antibodies?? advice please

[ProudMum]

Hi ladies, I would like someone to explain to me what antibodies are. The reason I am asking is because I have not had ay blood tests throughout pregnancy. (I chose not too) I'm A RH+ and assumed that once your confirmed to be RH+ you'll not have any sort of harming antibodies forming in your blood. I have one son and my last pregnancy was pretty much perfect. My OH has a positive blood group also so our kids are bound to be positive.. what Id like to know is, are there any other antibodies I should know about other than the ones which would form in a RH- mother??? anything that is potentially harming to my unborn child? MW hasnt explained much to me at all.... advice would be greatly appreciated. Im immune to rubella and I have no signs of my baby having any abnormalities etc: so Im mainly concerned about these antibodies? The only thing my MW mentioned very briefly was antibodies forming in RH- women or those who have had blood transfusion or suffered a loss where that babies blood crossed into the mothers blood stream... well i've had neither of those things mentioned.

 

[Caezzybe]

As far as I know, it's just RH- mothers that are at risk of the D antibodies. However, blood tests are used to check for other things. Mothers to be are tested routinely for things like blood count (iron level), HIV, Hepatitis B and Rubella status. I assume that most women are immunised against Rubella at school, but from what my midwife was saying the immunity doesn't always last. There is some more information on Rubella immunity here:
https://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1104.aspx?CategoryID=54&SubCategoryID=137

 

[angeljewel]

Both times I have been pregnant I have had antibodies in my blood near the end of pregnancy, not sure what this meant really but it was passed to the consultant and he was not concerned about them!!

It wasn't anything to do with rhesus type blood though, so a bit unsure what it was x

 

[mazee71]

I am A positive, but in my last pg it was discovered that I had -c antibodies. I had to have regular blood tests to check levels did not go up. I was under consultant care and not midwife because of this, despite the fact my levels only raised slightly.

Hope it stays the same with this one .

 

[freckleonear]

When you are exposed to a harmful bacteria or virus (either naturally or through vaccination), your immune system creates antibodies to fight it. A few of these antibodies are saved, so that if you are exposed to the same antigen again your body will recognise it, mass produce the appropriate antibody and fight off the antigen before it has the chance to make you ill. Apart from rhesus antibodies, which are a special case, antibodies are good and usually mean you are immune to that particular thing.

Remember though, it IS possible (although uncommon) to change from Rh+ to Rh-, so just because you were Rh+ for your last pregnancy does not mean you are definately not Rh- now.

 

[Youngling]

Hi,
I have antibodies in my blood and I am a RH+, which i hear is uncommon to have antibodies when u r that blood group. I think it is off my OH as his brother gave it to his gf when she was pregnant.
It isnt really anything to worry about. I have to have blood tests done every 4 weeks and then once im 28 weeks every 2 weeks just to monitor it
xx