My blood type is A-negative, but so is DH's. There is no chance baby belongs to anyone else but us. The OB is still recommending Rhogam but I am leaning towards declining it. He cites the possibility of lab error, but I would rather have DH and I have our blood retested if that's what it took to avoid Rhogam.
However, I understand that there is a very, very small chance that one of us could have a very small amount of Rh factor that was passed on to baby and have a Rh+ baby. https://genetics.thetech.org/ask/ask114
Has anyone been in a similar situation of whether to accept or decline, even when blood types indicate that everyone involved should be Rhesus negative? What did you decide?
Re: declining Rhogam?
One thing, if you do end up getting Rhogram, make absolutely sure you mention it to a nurse soon after you give birth so that they can give you another dose. I found that nobody would have said anything had I not asked. Turned out that my daughter was O-, so I didn't need the last shot, but I wish they would tell you stuff like that without needing to ask 10x
Since I'm like the pp. I am neg and DH is positive and this is our first baby. I absolutely got the shot.
We hope to have another baby after this one. But yes, we are both Rh negative. If DH was Rh+ I would have the shot without question. But as both of us are Rh-, I'm struggling to find the reason.
This is a great thought, and I'm going to ask my OB about the test. Confirmation of baby's Rh- status would make me feel better for declining a likely unneeded drug treatment during pregnancy. I don't know if the test is available here, but I think I'll ask.
I am negative and so is DH. My OB recommended Rhogam because "they don't trust that people always know who the father is," which I thought was a ridiculous reason. DH and I have only ever been with each other, so there was no question.
I declined, and it did come up a couple more times (we moved halfway through the pregnancy, so I switched to a different OB) but it's not like they forced me or anything. If DH was positive I would've had no issue getting the shot, but it was unnecessary for us. Hope that helps.
Do you know what the name of this test was? I didn't know that it was possible to find out the baby's blood type ahead of time, but that might be nice to know for future pregnancies.
They tested my babe's blood type after birth and so I got another dose then, but I'd already gotten one earlier (my partner is RH+).
If I were you, I would consider getting both of you retyped. My blood type was wrong when they typed me as a baby- somehow my mom's blood type ended up in my record. I found out when they typed me when I donated blood. They had me as A+ and I'm really O-, so it really did make a difference!
the test is fetal RHD genotyping by Sequenom.
i had it done.
There's no reason to get the shot. You're baby can't end up with any other blood type other than negative.
Back when my mom was having kids, she was asked the blood type of the father. When my mom responded "My husband is 0 negative" the nurse repeated, "We just need to know the FATHER."
I think they want you to have it incase you're not 100% honest. Some drs give it to any woman who has - blood. So if I was you and I knew 100% that the baby could only have - blood, I wouldn't get it.
I had my husband tested and he ended up being Rh+. I still declined the 28 week shot and am still debating getting the shot after birth. I will wait and have the baby typed after birth and decide at that point. My mom had 3 natural births and 2 of her children were Rh+ and she never had any shots either during or after. My understanding is that many countries only to the one after delivery if needed. If i am involved in an accident or some other trauma I may reconsider and get one at that time.
I can always get screened before any future children to make sure that I have not developed a sensitivity and at that point say one and done if I have.
If both of you are negative I would definitely decline. My OB specifically asked if I knew my husbands blood type. I guess he would have believed me unlike some of the other doctors I hear about.
https://thecontrarianmom.com/2009/06/24/rh-factor-the-truth-about-rh-factor-pregnancy/
That is not a fluke, it's basic genetics. Your parents were Rh but were carriers of the Rh gene, so they had a 25 chance of having a Rh child. However, two Rh parents are unlikely to have a Rh baby, since the Rh gene is dominant.
Thank you! I honestly had no idea that's how that worked, obviously!