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

Rhesus positive..

7 replies

Emmaemma23 · 24/11/2020 21:27

Hi guys sorry if this is a really dumb question, I'm struggling to find a clear answer Googling!
So I'm rhesus positive. My friend has told me the fathers rhesus status can affect the pregnancy too as in being incompatible blood type with my baby.. I don't think this is true but I just wanted to clear it up.

Would it matter if my baby is rh- when I am positive?

Thanks guys Blush

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Hazelmazel · 24/11/2020 21:30

No, if you're +ve there's nothing to worry about. If you were -ve and the baby was +ve (the father would have to be +ve for this to happen), the problem that can occur is that you can make antibodies which attack the baby. Anti-D injections are given throughout pregnancy to avoid this. But as you're +ve - no need to worry at all!

Emmaemma23 · 24/11/2020 21:31

@Hazelmazel
Thank you for clearing this up. That makes sense!
One less thing to worry about Grin

OP posts:
happytoday73 · 24/11/2020 21:32

As per previous poster if you are positive there is no issue whether baby is positive or negative

Hazelmazel · 24/11/2020 21:33

No problem! I'm -ve so had many many injections through 3 pregnancies!

SenorFrog · 24/11/2020 21:35

I'm -ve, dh is +ve, I do isn't have any injections, just blood on hand during the births.

SenorFrog · 24/11/2020 21:35

*didn't

StoryOfANewName · 24/11/2020 21:41

It wouldn’t matter if your baby is rhesus negative or positive if you’re positive yourself, so don’t worry.

The problems come if it’s the other way round. It helps to understand that Rhesus D is an extra antigen. If you have it, you’re positive. If you don’t, you’re negative. Think of it like an added ingredient - rhesus negative is a black coffee, but rhesus positive is the same coffee mix but with milk added.

If a woman is rhesus negative, this means she doesn’t have the Rhesus D antigen so her body hasn’t learnt to recognise it.

This means that if she has a rhesus positive baby, and her body detects that baby’s Rhesus D antigen (if you’re positive, you have this antigen) she will produce antibodies to fight it, and these antibodies can cause problems.

A rhesus negative baby would not be producing the antigen for your body to detect and mount an immune response to.

A rhesus positive baby would have the antigen, but your body already knows about it because your own body has the antigen too and has already learnt it’s not a problem. So again, you wouldn’t be producing those potentially harmful antibodies.

Does this make sense? I know it’s tricky! Congratulations on your pregnancy.

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