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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 blood test

24 replies

Absofruitly · 31/07/2007 23:55

Is anyone else out there Rhesus negative? I am and was told at my MW appointment this week (for 22 weeks) that I should think about having the injections of 'anti-D' at my next appointment in six weeks. I am not sure whether to have them as she said they would be painful and if there was a problem later they would give me the injection anyway as a matter of course, so is it really worth having one just as a precaution?

Any advice from people with experience of this gratefully received.

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MadEyeMisdee · 31/07/2007 23:58

yes, am rh neg.

when pregnant with dd1, the injection was given after birth if baby was rh pos. dd1 is rh pos.

when pregnant with dd2, i think it was also given after birth, again dd2 was rh pos.

with dd3, i had injections during pregnancy as well as this is current NICE guidelines. it wasnt that painful tbh. again dd3 is rh pos.

you may be asked to have extra blood tests to check anti bodies

arfishy · 01/08/2007 00:25

Hi, I'm Rh neg too. I had extra blood tests and the anti-D after DD was born (my first), which was what the policy was at the time.

The nurse warned me the injection would hurt but I didn't feel a thing.

I think you need to weigh up any concerns about having the injection/using a blood product against the possible risks of your body forming antibodies to your baby's blood.

[Google pros-cons Anti-D for more info]

ChocolateHobnob · 01/08/2007 06:44

I found out I'm rhesus negative too. I'm having an injection in a couple of weeks (I'm 27 weeks today). Nobody told me it would hurt! Oh well. I'll be interested to read other people's thoughts.

Trinityrhino · 01/08/2007 06:48

I'm negative
I had the injections when pg with gecko
they didn't hurt and I chose to have them to feel like I had done all I could to help especially as dd2 is positive so during that pg I would have already started making antibodies whereas in dd2s pg I wouldn't have because dd1 was negative like me

pgTips04 · 01/08/2007 08:18

My mum is rhesus negative and my dad was rhesus positive. When my mum had her first baby, the baby was of a different blood group to herself, so when he was born he left behind a bit of blood, which my mums blood build up antibodies to kill of different blood. Second baby was fine but left different blood behind too. By the time third baby came along(me). My mums blood was killing my blood to the extent that i had to be brought into the world early, this being because i wouldnt of survived to term. I was born with servere anaemia and received a blood transfusion when i was only a couple of hours old. This injection is stop your body from building up the antibodies that attack the foreign blood (babys blood).

Hope this experience helps

Tallis · 01/08/2007 08:54

Hello - I had my 28-week Rh Neg injection last week and it was fine. A bit stingy like all injections but only for a second. The nurse put it in my bottom, not arm, as it hurts less...and she advised me to keep my eyes shut when she was preparing needle etc. Otherwise, apparently, you're more likely to involuntarily tense your muscle in anticipation of the pain, which has the effect of making it worse! No stiffness afterwards either. I think it's like the dentist - the reality is never as bad as the worry beforehand. Good luck with it.

meandmyflyingmachine · 01/08/2007 09:06

I had this, even though dh is also rh neg and therefore both of our children are too. My first midwife said she couldn't take it on trust that dh was the father of the baby, which is I suppose a fair enough point but did leave me a bit . I had the injection after a fall. I don't remember it being especially painful though. With my second pregnancy, my midwife was more trusting and I didn't have any.

Beetroot · 01/08/2007 09:10

i am rhesus negative and I had my injections after the bith and after they had tested the baby's blood. It is only a problem if the baby is positive - this could cause miscarriage of subsequent babies if the blood has mixed with yours.
If the baby is also rehsus negative then you don't need the anti d anyway

Razian · 01/08/2007 09:11

Unless father is also rh neg then you should definitely have it to protect the baby in case there is some reason why it comes into contact with your blood from now onwards. (You only don't need it if the baby is def rh neg as well).

I am rh neg and luckily so is dh but I have had it in the past and yes it hurts a bit but it's no big deal in the grand scheme of things. (labour hurts more!!)

