Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Pregnancy

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

Original poster

Rhesus Negative AND SCARED! :(

34 replies

babybunting2010 · 05/05/2010 12:36

Hi all,

Have just had my 16 week check up although am 17 weeks and 4 days but have just found out that I am rhesus negative and that this may cause problems with the baby/labour etc...

Please tell me I am worrying over nothing and that everything will be ok!

xxx

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
pedrothellama · 05/05/2010 12:43

Everything will be okay - you will have an injection after the birth to protect all future pregnancies as well.

Nothing to worry about

MumNWLondon · 05/05/2010 12:47

Why are you worried about this? 15% of women are Rh-. Its only a problem if you develop antibodies.

If you accept the injections during pregnancy and post birth the risk of developing them is very very low indeed.

I am Rh- and have had 3 Rh+ DC and I haven't developed any antibodies and I haven't had any problems in pregnancy or labour. I have had three low risk labours in MLUs with no suggestion that being Rh- would make me high risk in any way.

roomforthree · 05/05/2010 12:48

Don't be scared. It is only relevant to future pregnancies, and only then if this baby is rhesus positive.

All three of my dc have been rhesus negative, so I've never had to have the anti-d injection.

pedrothellama · 05/05/2010 12:48

"Rhesus incompatibility doesn?t happen with first pregnancies because the antibodies aren?t present in the mother?s blood. However, in later pregnancies, if the babies are Rhesus positive, there may be a problem. This is because the mother may have started producing the antibodies, which will cross over the placenta into the baby?s blood and, regarding it as ?foreign?, will try to break it down.

In the UK an injection of anti-D is given routinely to Rhesus negative pregnant mothers at 28 and 34 weeks, to stop possible production of the harmful antibody, just in case."

Stop worrying

coppertop · 05/05/2010 12:50

I'm rhesus negative and am now pg for the 4th time. Other than having the Anti-D injections (none of mine have been rhesus negative) it's never really been an issue.

So I'd say too that it's nothing to worry about.

StewieGriffinsMom · 05/05/2010 12:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Bigmouthstrikesagain · 05/05/2010 12:55

To add to the other messages - please don't worry about this it is an entirely manageable risk and as prev poster's have said only a problem in subsequent pregnancies if your baby is R+.

Do you know your partners blood type as if he is R- too then you wouldn't have a R+ baby together anyway! Unlikely I know - but possible.
I have had three positive babies and no health issues just a couple of injections.

Congrats on your pregnacy and don'tworry

Original poster
babybunting2010 · 05/05/2010 13:04

Thanks all, it's the first pregnancy and just got told about all this stuff and think it was a little too much information to try and fathom. Just panicked a little!

Thank you all so much and I am so pleased that there really isn't anything to worry about! Probably shouldn't have googled it as it kind of came up with all the negative affects... etc!

Can't wait to have the baby as pregnancy is just a little scary!
xxx

OP posts:
coppertop · 05/05/2010 13:05

Good luck with the pregnancy, Babybunting.

Trafficcone · 05/05/2010 13:09

Nothing to worry about. It's not had an adverse affect on any of my pregnancies. It's a jab of anti D at 28 weeks and the new jab is a higher dose so you only need one. With my older kids I had to have them at 28 and 34.

cinnamongreyhound · 05/05/2010 13:11

I am rhesus negative and I think that professionals need to make it obvious on your notes, so the stickers everywhere and the card you're given to carry can be a bit intimidating but as everyone else has said it nothing to worry about for you. You will be offered antiD injections and it is subsequent pregnancies that are possibly at risk so your pregnancy and labour will be otherwise unaffected.

It depends on your area when you are given anti D injections. I had one at 28weeks with my first pregnancy and another one after birth as my son was Rhesus positive. I have an appointment for another on at 28 weeks this time around. Some places you will get one at 28 and 34 weeks and then one after birth if baby is Rh+ and others only one after birth if your baby is Rh+.

Some people do get partners blood type checked so that if the partner is Rhesus negative too they won't need the injections as the baby cannot be Rhesus positive.

TripleThreatIcansingIcandanceI · 05/05/2010 13:14

Same here- nothing to worry about. Both times no problem, one of my dc is rh neg and one is not.

BTW- make the mw give you the injection in your backside NOT your arm (ouch)

I obviously have more padding in that area

Ah, 16 weeeks- I remember at around 20 weeks when the bump is a proper bump, it is the Glowing phase and also the morning sickness goes...........

Enjoy!

pedrothellama · 05/05/2010 13:16

TripleThreat

Good advice about the bum, that's where I had mine

StewieGriffinsMom · 05/05/2010 13:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

drowninginclutter · 05/05/2010 13:24

Congratulations! I think it depends on where you live, but round here they check partner's blood type if you ask. DP is unfortunately + so I still had to have the injections.

Some areas do not offer this on the NHS as they don't trust you to know who the father of your baby is

pedrothellama · 05/05/2010 13:40

Now we are scaring the poor girl about the injection

StewieGriffinsMom · 05/05/2010 13:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

DomesticG0ddess · 05/05/2010 13:43

No, don't worry at all. I will need another jab this time too - I might ask for it in my bum, good idea. Don't remember it being bad, but there are lots of things I don't remember anymore.

MumNWLondon · 05/05/2010 14:03

i had it in bum and it was fine, no issue with sitting down at all.

coppertop · 05/05/2010 14:06

I always had mine either in my bum or thigh. Both areas are well padded though so it wasn't a problem for me.

ICantFindAFreeNickName · 05/05/2010 14:17

Both me and my partner are R-, but the hospital still insisted I had to have the bloody injections - just in case!

It's not like I was a drunken teenager and might have been confused about who the father really was! We had been together for over 13 years.

belly36 · 05/05/2010 16:00

I see a really great midwife at my hospital. I've had to have 3 Anti-Ds so far. Anyway, she swears by getting me to cough as she's doing the injection in my bum. I have to keep coughing until she's done.

I always feel a bit of an eejit, but it works. She said she read about it in the BMJ.

catftm · 05/05/2010 17:18

Im rhesus negative too. Had first daughter no problems. in my second pregnancyo n, i had a bleed at 28 weeks but they just gave me another injection and tested that my blood hadnt mixed with baby, which it hadnt so nothing to worry about at all. I will have another injection after the second baby comes.
Catx

RedFraggle · 05/05/2010 17:38

It's really nothing to worry about as long as you and the people caring for you are aware of it. I am RH- too, two pregnancies no bother.

Only thing I can say from my own experience is that if you happen to have a bleed, no matter how slight, do contact the midwife, doctor whoever and say that you have had a bleed and also tell them you are RH-

I had a small bleed in my first pregnancy and went to the GP she checked me over said all was fine etc. Got told to go home and put my feet up. Later that evening I got a call to tell me to go instantly to hospital to have an anti-D injection. GP had checked through my notes and saw that I was RH-
I had to dash up to the hospital for the jab to be on the safe side - I hadn't realised I should mention it

Quick jab in the thigh and I was off home again, so all was fine but it's good to know to mention these things

bigstripeytiger · 05/05/2010 17:46

ICantFindAFreeNickName

This probably isnt much use after the event, but they cant force you to have anti-D, it is up to you to decide if you want it or not.

Swipe left for the next trending thread