Rhesus -

[emmalee]

Should I be worried about being rh- in my 2nd pregnancy, my husband is + but I am not sure what my son is and I dont remember having an injection after he was born.

[landie]

My wife is O rh- and I am B rh+, our children are now grown up but I can remember that this situation required extra vigilance and a needle (they must have given my wife some medication too).

[Le Chat]

I remember that my friend was in this situation. Apparantly, you don't need an injection with your first child but you do with subsequent children. Something to do with the first child leaving some cells behind that increase the chances of the body reacting to the different blood types. Don't be worried though, they'll make sure you are just fine!!

[netty.m]

If your child is + you will have an injection.  With my first child I only had an injection after the birth but with my second they gave me 2 injections during the pregnancy as well. ( i think they thought I liked needles)

[dirtyharriet]

Your GP/midwife will monitor you pretty closely throughout your pregnancy and will take frequent blood samples to make sure all is well. Why not talk it over with them if you're worried?

I am rhesus negative too, and I have 4 kids. I was given an Anti-D injection after each birth and I never had any problems.

[AB Editor]

For all medical questions, we strongly advise you to seek professional advice from your doctor or a healthcare professional.  Please do not rely on, or wait for, advice from Answerbank users.

[hectic]

Are you referring to Rhesus A- as my sister and I have this blood too and when she was pregnant she had to go on tablets to protect her liver from being damaged as the baby's blood is always the same as the fathers and therefore reacts with resus and attackes the liver.  Obviuosly your situation could be very different but I would suggest mentioned this to your doctor, the condition is known as colastsis, hope this helps

[hectic]

sorry that was supposed to read - colastasis

[dirtyharriet]

I'm sorry hectic, I have to disagree with you there, the baby's blood group is NOT always the same as the father's.

I am O Negative, my partner is AB Positive and our son is B Negative.

[dirtyharriet]

I think you mean Cholestasis, there's a link about it here

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/refcap/552042.html

However it doesn't say anything about it being caused by Rhesus incompatability.

[BUNNY]

Guidelines for this changed this year and Rhesus neg mums are now given anti-D routinely during their pregnancy.If you have a rhesus pos baby you will be given more after delivery.If the baby is neg then you dont need anything post delivery,which is probably what happened with your first baby.Your doctor will keep you right on the whole thing.Years ago,before anti-D was available the second pregnancy could be problematic but not now.You've nothing to worry about.

[emmalee]

Thanks everyone for your input, been to the docs yesterday,  it turns out my 1st child was negative too, which is why I didnt have the anti d after his birth.  The midwife will be informed that I am negative and so I will be closely monitored throughout my pregnancy, I feel much better now, though a little sick this morning!!!

Thanks again, Emmalee

[OBonio]

My wife is B- and I'm O+.  Apparently + is a stronger thingymabob than - so the baby is likely to have a + rhesus.  So we're probably going to have to have anti-rejection drugs so the baby isn't thingymabobbed.

(Apologies for lack of technical terms).