I don’t know my blood group!

[C231009]

Dp knows his by heart and I don’t. I have no idea! Which he thinks is pretty bad of me, I mean it probably is. But he’s panicking me saying I need to find out just in case I need to know. Aibu to think this is a bit ott?

is it normal not to know it?

How do I find it out? Are they in the red books given out when babies! I’m sure dm probably still has mine!

I'm 50 and have no idea what my blood group is. I've never been pregnant but I have had several surgeries and the subject has just never come up. I'd like to know, just out of interest, but it's not important in the grand scheme.

I found out when I gave blood, I am AB but can't remember if it's positive or negative. I have no idea what the DC are.

I have routine bloods so I might ask next time if they'll tell me

Routine bloods won’t tell you your blood type. Unless you’ve been cross matched in the past for some reason for surgery/pregnancy/emergency.

I only found out when I started giving blood. I'm O+ so the most common in the UK. I knew my mum was O so there was no chance of me being AB.

I found out when I was pregnant the first time because it was in my notes.

I know mine from being a donar, but if you’ve got kids and they’ve been tested (are all kids routinely tested? Mine were but it was to check for me for the rhesus factor) you might be able to work it out.

Donor not donar, not sure what my phone was doing there!

What country puts blood group on the birth cert??

Dunno, but what a brilliant idea!

I know because I donate, never needed to know, tho, even when I had a major accident, claret all over the floor in A&E. My DH said it looked like an abattoir. 😱

@midnightstar66

I saw a post elsewhere today about this. I'm shocked how many people don't have a clue about their or their DC's blood group. Surely this is standard info that you should know?

Most people wouldn't know unless they give blood.

Apparently, they test you again anyway even if you carry the card so knowing it is not much use.

Found out I was O positive when pregnant with DC1, I had a PPH after the birth so needed a blood transfusion.

Found out I was O positive with anti factor S when pregnant with DC2.

Now I can't have regular O+ blood and will need it biked in from Central London blood bank.

I found it interesting to know mine when news came out that certain blood groups seem to fare better with Covid.

@Vinorosso74

I only found out when I started giving blood. I'm O+ so the most common in the UK. I knew my mum was O so there was no chance of me being AB.

If your dad was AB, you could still have been AB.

My mum was A neg, dad B Pos, and I ended up O Neg, while DBro is AB Pos.

I only know because I give blood. I think it was important when pregnant and needing anti-d but I'm still not sure why! Something about my blood attacking theirs... 🤯

I can't think that you'd ever need to know tbh.

I found out from the sheet they give you when you leave hospital after having a baby.
Turns out I'm A.
Can't remember whether it's + or - though.

I'd have to look at my blood donor card. So I know how to find it (and I do tend to carry the card, just in case I needed to know in an emergency). But I don't know it.

I only know mine because of pregnancy! I'm O- and my partner is + so it was a bit of faff having anti d!

They did insist on testing me again when pregnant which strikes me as a bit of a waste of NHS resources!

Knowing your blood type is interesting but a bit of an unneeded blood test/blood analysing to find the answer.

If you have any surgery or are pregnant - you always have a routine blood sample (even if it's known already). Apart from the usual terminology of A+, B-, etc etc there are also other antibodies that are very important to know if you have had or not.
If you do have these antibodies (and can develop them later in life) they need to be considered before xmatching you for blood in the event of a bleed.

I'm B+ which is more prevalent in Asian countries - despite the fact I'm blue eyed/fair blonde.

@110APiccadilly

They did insist on testing me again when pregnant which strikes me as a bit of a waste of NHS resources!

You can develop blood antibodies at any time of life - especially in between pregnancies. Hence, they are always checked in each pregnancy (and before any surgical procedure). It would be a disaster to give the wrong blood Transfusion

Also, can have more than of these blood tests in pregnancy - it's part of the stringent checking to ensure that the correct type of blood is available for you if you need it.

Just ask your gp if it on file

To say he knows it 'off by heart' is hilarious... there are four options on the letter and either Rhesus positive or negative.

You only tend to find it out if you give blood or have some other illness/pregnancy-related reason, in my opinion. I know mine because of the former, but I don't think you're 'unusual' for not knowing yours, or that it's anything to worry about. If they need to find out in hospital, they'd get your blood analysed by pathology. But like PP said they'd use O- in an emergency.

I know mine because I'm a blood donor and I know my kids because I needed anti d. By default I know DHs!

I only know mine due to previous surgery & pregnancy, it’s a useful thing to know.

@TurquoiseDragon
“ If your dad was AB, you could still have been AB.”

No, she couldn’t. An AB person gets A from one parent, B from the other; you can’t get both from one parent.

DD is AB, she’d need an A, B or AB partner to have any chance of an AB baby, she’ll never have one with an O partner.

@TurquoiseDragon no the Dad's gene donation to the baby would have been either A or B, as they are co-dominant genes. She could say for sure only that she wouldn't be either O or AB.