Rh Factor

[cutie1]

hello i was just wondering about some info about the rh factor in your blood. i am18 yrs old and 27 weeks pregnant and my doctor said i had a rh negative factor and only 15% of the pop. has it.  Ive given blood tests and so what comes next???  Do you get a shot? If so where do you get the shot on your body??  Can you please give me information because im really nervous. Is it serious?? Whats gonna happen to my baby?? My dr. is kinda hard to understand so im just trying 2 get more info.
Thank you so much!!

[blueeyedtabbycat]

Well im rh negitive too and with advancements in the medical world today the risks are pretty slim. That being said. You will need a shot of RoGam(sp?) around 28 weeks. The reason from my understanding as to why they do this is incase of preterm labor and your baby having a positive blood type. So they take precautions. After delivery if baby is rh negitive then you wont need another shot but if baby is positive than you would get a shot. The thing they are worried about is your babys blood mixing with yours. If you have any bleeding at all in pregnancy they suggest you get a shot of rogam as soon as possible. I hope this helps a little. I am sometimes a little lost myself about the risks but I think if you google it you should get some better answeres. I just know I have to get the shot, lol:)

[JoyRenee]

Rhogam is the shot. And it is to protect your baby from the antibodies in your blood. When your blood is RH negative your body will try to kill the baby as a foreign substance in your body and try to expel it. For some reason that is what happens. It's like your body cannot recognize that it is a baby and is safe. So it is just your body's defenses kicking in.

But as blueeyedtabbycat said you'll get the shot soon. Not sure where they stick you. Probably the bicep. They don't give you the shot in your belly if that is what is scaring you.

[bimbicat7]

Im RH- as well and th e shot is given in your thigh, but this is only nessesary for subsequent births eg after the first child you will be given a shot ect and for any more kids you have you will be test for the antibodies, if this is our first no need to worry.
Nothing to fear at all your baby will be fine!!! only used to be a prob in the old days, they have it all sorted now days :)

[JoyRenee]

Yeah, I probably should've added what bimbicat said to my kind of scary response. The shot is a GOOD thing! So long as you get it, baby will be fine.

[mum_of_2]

if the baby is rh pos you will need the shot   it is normally in the thigh  if baby is rh neg you will be ok but they will check every baby you have for rh factor

[cutie1]

Thank you all so much and actually i am 28 weeks 2day and i did get the shot in my arm and its really sore =[ and did kinda hurt a lil and after i was really tired lol so good luck 2 any of u ladies tht has to get the shot! =]

[cminamyer]

The best way to explain it is, if you are RH + then you have a little "pos" on your blood cells, if you are RH -, you don't have anything on your blood cells.  So if you have a baby that is + and you are negative and your blood mixes your body will form antibodies to the + blood type.  It doesn't affect your baby unless you have formed the antibodies which doesn't usally happen until after your first baby.  So they give you the RhoGam shot to prevent you from forming the antibodies.  The more antibodies you have in your system the sicker your baby will get, the baby could become very aniemic(sp?) and need a trasfusion in bad cases or it could die, rare now days.  Also, you shouldn't have to worry about it if the father is RH -.  I've had the shot about 6 times.  3 in my first pregnancy, once in the first trimester because of spotting, @ 28 weeks then when my daughter was born because she is RH +.  Then 1 after I had an ectopic pregnancy that ruptured, thank god I didn't develope the antibodies!  Then once at the beginning of this pregnancy in case it was another ectopic, and again at 28 weeks.  I'll probably get it again because the chaces of my baby being RH + like her daddy are very good.  I've had the shot 5 times in my hip/upper butt and 1 time in my arm.  The arm shot is new.

[cminamyer]

Also if you have a normal vag. birth the chances of you developing the antibodies are pretty slim.  My MIL was RH - and had 5 children with pos and never developed the antibodies.  She only get the shot with my husband because it was new, when she got it 31 years ago.  They didn't have it 40 years ago, and a lot of RH + babies were born to RH - mothers and were just fine.