Rhesus negative, antibodies positive!

[JessyG]

I just received my blood test results which shows my antibody status is positive! I am now literally freaking out cause the form says no further action required!

I had my regular 28 week midwife app and was given 1500units of anti d. sadly a few days later (4 to be exact) i noticed a tiny spot of blood after sex. it was soo small i didnt think much of it but decided to phone up anyway. i was told to go in for monitoring and a further anti d jag. they took my blood and gave me another 500units.

I just got home from work to a letter (a week after i was in hospital!) saying my antibody status is positive but since it is less than 2ml of foetal cells the additional anti d jag i got was sufficient and no further action is needed.

now i am freaking out thinking what if i was sensitised before i went in to hospital like days or weeks. the anti d wouldnt have any impact then. Or does the fact that i already had an anti d shot days before hand mean my blood will show a small amount of antibodies? i am so confused and scared for my baby. this is my first so i know its unlikely to affect her but i am terrified it will or it will affect any baby i have after her.

am i being ridiculous or should i phone up and ask for another test/to be monitored more regularly?

 

[Foxybabyhg3]

Oh no I can imagine how stressed you're feeling. Sounds like they've done what they need to do. If you're worried I'd give them a ring and ask for more info. I had my anti-d shot last week too.

 

[JessyG]

Thanks. I called and the midwife said that she thought less than 2ml was in the tolerance therefore would be fine but i am not happy with that so i will speak to the blood transfusion team today or a consultant. The hospital shouldnt be allowed to send out results like that without explaining what it means. its came straight to my home address with no prior phone call. i am soo angry and upset now.

 

[Foxybabyhg3]

I'd be the same. I hate not knowing what the results mean then you end up trawling Dr Google and finding all sorts. Hopefully you can get a consultant to speak to you and give you all the info. I'd rather be properly informed. Let me know how you get on

 

[JessyG]

i just phoned my midwife and she confirmed that my blood test at 28 weeks showed no antibodies prior to the anti d shot. the test at 28+4 showed antibodies so i dunno if the injection was still in my system by the time they did the second test. gonna phone blood transfusion later today for clarification.

 

[xturnitoutx]

You're showing positive because you just had the injection! After getting the Rhogam shot, you will test positive for the antibodies (as a result of the shot, not because you are sensitized). No need to worry!

 

[Wriggley]

Hi hun I am rhesus neg and I have anti E antibodies in my blood and I also am showing positive for anti D antibodies. The anti D is showing up positive because I had had the anti D injection which is probably case for you if you had just had injection

on the off chance that you do have an antibody try not to freak I had anti E antibodies with my first sons pregnancy it just requires a few extra blood tests and growth scans and they only worry if the antibody level is above 32

just to add the smallest dosage of the injection 250ui stays in your system for 4 to 6 weeks hun the bigger the dosage the longer it stays in your system

 

[JessyG]

thank you! my midwife did say if they say no further testing required its fine cause the blood transfusion dept look at what anti d shots you have had so they will have known i already had the big dose less than a week previous.

 

[JessyG]

sorry another question. what does it mean when they say <2ml of foetal cells found. does that not mean that babies blood has mixed with mine at some stage. sorry i am a little clueless about all of this.

 

[Wriggley]

sorry another question. what does it mean when they say <2ml of foetal cells found. does that not mean that babies blood has mixed with mine at some stage. sorry i am a little clueless about all of this.

i am assuming it says that on the blood test results you got back after the bleed?

after you had the bleed did they do a blood test and then ask you to come back in to get another dosage of anti D shot?

with me when ive had a bleed they call me in to monitor me and check cervix is closed. they then do a blood test to see how many feotal cells are present in my blood - if none found they give me a standard dosage of anti-D jab. If they were to find feotal cells they would have given me a higher dosage depending on how many feotal cells they found. luckily for me each time they have not found any fetal cells so i have only had to have standard dosage. ive had the jab 4 times - one routine at 28 weeks and one at 19 weeks for a bleed one at 22 weeks when i fell down the stairs :/ and one at 34 weeks when i had a little bleed again.

