Question for rhesus negative mothers

[sayshaa]

I didn't experience very good communication with hospital staff after LOs birth so I'm trying to understand what happened.

I'm O negative and baby is rhesus positive. So I had prophylactic anti D in pregnancy and the shot after birth too.

But my LO developed rhesus incompatibility jaundice with super high bilirubin levels and needed to be under 3 phototherapy lights in NICU for a few days. Thankfully he's fine now but it was really tough at the time as I'd also had a tough labour with back labour, shoulder dystocia, failed vacuum, episiotomy and forceps and on top of this I couldn't bond as he was away from me for a good while after birth.

Should the anti D not have prevented this? I thought first pregnancies weren't affected by RH incompatibility? Does this mean I was pregnant before and didn't realise? I'm so confused? What are the implications for my next pregnancy? Am I now sensitised?

 

[NickyKB]

I can't answer all your questions sorry but you don't need to have been pregnant before to have rhesus incompatibility. There needs to have been an event where yours and babies bloods were exposed to each other but that could be a range of things including a bleed that you never saw as the blood stayed internal during this pregnancy. I don't think anti d is 100% one thing I was told was that there are other antibodies which can also cause problems which they can't immunise against. have they tested you to see if you have antibodies?although I guess that's tricky to tell what's you and what's from the injection...

The forceps and vacuum really aren't going to have helped the jaundice do they think that was part of it or just due to the rhesus issue?

The shot after you delivered is only to help future babies but whether there might be issues for your next baby I just don't know sorry! hopefully someone else does.

 

[george83]

Again I don't know the answer to your question I'm afraid but twice I've queried if my anti d has been needed/done correctly and both times I've got the impression it's quite low down on people's priorities. If your not sure I'd contact your midwife or gp to ask them and put your mind at rest

 

[Ashley1021]

I am negative and my DS was born positive. My doctor was very affirmative about getting the shot when I found out I was pregnant, when I had a bleed Around twenty weeks, I may have gotten it again at some point. Then after baby was born I received it again. I don't have an answer to your question, just wanted you to know my doctor took it very seriously

 

[bdb84]

I'm rhesus negative with all 3 of my babies being positive.

Do you know what gestation you had the first injection? I ask because the antibodies wear off after a given time. I had a miscarriage-threat at 11 weeks gestation with my third baby and was given the injection. I had my levels checked again at 28 weeks and the antibodies weren't lingering very strong, so I was given another just in case. And then, of course, I was given another one the day after delivery.