed anti-D and we are both O so she had to be O. My youngest they lost or didn't get the sample so she could be either. They gave me anti-D just in case.

yanbu to not know your blood type!

@myexisanasshole if you didn't have a rheaus injection during pregnancy and after the birth you are probably positive. Can't help with the letter though!

Could you give blood if you stop taking lithium?

I've a question actually - can you have really good quality blood donations and poorer quality ones? So you get a transfusion from a couch potato who eats cake all day vs. a steak eating athlete - does it make a difference to the quality of blood you're getting?

Can't stop the lithium, only thing that keeps me stable after trying everoelae x

That's a shame. There are lots of reasons why people can't give blood. You can't give blood if you ever had a transfusion (or maybe only before or after a certain date). I don't know why though

I only know mine as they stamped it in every page of my pregnancy hospital notes.

I've known since I was 18 that I'm O Neg, as I used to be a regular blood donor. DS1 is A+ as he had to have blood transfusions, as did I when he was born. I carry an NHS card stating that I'm rhesus negative as I had to have the anti-D injections with all 3 DS.

@Verynice I think they "clean"' it in some way. They do check for blood infections before they pass it on so I guess they would check the blood is good enough to be passed on.

Being rh neg they pay attention to that

The funny thing with being rh- is that even if you know the father is rh- they still give you the anti-D even though the baby will also be rh-. I got told this was incase the baby had a different father although I'm sure you can decline it if you know who the father is. The antiD really hurt me so I might get DH checked for the next DC to save me some pain

@Fanjango mine wasn't that well stated. I had to tell the doctors and midwives when it came up. I did have these weird numbers kept being written on my notes then crossed out. Turns out it was the ward and bed I was in during my numerous hospital stays and I only figured it out when DC was born

So rhesus neg is the dominant one?

I got an A in Biology - but it was 23 years ago lol. Can't remember a god-damned thing!