Completely out of my depth and need help for a friend

[MaureenMLove]

I haven't been pregnant or had anything to do with pregnant woman for a very long time, so I'm trusting you lot to give me the low down on something!

Girl I work with has just confirmed her pregnancy, but has told me she has been told she is very high risk because her blood group is Rh D Negative? Means she can't risk anything thing that will cause the placenta to to leak blood into hers? Do you know what I mean yet? I'm seriously clueless!

Anyway, I share an office with her and I think I've been adopted as her work mum, so I'd like to understand and maybe get some rl stories of what this all means and what impact it might have?

It's a first baby and understandably she's really worried now. I have googled, but it's still not going in!

Thank you lovely people!

I'm rhesus negative, and as far as I'm aware it just means that I need an anti-d injection at 28 weeks and possibly after the birth. (And also in the case of any bleeding after 12 weeks).

However - it may be that she is high risk for reasons she prefers not to disclose.

I'm RHNeg and have had two horrible HG pregnancies but I don't think it's related to my blood type.

With my DD I had a bleed at 36 weeks and had to have an extra dose of the Anti D just to be safe. With this pregnancy I bled all the way until 12 weeks but you don't need the extra Anti D before then so was just monitored.

It hasn't stopped me doing anything physical that I can think of, although I was advised not to have sex again after the 36 week bleed with DD.

Thank you ladies. I appreciate you time to answer me. She's told me that she can't get stressed about anything (this is going to be the toughest, because she is young and gets arsey about the smallest of things!). Also that she has to be careful that no one bumps into her. I'm really trying to be supportive, but I can't help thinking her age and the sort of person she is, is turning things in to a bit of a drama!

I will however, be next to her 100% if anyone on here feels she really does need extra support and care.

Oh and over the last couple of years working with her, I'm confident that she isn't keeping anything from me. Trust me, when I say, I know all the ins and outs of everything! Possibly more than I care to know!

Yes she's turning it into a drama.

I'm RHnegative. First pregnancy, was given anti d injections at certain times during the pregnancy and told to go to the midwives for an additional dose of I had any bleeds or accidents.

Second pregnancy - unfortunately I was one of the tiny % of people for whom the injections in the first pregnancy didn't work. I am being closely monitored (blood tests and scans) but again no drama, nothing to do differently

I'm Rheus negative & I wish my toddler would be told not to stress me out then!

All it means is if she bleeds passed 12 weeks or falls hard enough to get a bruise then she needs an anti D jab. Which she'll have around 28 weeks.

She's definitely making a drama out of it to say no one can stress her out.

I'm Rhesus negative too, had anti D injections in both pregnancies but other than that nothing different. She's definitely making a drama out of it unless there's something else she's not telling you.

Lol. Thank you. I was worried I was going to get flamed there for being uncaring! I knew I could rely on MN!

So basically it's going to be a very, very long pregnancy for ME!

She's talking bollocks. She's either possibly misunderstood or she's trying it on to have an easier ride at work.

Many women including myself have RhNeg blood. Yes if there is a bleed after 12 weeks you have to go and have an injection in your bum, indeed I've just had one myself at 14 weeks. As long as you get it within 72 hrs of the bleed it's fine. You also get them as standard just before the baby is born and straight after. It's a minority of women who are RhNeg but it's not rare.

I have an extremely stressful and occassionally physical job. I'm pregnant, knackered and keep dreaming of ways I can sneak a nap in my lunchtime, but I think I would be pushing it claiming I couldn't do stuff/get stressed because of my blood type!

Am also that blood group and I have no idea where at all she's getting this nonsense from - she's trying her luck, surely?

As pp have said, it means an anti D injection pre birth, and one afterwards unless your baby is also that blood group (which mine was).

It's really not an issue.

Being rhesus negative doesn't make you high risk...sounds like she wants an excuse to take it easy at work IMO.

I'm rhesus neg, and I've had the shot 3 times already and I'm only 7 months pregnant: once after I had a cvs, then at 28 weeks and then another recently as I stupidly fell down the stairs! Baby is fine, I was just bruised!

I've not been told to wrap myself in cotton wool by any medical professional. Just to make sure that you get the jab if you have a fall / bad bump...it's really not a big deal.

Rhesus negative
11kids
No problems
She is attention seeking
And a lazy diva!

Sounds like she's either trying it on or has totally over googled. As others have said this isn't a huge deal because of the anti-D injections which are offered. Also if like me she has a partner who also has a negative blood group it is absolutely no problem at all.

You have no idea how stress free and non physical her job is! If she stays in the office, she doesn't need to come in contact with anybody all day! I think I will be spending as much time away from my desk as possible! I can do that easily, given the nature of my job!

I'm a bit worried that because she's young and very computer savvy though that she might stumble upon this and recognise herself, so just to be safe, I'm going to get it deleted!

Thank you for reassuring me I'm not being an old boot who doesn't get why people make such a drama out of being pregnant! There are undoubtedly many reasons why woman have difficult and dangerous pregnancies, but I'm confident now that this isn't one of them!

She's trying it on. It just means a couple of jabs and an extra one if she knocks herself hard enough.

Tell her that matter of fact to bring it down a couple of notches.

I'm rhesus negative and have had three successful pregnancies with no drama. She's being a tit.

Being rhesus negative does not make you high risk at all, she's talking out her arse. She is obviously high risk for some other reason or she has just made it in her head after being told the potential problems.

Stress has absolutely nothing to do with it (again - talking out her arse) and someone simply bumping into her isn't going to do her any harm. When they say any bumps etc they mean falling down the stairs or being in a car accident etc..

I'm rhesus negative and was low risk from the start (only turn high risk due to an unrelated dvt) and have had one at 24 weeks as I was in a car accident... Baby was fine thankfully. She will have an anti d injection at 28 weeks, and then another one after the baby is born only of the baby is a positive blood group. If baby is negative she won't need another.

She's being a major drama llama

Same as others have said...except! It is possible she has antibodies. This means her body attacked the baby (and is what jabs are meant to prevent but it's not 100%). My friend had this and it extremely seriously. Her baby very nearly died and had pretty much constant blood transfusions towards the end. I'm not saying it's likely. I've had two pregnancies with no issues but it IS possible.

Yep she is being needlessly dramatic (rhneg here). Just tell her to follow the HV given guidelines re. her jabs and she will be fine. It's to protect her next pregnancy incase she creates antibodies. When the baby is born they will check its blood group. If it's positive she will have a painful injection after the birth. If it's negative they won't give it.

My friend is Rh-, had her baby 6 weeks ago and was still going to the gym 3/4 times a week right up till a few days before she gave birth. We also work in a high pressure fast paced job.

Enjoy the next 9 months!

Just going to chime in with the chorus here: being Rhesus negative is a very minor, pretty common, and easily managed "complication". You get a couple of jabs as standard, and extra if you get any knocks or bleeds, and that sorts it. It has absolutely nothing to do with stress! Also: what you actually need it for is to protect a second baby you might have if you get "sensitised" during a first pregnancy. There is only a very minor risk to the first baby - the jabs are to stop you forming anti-bodies that might then attack your next baby. She's really trying it on!