This PREVENTS building up of antibodies did you get a shot after the bleed? if so what was the dosage?

if there were fetal cells in your blood it dont mean you got antibodies hun it means that some of babies blood transfereed to your blood when you had the bleed and the anti-D shot you got after the bleed would stop the antibodies building up.

also the time from when you had the bleed to the time they took the blood test would not be enough time for you to build up antibodies as there is a 72 hour incubation period which is the time frame you have got to get the anti-D shot

so if it was the blood test after the bleed that showed positive antibodies its not going to be a build up of antibodies from having a bleed its very very likely to be the original antiD shot you got a few days before

does that make sense?

 

[JessyG]

It does. the dosage they gave me was 500units. the weird thing is the bleed was literally one spot and it was tiny i could easily have missed it! which is why i was so surprised to read that any foetal cells were found. i think i will ask to have another test at my next app in two weeks to check the levels havent risen.

 

[Wriggley]

It does. the dosage they gave me was 500units. the weird thing is the bleed was literally one spot and it was tiny i could easily have missed it! which is why i was so surprised to read that any foetal cells were found. i think i will ask to have another test at my next app in two weeks to check the levels havent risen.

very strange as 500ui is standard dosage for your gestation i believe did they put the exact foetal cell count or just it was lower then 2? it could possibly be that there was none found and they have different tires i.e <2 means 0-2 if that makes sense?

 

[JessyG]

it just said lower than 2ml. i called triage again today as the woman i spoke to last time was useless. this time i was told that there is a tolerance level and if the cell count is lower than the tolerance then they will just give the standard dose and no further action is required. she said not to worry as the blood transfusion people dont take risks with things like this hence why they gave me the additonal shot even before mu results were back from the lab. still feel a bit unsure about it all but thats three midwives telling me its ok.

 

[Wriggley]

it just said lower than 2ml. i called triage again today as the woman i spoke to last time was useless. this time i was told that there is a tolerance level and if the cell count is lower than the tolerance then they will just give the standard dose and no further action is required. she said not to worry as the blood transfusion people dont take risks with things like this hence why they gave me the additonal shot even before mu results were back from the lab. still feel a bit unsure about it all but thats three midwives telling me its ok.

im sure its fine hun i know its worrying thou

 

[younglove]

The anti-D vaccine is synthetic (false) version of the antibodies that are injected to prevent you from developing true anti-D antibodies.

Typically the vaccine last for 12 weeks, so it is normal for women to have a false positive on an anti-D test for at least 12 weeks, if not longer. I received 300 units of the vaccine after my miscarriage and tested positive for over 6 months (rare but not unheard of). It was indeed a false positive and finally 7 months later I got a negative test.

It is far more likely that you received a false positive test. This means the vaccine is in your system and is doing it's job. You can have a follow-up test 3-6 months after you give birth to confirm. But I wouldn't worry. I did lots of research and the vaccine is very effective (especially if administered within 72 hours of any bleeding), and a false positive is the most likely outcome!

They will measure your levels just to be safe. A false positive will not exceed a titer level of 1:4, and will eventually decrease to 0.

My false positive titer levels were 1:2 at 3 months, 1:1 at 4 months, less than 1:1 at 5-6 month and finally negative after 6 months.

xox

 

[TMonster]

From my understanding there are always some fetal cells in maternal blood. That's how they do the new blood tests for Down's instead of the amnio. From what I read, up to 10% of our blood can have fetal cells.

 

[JessyG]

Thanks ladies. I am such a worrier and it took three midwives to convince me it was all ok!

 

[doyle]

Hi everyone, im rhesus neg and need some advice as i don't know if im over reacting or not? Me and OH had sex two nights ago and i woke up yesterday morning and when i wiped there was some blood but not very much at all just one wipes worth and dark red blood, not bright red, do you think i need to get the anti d jab? Im only 12 weeks 2 days so not due my first anti d injection until 28 weeks. I was told any bleeding or knock to tum to come in for jab but i feel so silly going to hosp when it was such a small amount. With it being sunday i can't just ring up docs or midwife so unsure what to do? x

 

[JessyG]

Definitely phone up and let them know. i had a few blees before 12 weeks due to a hematoma and they said they only give the anti d jab after 12 weeks as before hand the dose would be too small.

now you have reached 12 weeks i would assume they will give you s small dose just incase. but bare in mind you have to get it within 72 hours of the bleed to be effective.

good luck and let us know how you get on!

 

[younglove]

Doyle, you should get the injection just to be safe. the sooner the better, within 72 hrs.