Bluestocking · 01/08/2007 09:12

I'm Rh- and had the injections several times during my pregnancy, it's standard practice at the hospital where I was being seen. They didn't hurt at all, but I wasn't warned that they were going to, so I wasn't worried about them. I didn't think twice about having them, the number of baby deaths caused by RhD haemolytic disease before Anti-D was introduced is horrifying - read this for more info.

toadstool · 01/08/2007 09:16

Hi,

There was a thread a couple of months back about anti-D injections, protocols, safety, etc. I'm rh - and DH is rh +, this is my 2nd PG. The jabs don't really hurt compared to a dentist's injection; frankly a bit of a sting is in my view preferable to the risk of not having it, but everyone's different, and of course you may object to blood products. The only important thing for your PG (NB that could be a 2nd PG if it's after a miscarriage) is that you mention your rh- status after any bleed or serious fall. Some regions give you a card to carry, mine doesn't. The baby's blood is checked at birth - DD was rh+, so I had an anti-D jab after the birth. 2nd time round, I've had a jab at wk 30 and will have another one at wk 34. Hope this helps.

Cazzybaby · 01/08/2007 10:27

I had a jab last week, I cried my eyes out before hand (it had been a long week and scared of needles) but it didnt hurt half as much as I expected!

Original poster

Absofruitly · 01/08/2007 10:43

Thanks to all who have replied. Wow, so fast (I only joined these boards last night so have been v. impressed with the speed of your responses).

It's not that I'm scared of needles (I have donated blood plenty of times in the past), more that the midwife said I would have to book a double appointment so that I could sit for a while after the injection to check that everything was OK so I thought 'Jeez, that sounds prettuy serious'! I'm glad you ladies have confirmed that it is not such a big deal.

Reading Bluestocking's linked article has convinced me that I should go for it, so I will tell them to arrange the jab for my next appointment.

OP posts:

Beetroot · 01/08/2007 10:49

rhesus neg during preganncy didn't exsist for me - the only problem that we were told of was subsequent pregnancies.

Puppie · 01/08/2007 11:19

It didnt hurt me any more than any other injection i've ever had! Bit of a scary thing for her to have said to you!

pania · 01/08/2007 11:24

I had it several times and noone mentioned having to sit for a while afterwards. I just went straight home!

Maybe she said that just in case you're one of those people who gets woozy at the thought of injections?

I've never heard of anyone having a reaction to it!

dal21 · 01/08/2007 15:10

had mine the other week - did not hurt at all and no side effects or anything. The best thing to do is as the injection is going in; wriggle the toes/ foot on the side you are being injected and keep wriggling til they are done. My MW told me to do that and was a great tip. Totally took focus away from jab.

RedFraggle · 01/08/2007 15:40

I am Rh- and had the injections during both pregnancies. In the first pregnancy I had quite a few as I had a couple of small bleeds (felt like a pin cushion by the end!) They didn't hurt me any more than any other injection. Being RH- can have bad consequences on future pregnancies. Talk to your midwife about it to get more info, but don't be scared - it's not that bad!

maisemor · 01/08/2007 15:47

I am also Rhesus Negative, and had the injections with both my pregnancies.

They give it to you in the bum, and it does not hurt very much.

It is as painful as giving blood (which you will doing as well when you go there).

I would say that you will quickly get used to people injecting you, inserting drips, taking blood from you etc. now that you are pregnant (and RN) .

The last time I had to give blood, I manage to look at the nurse doing it and at the same time explaining to my son what she was doing.

SweetyDarling · 01/08/2007 16:21

Have had 2 shots now and didn't hurt at all!
I wonder why you were told that!?

Cazzybaby · 01/08/2007 18:29

She may be being caustious do you have a history of previous allergic reactions to drugs?? Does that make sense??

BrownSuga · 01/08/2007 18:41

I'm -ve and had the prebirth injections. They don't hurt as long as they go in slowly, but even if it does, it's only a few seconds. They said the prebirth injections were just in case there was any bleeding before hand, a precaution. the first baby is normally ok, it's if you have a cross of blood with it, and go on to have a second baby, it may be rejected by your body. my lo is also -ve so didn't need them in the end.

if you don't want them, you could check if you dh is also -ve then you obviously won't need them. my dh wouldn't go for blood test, inconsiderate bint.

choufleur · 01/08/2007 21:23

I'm rh- but so is my dh so didnt need the anti-d injections. If both parents are rh- then the baby will be. Do you know what bood type your partner is?

Original poster

Absofruitly · 02/08/2007 13:13

Thanks again folks. My dh does not know his blood type as he is too much of a big wuss to donate blood (even though I've nagged him about what a great thing it is to do) and has never been ill enough to need to find out. I will assume that he is + as the majority of people are, and go get the injection at my next appointment.

Cazzybaby, I have no history of allergic reactions, so perhaps she was just preparing me for the worst???

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