anti-c antibody

gooseberry

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hi i posted about this a few months back in tri1 and just looking for anyone with experience of this, im having regular bloods done to test for levels of the antibody but tbh the midwives dont seem to have much information to tell me other than my baby could be born with jaundice, as far as i understand it iv developed anti-c antibodys (probably as a result of my miscarriage last year) that can cross the placenta and potentially attack my babys blood cells, sounds awful really, does anyone else have this? xx
 
Basically it happens when you and your baby have different blood groups (the c is a blood type like a, b and o and + and -) most pregnant people have heard of rhesus disease where the mum has a rhesus negative blod group and needs an anti d injection. Yours is something similar yours and your babies bloods can cross between you via the placenta, your mc probably caused your body to create the antibodies as your immune system has identified the babies blood as different those antibodies can then cross the placenta and damage your babies red blood cells causing Haemolytic disease of the newborn (jaundice and anaemia) but rest assured it is rare for your immune system to cause too many problems and with monitoring of your antibodies (to see if your body is creating more) it's something that doesn't usually need treating. I'm sure I haven't explained any better than your midwife but I'm sure if you ask for a leaflet explaining (it has diagrams and info) you'll feel reassured. Good luck xxx
 
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Hi, just wanted to say I have Anti E antibodies in my blood as a result of a placenta bleed at 9 weeks preg with my second baby. Its differnet to anti C , but the same effects.

He was born fine, had jaundice, lovely sun tan in his newborn photos! He didn't actualy have phototheraphy as his levels did not shoot up after birth as expected with anitbody related jaundice (rather than down in normal jaundice). He had folic acid drops for 6 weeks, but think that was the rule at that hosp as we only had them for him.

Once you have the antibodys, you will have them always which is fine, they may send you a card to keep in your wallet showing you have them incase of bloood crossmatching, but it's not a big deal. (I have one sent after the first blood test they found them - it's from the blood centre at John Radcliffe hosp in oxford so not my local).

If you have more pregnancys, the levels can go up each time, my third child was born with jaundice and her levels shot up and she had light treatment for a week in hosp. They tested her for a few weeks after to make sure it went.

I then had a 9 year gap and had my last baby in 2011, they were ready for him, they gave me a side room for light treatment without keep other ladys up - he was born with jaundice and had lights for a week, but to be honest it wasn't as bad as my daughter, just a nusiance getting up out of bed to put his soft goggles back on or to get him from lights for a feed , when I had just had a c-section. He did still have the jaundice at 4 weeks old and they kept an eye on it as they like it to be gone by 3 weeks really.

The main issue I had is the midwifes, they make you force baby to feed constantly as more fluids flushes out the jaundice.. So my daughter was forumla fed and kept throwing up as each few feeds they upped the amount they thought she should have, (she was nose fed as small and had no suck reflex) so force feeding in a nose tube was heartbreaking, only to have her throw up and then we are back to square one.. We got there in the end..

Same with my last baby, he was Breastfed, I was adament I was going to manage it with on child, and so I fed, then I expressed as the wanted me to top him up with forumla!! and then they did make me in the end. I was only allowed home as I burst into tears when they said they were keeping us in another two days.....(once at home I just breastfed only) so he was checked at a local hosp and it went after 4 weeks ish ok.


So don't want to worry you, all will be fine, it's really a minor thing , but now you know, you can prepare , that you may need a couple of extra days in hosp and maybee some phototheraphy after birth.

Oh I had planned sections, (not related to this), but they did delay me in the queue, as they were waiting for blood to come from bristol, (im in berkshire!), specially as it was antiE blood! and as it happens , I lost 1000mls so I did need it all in the end!!

let us know how you get on.
 
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Thankyou both soooo much for this information a million times more informative than the midwife x x jjmum do you mind me asking did you have extra care in pregnancy more scans or blood tests? I just worry that my midwife appears a bit hopeless and we are a bit worried, she is putting it down to new blood screening machines and they never had all this antibody nonsense back in the old days, she makes me more nervous tbh :(
 

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