O negative blood

[Marshmallow1992]

I’ve just read my maternity notes and realised my blood type is O- (never knew this before). Reading more about this alerted me to anti d injections and I’ve tried to read more about it but I don’t understand it.

Will I need the anti d injections for sure if I’m O-? If I do need the injections when would I get them? I haven’t heard anything from my midwife which makes me think I don’t need them? Really unsure about this but it’s worrying me what I’ve read about it.

Thanks in advance for responses.

You will be given routin anti-D injection at your 28 week bloods appointment. This will be given once your bloods have being taken. If you have any sort of bleed or knock you will be given the injection.

I had multiple with DS1 due to bleeds. They will then test baby's blood type from the cord on delivery and if baby is + you will be given another anti D injection. These injections are to protect your body from creating antibodies against your baby's positive blood should ever their blood mix with yours (sensitization) xx

Contrary to earlier posts, I'd like to point out that you can indeed form antibodies against the baby that affect the same pregnancy.

Here's how it currently works in the UK:

• Rh D negative women are offered prophylactic anti-D injections as either a single big dose at 28 weeks or 2 small doses on separate appointments around that time (although I don't know of any NHS trust that opted for the 2 doses).

• if you have any bumps or vaginal bleeding or invasive procedures after 12 weeks you'll need anti-D injections. Every occasion needs another injection, even if they're a couple of days apart. After 20 weeks you'll also have a blood test to see if that dose was sufficient. Pay attention if your midwife tells you something like "your A&E if you have bumps or bleeds is somewhere else in the hospital, not A&E" e.g. Maternity Assessment Clinic (Midwife should write this into your notes that they give you). They will know all about these protocols and will be able to advise you over the phone 24/7 as to whether to come in. A&E won't be familiar with all of this and you'll just end up sitting in A&E for hours before being sent to Maternity Assessment anyway.

-After delivery, you'll have another dose. And they'll do that blood test I mentioned earlier again as well as testing the baby's blood group from the umbilical cord.

What is new is that some trusts are starting to offer cell-free foetal DNA testing to try to predict baby's Rh D type at 16 weeks from traces of baby's DNA in your blood. This test is pretty good but not quite as good as actually testing the baby's blood directly after they're born. If the baby's Rh D type is predicted to be negative, you technically shouldn't need the anti-D, but you may still be offered it as this is only a prediction.