The Rhogam shot is a vaccination given to all pregnant women with Rh negative blood. This article examines the theory and basis for this injection and whether or not the purported benefits of the shot are truly of value as promoted in prenatal examination rooms.
What is The Rh Factor?
It is common knowledge that every person has a blood type identified as either “O”, “A”, “B”, or “AB”. In addition to this primary blood type, a person’s blood is either Rh positive or Rh negative. This is known as the Rh factor.
The Rh factor refers to a protein that may or may not be found on the surface of an individual’s red blood cells. A person who has this protein present in her blood is Rh positive and a person who does not is Rh negative.
A person’s Rh factor is an inherited condition with Rh positive being the dominant gene.
Rh Factor and Pregnancy
When a woman who is Rh negative is pregnant, there is a slim chance of complications if the fetus she is carrying is Rh positive.
This small risk arises if there is any mixing of blood between the mother and the fetus. Under normal circumstances, this never occurs, but in the event of a car accident or trauma to the mother’s belly, some mixing of blood is possible. Mixing may also occur if there is a miscarriage, amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling (CVS), or birth interventions during the labor/birth process.
In the unlikely event mixing occurs, the Mother’s Rh negative blood would encounter the Rh protein from her Rh positive child’s blood and develop antibodies against it. This process is called “sensitization”.
No harm can come to the baby the first time mixing occurs. If any mixing of blood happens for the second time, however, some of these antibodies from the Mother’s blood could get into the bloodstream of the fetus and attack the red blood cells causing Rh Disease which puts the child at risk for stillbirth. Babies born with severe Rh Disease require intensive treatment to survive.
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Rh Factor and the RhoGam Shot
RhoGam is a vaccine like globulin shot that was developed in the late 1960s to keep a Rh negative woman from becoming sensitized to the Rh positive blood of her fetus in the unlikely event blood mixing occurs. Rhogam works very much like an immunization. It puts a small amount of Rh antibody into the mother’s blood to effectively fool it into thinking the foreign Rh protein has been eliminated.
The Rhogam shot does work, but only if the immunoglobulin is administered within 72 hours of the trauma that caused the blood mixing in the first place.
How to know during a 40 week gestation when/if any blood mixing occurred unless there is a direct event like a car wreck or a fall?
There isn’t any way to tell, which is why the completely arbitrary RhoGam shot at 28 weeks gestation (and again at 36 weeks with some doctors) makes no sense at all.
What also makes no sense is that doctors recommend that all Rh negative women get RhoGam during pregnancy even if the father is also Rh negative! There is absolutely no need for Rh negative women with Rh negative partners to ever get RhoGam as the baby will always also be Rh negative and the risk from Rh antibodies is zero!
RhoGam Shot Dangers
What doctors never seem to admit or even talk about is the very real risk of putting RhoGam Rh antibodies into the mother’s bloodstream during gestation. The Rh antibodies from the RhoGam shot hang around in the mother’s bloodstream for up to 12 weeks following the shot. As a result, if blood mixing occurs during that period of time (as in a car wreck or other trauma), it is possible for some of the Rhogam antibodies to find their way into the fetus’ bloodstream and attack them causing the very Rh Disease in the fetus that the shot is supposed to prevent!
There is also the possibility of side effects from the RhoGam shot. Swelling, inflammation, hives and even anaphylactic shock are not out of the question. More concerning is that the Rh antibodies have the potential to negatively affect the immune response of either the mother or baby to other foreign substances that enter the bloodstream.
As with any donated blood product, the RhoGam shot also carries with it the possibility of blood born disease. Each RhoGam shot contains the antibodies of several different donors pooled together which increases the liklihood of viruses slipping through undetected to the RhoGam recipient. It is virtually impossible to test and screen out all the various viruses that could be present in the donor blood!
RhoGam and Thimerosal
The most troubling aspect of Rhogam could very well be the ingredients. Like many vaccines, the RhoGam shot used to contain thimerosal, an organomercury compound known to produce neurological damage, but this was supposedly phased out by 2001.
Studies performed by Health Advocacy in the Public Interest (HAPI) in 2004 found that despite vaccine manufacturers’ claims that thimerosal was no longer being used, in fact this 50% mercury containing compound was still routinely included in the manufacturing process with the thimerosal being “filtered out” of the final product. The problem is that the filtering process doesn’t work very well; mercury binds to the antigenic proteins and as such, cannot be 100% removed.
All vaccine vials tested by HAPI that were labeled “mercury free” did, in fact, contain this neurotoxin. All the vials also contained aluminum which enhances the toxicity of the mercury causing rapid death of brain neurons.
Is the Rhogam shot now truly mercury or even aluminum free? Most likely not. Product insert labels turn out not to be all that reliable.
RhoGam During Pregnancy Is Ineffective
It used to be that Rhogam was only given after an Rh positive child was born (a newborn can easily be typed via cord blood), if there was some birth intervention that made blood mixing a strong possibility, or if an accident or trauma occurred during pregnancy.
