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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Rhesus negative mums

35 replies

FeelLikeTweedleDee · 13/05/2011 18:54

Guys can you help me with this question?

I'm Rh- and my first baby was Rh+. Hubby is Rh+. I'm now pregnant with #2.

I'm having my bloods taken on Monday. The midwife said they will be testing to see if I have developed any antibodies. Is it possible that I have developed antibodies despite having all the jabs during my first pregnancy and after giving birth?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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BellsaRinging · 13/05/2011 18:56

Yes, As I understand it the antibodies accumulate, so every subsequant child is actually more at risk than the one before. I am RH- and had to have the jabs again with DS2-1 during pregnancy and one just after. They were not bad though.

Valiant1 · 13/05/2011 19:14

i am R- and dh is R+ i have had the jabs with all three of min and need the next one in 8 weeks for number 4 i just thought once you you had it once you needed it again in other pregnancys

Original poster

FeelLikeTweedleDee · 13/05/2011 19:19

BellsaRinging I thought the jabs prevented the antibodies from accumulating?

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Bogeyface · 13/05/2011 19:28

The jabs prevent you from making antibodies after that birth, but doesnt protect you from future births/bleeds.

So you could have had a bleed in this pregnancy (internally so you didnt even know about it) and made antibodies then, or there could be a cross over of blood during birth and you could start to make them after the birth. Thats why each pregnancy you should have it.

Original poster

FeelLikeTweedleDee · 13/05/2011 19:33

Thanks Bogey.

What I'm asking is, do I have anything to worry about? I had all my jabs with my first pregnancy.

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MonkeeMummy · 13/05/2011 19:36

You're unlikely to have developed antibodies if you had the Rh jabs through pregnancy and a final one after your DC was born. I'm Rh neg (DH Rh +) and both DC are +. Was also given Rh jab after MC and was tested again recently for this pg and still no antibodies. It's just a routine check for each pg if you're Rh neg.

Ifancyanewname · 13/05/2011 19:49

I am RH- and didnt have any of the jabs for my first, I am now 34 weeks pregnant with my second and again havent had any. I had a bloody test 2 weeks ago and havent developed any antbodies so I'd say if you had all the jabs for your first you're probably fine. I'm sure your midwife will put your mind at rest though if you're worried, just give them a buzz

Original poster

FeelLikeTweedleDee · 13/05/2011 20:04

MonkeeMummy that's excactily what I wanted to hear! :) Thank you

Ifancyanewname why didn't you have any jabs with your first? Is your partner Rh-

OP posts:

Ifancyanewname · 13/05/2011 21:15

No, partner is RH+ . After much research and long chats with the midwife I decided it wasnt for me so we decided against it.

Original poster

FeelLikeTweedleDee · 13/05/2011 22:08

What made you decide against it? What research did you do? Please share

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Ifancyanewname · 13/05/2011 22:13

I spoke about what the risks were should I not have it, looked into what the injections contained, spoke to my hospital about which particular injection they gave and weighed that up against my own personal circumstances. The midwife suggested a good middle ground that I would be happy with would be to not have it unless I had bleeding or experienced any stomach traumas that might result in a bleed. I was happy with that so went ahead with that plan and so far so good.

MavisGrind · 13/05/2011 22:20

I am R- and originally had a miscarriage which I had the jabs for. When I first became pregnant after that I was advised to have the jabs again and when dc2 was due I had the jab again. My understanding is that you just need the anti-D regardless of the number of times you are pregnant. Mind you, I have no idea what blood group the dcs father is (he would never have a blood test to find out no wonder we're getting divorced so I don't know what impact paternal blood group has.

dycey · 13/05/2011 22:21

I don't remember having any jabs with my first preg?? Baby was positive and I am negative. But had one after birth (I think tho was in such a daze I can't remember)... Had one last week (28 weeks) and another due later.

Should I have had jabs during the first preg?

Original poster

FeelLikeTweedleDee · 13/05/2011 22:23

Ifancyanewname - so is it what the injections contained that made you decide not to have it?

OP posts:

Original poster

FeelLikeTweedleDee · 13/05/2011 22:24

dycey - I think you should have, just incase any of the baby's blood passed to you while it was in the womb.

OP posts:

pooka · 13/05/2011 22:25

Yes. I believe.

I had jab after dd (rh+). After ds1 (rh+). During pregnancy with ds2 (new NICE guidelines for injections during pregnancy). And after delivery of ds2 (rh+). Didn't have any antibodies during any of the pregnancies (routine blood tests at usual junctures).

DS2 seemed fine. But in the background, my blood that had been taken immediately post-natally was tested, as was his, including being sent by the haemotology unit at the hospital to the National Blood Service at Tooting. Had a letter from hospital expressing concerns at the raised levels of anti-d in my blood, and the day after a phone call from the paediatric unit asking me to take him in straightaway. He was about 3 weeks old. He had Haemolytic anaemia. Had avoided the jaundice but was severely anaemic and had a blood transfusion when he was 28 days old - a small top up transfusion of blood that had been crossmatched with mine that gave him a boost until his blood naturally recovered. I now have an NBS card to carry in case I need a transfusion because I have anti-d and anti-c antibodies in my blood.

