Rhesus Negative & Anti-D Injections

KatysMummy

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Hi,

I found out today that I am Rhesus Negative, & have been given the option of having the Anti-D injection after 28 weeks.

Does anyone have any experience of this as we are a little confused. The midwife did also say there are some side effects if the injection for the baby. We are not sure what to do for the best, it all seems very complicated.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
 
Hiya,


I'm Rhesus A negative and had my 2nd Anti D injection last week. I found a website you you both to look at, it'll explain it better than me! but basically if your babies blood group is positive & yours & bubs blood mix your body will develop antibodies to fight what it thinks are foreign invaders so in future pregnancies you may have problems.

http://www.birth.com.au/class.asp?class=6625&page=6

I really wouldn't worry about it & too be honest I wasn't really told of any major side effects with having it ( and haven't had any) they give you a jab in the top of your bum (lovely!) at about 28 weeks & another at 34 weeks then when babe is born they take a sample of blood from the umbilical cord to see what blood type your LO is & if its positive you'll get another jab within 72 hours of the birth, if theire is negative you won't need another injection.
My jabs didn't hurt at all & was over and done with in about a minute (they put it in quite slowley!)

Hope this helps.

Nicki.x :D
 
Hi EmmaandGary

I am also Rhesus Negative and have two daughters. I found a bit of information for you which i hope will explain it better,i had my Anti D injections after the birth of my two babies as my blood tests all came back with no antibodies present. This 28 week injection seems to be a new thing and is not even offered everywhere yet :? ,if this is your first baby and your results are all fine and you are worried about side effects see what your midwife thinks about you having your Anti D after delivery,thats what i am gonna do this time if everything is ok.


"": When you have your first antenatal check (your booking visit) you will be given a number of routine blood tests. One of these tests is used to find out your blood group (A, B, AB, or O) and your Rhesus status (positive or negative). Your blood is also screened for the presence of Rhesus antibodies. Your Rhesus status describes whether or not you have a particular protein on the surface of your red blood cells. If you don't have this protein (the "Rhesus factor") you are considered Rhesus negative, and if you do have it, you are Rhesus positive. About 85 per cent of people are Rhesus positive, although it varies by race.

If a Rhesus-negative mother is carrying a Rhesus-positive baby (the child inherits this from a Rhesus-positive dad), there is a possibility that a problem may occur. Some of the mother's immune system may react to the Rhesus protein on her baby's cells as if it were a "foreign invader" and produce antibodies against it. These will then cross the placenta and attack the baby's Rhesus-positive blood cells causing anaemia and possibly jaundice. Thankfully, though, this problem is very rare these days because of developments in obstetrics.

If a Rhesus-positive mum is carrying a Rhesus-negative baby these problems will not occur.

If your blood test shows you are Rhesus negative, you will be told, and during your pregnancy you will have some extra blood tests to see if you have developed any Rhesus antibodies. This rarely happens, but, if it does, you will be carefully monitored. If a Rhesus-negative woman has an ectopic pregnancy, or if she has bleeding or a miscarriage after 12 weeks of pregnancy, she will be given an injection of anti-D immunoglobulin. These are antibodies which coat any fetal cells in the mother's circulation and destroy them before an immune response is triggered so that the baby is not affected.

In May 2002, the National Institue for Clinical Evidence (NICE) recommended that all pregnant Rhesus-negative women should be offered anti-D routinely at weeks 28 and 34 of their pregnancy. Currently not all NHS hospitals do so, but the number is growing. If you would like to know more about this, talk to your midwife or doctor.

When your baby is born, a sample of his cord blood will be taken so his blood group can be determined. If your baby is Rhesus positive, you will be given an injection of anti-D immunoglobulin. This must be given within 72 hours of delivery so that your immune response is not triggered. If you don't get anti-D, it would cause problems for any future Rhesus-positive babies you might have. If your baby is Rhesus negative, you will not require anti-D after delivery.

In the past, Rhesus disease used to cause problems ranging from severe newborn jaundice to the need for blood transfusions to prevent miscarriages and stillbirths. These days complications associated with being Rhesus negative are rare.""

Keep us posted and if you wanna know anything just ask xx
 
I also found out on Wed that I'm Rhesus A Negative. The midwife didn't tell me if I had the option to not have them, she just said I have to have them! I'm not bothered though, I'll do what's best for my little one.
It's a ball ache though, I bloody hate needles! :(
 
as well. i have to have injections 28 weeks and 34 weeks and after the baby is born. i hate injections.
 

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