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Original poster

Rhesus negative- will I have to stay in hospital after birth?

21 replies

Snappingcrayons · 06/04/2015 21:29

I'm rhesus negative and this is my first pregnancy. I'm very scared. I was hoping that, everything being well, I would have a straightforward in, give birth and out again experience at hospital (like my mother had with all her pregnancies!). Will being rhesus negative mean I have to stay in longer than normal?

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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catchingzzzeds · 06/04/2015 21:29

I didn't Smile

MrsEvadneCake · 06/04/2015 21:30

I didn't either and had a home birth with my second.

Original poster
Snappingcrayons · 06/04/2015 21:31

That's brilliant to hear. Thanks for replying.

OP posts:
Original poster
Snappingcrayons · 06/04/2015 21:31

I have got to stop googling!

OP posts:
Skiptonlass · 06/04/2015 21:32

Not for being Rh - alone, no. Normally they just test the cord blood and give you a shot if the baby is positive.

whyhasmyheadgonenumb · 06/04/2015 21:33

I'm -ve too and was out next day with DD and same day with DS. Just that nasty injection......:)

GerbilsAteMyCat · 06/04/2015 21:37

Nope, not unless you have other complications.

Followtheyellowsicktoad · 06/04/2015 21:38

At the worst you may end up hanging around for a few hours between the test and the injection. Talk to your midwife, if you really don't want to hang around maybe you could be given it at home.

Helspopje · 06/04/2015 21:38

Fyi, you aren't rhesus negative. Rhesus are monkeys. Rh D is a blood group.

TheEmpressofBlandings · 06/04/2015 21:41

I had to hang around for hours waiting for the blood test result with my first, but still wasn't in long - gave birth at 10pm and was home by about 2pm the next day.
The other two I had were home births. Number 3 I had to go into hospital with, as she somehow had rhesus disease, despite me having anti-d each pregnancy. Stayed in with her for 3 days, while she was in an incubator under lights.

60sname · 06/04/2015 21:49

That was helpful Helspopje Hmm (especially since the name does derive from the historical scientific association with rhesus macaques)

Mrsmorton · 06/04/2015 21:53

60s what's wrong with knowing the actual condition that's being asked about? I remember getting a hard time for telling an OP the actual name of what she was talking about. Think "grafirst host" or "graft versus host". I'm sure I'd prefer to actually know..?

OP, my brother had rhesus disease, he was just incredibly ugly but has turned out ok I guess... Grin hope it all goes well.

Original poster
Snappingcrayons · 06/04/2015 22:04

Fyi, Helspopje, you might want to tell the Nhs and medical professionals to stop using that term incorrectly too then, that's where I learned it. Write them a letter, dear Wink

OP posts:
Flingingmelon · 06/04/2015 22:06

I'm RHneg and I just had the anti D shot, no issue really. My DSis was the same.

Nothing to worry about. Mention it to the doc if you have a fall etc but that will probably never happen.

Good luck with the big day Smile

roughtyping · 06/04/2015 22:07

I don't even remember the injection from when I had DS. I stayed in for a few days, but a) was 11 years ago and think a bit more common?, and b) other issues, that wasn't why I was kept in.

LittleBairn · 06/04/2015 22:14

There is no need to be scared its very common and the hospital staff are used to dealing with it.
It's likely you will be offered the anti-D injection at 28 weeks and after the birth you will be given another one. You will also be tested to see if the babies and your blood mixed. This result can take 24 hours if it was Postive and you have left the hospital you would need to come in for another course of anti-d.

If you have any bleeding later in the pregnancy you will be given anti- d too.

I have very high risk pregnancies with a lot of medical intervention so have had experience with being RH- in many different situations. It really isn't something to worry over just be mindful of reminding the staff of your RH- status.

negrilbaby · 06/04/2015 22:25

If baby's dad is Rh negative then there is no worry - the baby will also be RHneg.
I refused the Anti-D injection for DD (2nd child) once I found this out. The nurses told me that there was still a chance baby would be Rh+ and gave me a really hard time when I refused it. When I researched this it seems to be in case the woman is carry a child fathered by someone other than her RHneg DH or DP.

Fakebook · 06/04/2015 22:31

Confused...it's always been called "rhesus negative"!

Anyway, no, you won't have to stay in hospital. They'll most probably give you the shot straight after birth or a couple of hours later before you're discharged.

I opted not to have it with my last baby because I didn't plan on having anymore, but the midwife ended up talking me around and I was too tired to put up a fight Hmm.

Cluesue · 06/04/2015 22:39

I didn't need it after dd1 as she's negative too but the nurses badgered me into having it after dd2 was positive even though they'd just sterilized me at same time as c-section,go figure

Essexgirlupnorth · 06/04/2015 22:45

When my daughter was born she was born at 6am and took her blood sample. She was positive so had the injection sometime in the afternoon and was discharged 8pm the same day.

Roseybee10 · 07/04/2015 04:17

negrilbaby that's what happened to me. DH is o neg and I'm a neg so it's impossible for us to have a rh+ baby so I declined the Anti d but I got such s hard time the first time from my mw who was horrible about it.
My MW the second time didn't bat an eyelid.
First baby was a hospital birth where I qualified for 6 hour discharge (but didn't get it because no one came to discharge us in time grr). Second was a home birth.

No reason why it should cause an issue xx

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