DS2 absolutely fine now. :)

I'm not entirely sure why what happened, happened. Was told at follow up appointments that there might have been a crossing of blood from him to me during labour, but my labour was only 2 hours - though apparently that could be enough. Or it is possible that I had a bump trauma relatively late on that I didn't notice or appreciate would necessitate a top up - I do recall bumping my tummy on a doorknob when I was about 36 wks pregnant. Or that I had a bleed that I didn't notice (unlikely). Whatever it was - it happened late on they think because he was born in good health - it was just that as time went on the antibodies that I'd passed over attacked his blood cells making him anaemic.

Is incredibly complex topic - lots of what ifs? and whys? from me. Don't think I'll ever be sure. Was pretty traumatic - and while I'd only ever wanted 3 babies, it does mean really that a potential 4th is out of my hands - was warned that subsequent pregnancies would be high-risk and might be fraught - so given that I've been pretty lucky with my 3, that's that for me!

pooka · 13/05/2011 22:27

NICE guidelines changed in 2005 ish - or at least when I had dd, jabs during pregnancy not given by my PCT and when I had ds1 in 2005 they were.

PenguinArmy · 13/05/2011 22:36

I developed antibodies after a fall but got given the anti-D jab within the time frame (as took myself off to AnE). From this I took that the anti-D jabs given in pg help, but they don't cover the whole time and big events. I don't know how long they last for.

Although you are given the anti-D jabs, there could be events that still cause mixing of the blood that you might have been unaware about, hence the testing. I've not been tested this time around but then again I'm not in the UK.

Rh- rarely is a danger for the first baby, as their birth is normally what leads to you getting anti-bodies, which are then primed should you get pg again. It can be a issue in people who miscarry but don't know they are Rh-

LadyMetroland · 13/05/2011 22:52

I didn't have it during my first pregnancy, or for this second one (currently 41wks). DD turned out to be same blood group as me (O neg) so didn't need it after birth, but obviously if she'd been positive then I'd have had to have it.

For this pg, my community midwife agreed with me that I could wait again until birth when the baby's blood type is known, the risks of doing that are small. She shared my views about not wanting a blood product from an unknown source injected into me when I might not actually need it. However my booking-in midwife when I lived in another area disagreed.

Obviously if this next one is Rh + then I'll have it at birth.

So I guess you just do what you feel comfortable with. As with so many things, 'official' advice changes from area to area.

Original poster

FeelLikeTweedleDee · 13/05/2011 22:59

pooka - thanks for sharing your story. It warns us all to monitor our babies after birth. So sad that it has prevented you from having anymore children :( That scares me as I've always wanted 4. I'm only onto my second now. How could all this happen to you in 2 hours?? Do you not suspect that there may have been a mix-up with some of your previous blood results that overlooked growing antibodies?

And wow 2005 is pretty late to start giving jabs in pregnancy. Does that mean that a lot of babies got rhesus disease prior-2005? :( Why did they leave it so late?

OP posts:

sasamaxx · 13/05/2011 23:11

I didn't have the jabs in either of my previous pregnancies, as it wasn't standard practice at the time in my NHS area. Both times, the babies were tested, came up +ve and I got anti-D after the births.
i did worry about this as other areas got them during pregnancy.

Luckily, I haven't developed any antibodies though. I'm much more relaxed about it now, as our NHS guidelines have changed and this pregnancy I got the jab at 28wks.

It's so sad to think of how dangerous it used to be in our situation, yet now the complications are almost always avoided by anti-D

PinkFondantFancy · 14/05/2011 08:50

They give anti d during pregnancy because if you have a bleed or trauma to your womb there is a risk of you developing antibodies if your baby is rh positive. They don't know what blood group your baby is at this stage, so giving it routinely aims to cover you in case you've had a 'silent' bleed and not realised. After you've given birth the test the blood group of your baby and if it is positive, they give you anti d then too.

It's very confusing. The need for it after birth is fairly clear cut, the need for it routinely during your pregnancy is more contoversial. My MW loaned me a book called 'anti d, paradox or panacea'. It's a bit heavy going so it's taking me a while to read but it gives the arguments for and against having it during your pregancy.

bowlingball · 21/05/2011 10:28

Hi, just thought I'd give you a bit of a boost too. I am a second child and RH+, my mum is RH- and all three of us are RH+. My elder sibling was absolutely fine, born pretty much on time. I was born at 38 weeks and although it wasn't all straight forward (i did have a couple of transfusions due to anaemia because of RH+, I was home in two weeks, which I think was pretty standard for any baby then anyway, with no side effects whatsoever. I was absurdly healthy as a child and adult - rarely even get a virus etc. and am on here now as I am expecting my own DS/DD, so even if you have the jabs and your baby is a rhesus baby it really isn't the end of the world. Good luck with everything

natwebb79 · 21/05/2011 12:49

I'm rh negative and am going to have the injections as advised by my midwife. I can't see the problem when the blood product used in the injections is carefully screened.

mamaesi · 21/05/2011 13:47

I am RH- and my first baby as positive. i had the injections... but now am pregnant with number two..

when will i get tested and get another jab? I am 12 weeks now and hospital has not mentioned anything

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