Can the rh disease kick in during a first pregnancy?

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Since the making of the video, new technology has made it easier to test the fetus’ blood type during pregnancy.

We always hear that you cannot have complications due to rh incompatibility during your first pregnancy. In order for you to have your antibodies attack your rh positive fetus, you need to have antibodies to begin with. And you cannot have any antibodies unless they were triggered during a first pregnancy with an rh positive child… right?

Wrong.

There are several reasons why you can have antibodies. And that is counting out miscarriages or having had an abortion previously. One possible reason:

You are rh negative and your mother is rh positive.

If your mother is rh positive, your and her blood could have mixed in the womb causing you to create the antibodies already. They take long enough to build to where it doesn’t affect the pregnancy. But it means that you will carry the antibodies whenever you yourself become pregnant.

The rule is not to assume anything and get an antibody screening done before you get pregnant.
That way all other possibilities are being taken care of such as if you may have had a transfusion and were not aware of it. That can be the case in cases of early adoptions for example where your original medical records are not available to you.
The exception is if you have an rh negative partner. But if you refuse the Anti-D shot because of that, make sure to have your partner or husband (baby’s father) tested again in the same hospital where you will be and are being treated. That way you make sure they make sure to get it right. There have been many blood type tests falsely typed. Get your partner’s/husband’s test results in writing. That way you have evidence what you base your decision on.

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4 Comments

  1. Ma December 1, 2018 Reply
    • Sarah December 8, 2018 Reply
  2. Justina Riley December 11, 2018 Reply
  3. Mawana Buller December 12, 2018 Reply

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