However, it seems that the prenatal RhoGam shots have become routine and arbitrary for all Rh negative women regardless of their partner’s Rh status and despite any pre-birth trauma or birth intervention.
Why the change? It seems the most obvious reason is to pad the pockets of Ortho Clinical Diagnostics (owned by Johnson and Johnson) as there is no additional protection to fetuses from such measures.
Routine RhoGam during pregnancy to all Rh negative mothers is simply a Big Pharma ploy to increase profits, not to protect babies from Rh Disease.
What To Do if You are Pregnant and Rh Negative?
If you are pregnant and Rh negative, the first question to consider is whether or not the father of your child is also Rh negative. If he is, then there is absolutely no need for the RhoGam shot. Period. There is no risk to your baby whatsoever.
If a doctor tries to convince you otherwise, he/she is WRONG. In fact, getting a RhoGam shot during pregnancy when both you and your partner are Rh negative endangers the life and health of your child!
How? Because getting the RhoGam shot introduces Rh antibodies into your bloodstream which could get into your baby’s blood should a car wreck or other trauma occur. This could give your baby Rh Disease where it would be impossible otherwise without the shot.
If you are pregnant and Rh negative with a Rh positive partner, you should also decline a routine RhoGam shot during pregnancy for same exact reasons.
There is NO PROTECTION to the current baby you are carrying from the RhoGam shot while you are still pregnant. It is an arbitrary and useless shot during gestation UNLESS you are in a car wreck or have some other trauma happen to your belly.
The final question is whether or not you should have the RhoGam shot after the birth of your child. If you are Rh negative with an Rh negative father, the answer is once again a resounding “NO!”
If you are Rh negative with an Rh positive partner, RhoGam after birth might be called for if you were induced, had an epidural, C-section or other birth intervention which would have greatly increased the chances of blood mixing between yourself and your baby.
There is still a chance your baby is Rh negative even if your partner is Rh positive, so always have the baby’s cord blood typed after birth if you are considering Rhogam after an interventionist birth to determine if it is even of any potential value.
However, the likelihood that Rhogam still has neurotoxic preservatives such as thimerosal and/or aluminum despite labeling claims to the contrary make taking the shot under any circumstances a questionable decision.
If you had a natural birth with no induction or intervention of any kind where the placenta was permitted to detach naturally from the uterus, then RhoGam after birth is clearly unnecessary.
Natural Ways to Prevent Blood Mixing Between Mother and Fetus
Drinking Red Raspberry and Nettle Tea throughout pregnancy and especially during the last trimester helps to tone the uterus and keep it strong, reducing the chance of any blood mixing during birth.
In addition, ensuring that no flouridated water or nonorganic tea (which is high in flouride) are consumed during pregnancy is wise as flouride has been shown to interfere with collagen production. The placenta attaches firmly to the uterus via collagen fibers.
As always, a healthy pregnancy diet is extremely protective in preventing any blood mixing. My own Rh negative Mother (my Dad is Rh Positive) delivered 7 healthy, Rh positive children with no Rhogam shots by simply eating healthy and having natural births.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
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{ 46 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for sharing this. I wish I had known this years ago. I am Rh- and my hubby is Rh+. I had 2 miscarriages before our precious daughter was born (she is Rh+ like her daddy), and 2 more miscarriages since. Needless to say, I've had more than my fair share of RhoGam shots. At least the most recent one I knew to ask if it was thimeresol-free – that's a step in the right direction at least. Now, should we be blessed again someday, I can be even more well prepared. Thanks.
Very interesting article about the RhoGAM shot. I just wanted to point out a minor error:
"the only way a person can be Rh negative is if BOTH parents are also Rh negative. If either parent is Rh positive, any children will also be Rh positive."
This is not quite accurate. Rh inheritance is similar to eye color – the positive gene is dominant, so if both parents are Rh negative, all children will be negative, but an Rh positive parent can have the recessive negative gene, so if one or even both parents are Rh positive, their children can still be Rh negative.
That doesn't affect anything you said about the shot, of course.
Just to reiterate what Audry said:
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“the only way a person can be Rh negative is if BOTH parents are also Rh negative. If either parent is Rh positive, any children will also be Rh positive.”
This is not quite accurate. Rh inheritance is similar to eye color – the positive gene is dominant, so if both parents are Rh negative, all children will be negative, but an Rh positive parent can have the recessive negative gene, so if one or even both parents are Rh positive, their children can still be Rh negative.
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Audry is correct. I learned recently that both my parents are Rh+… I am Rh-. I teased them about being adopted, but the fact is there is no doubt I am biologically their child. Rh+ people are either ++ or +-. Rh- people are always –. As it turns out, my parents are both +-… so they are considered positive, yet they both gave me their – so I turned out to be Rh-.
Also, the 28-week shot makes sense for certain specific women who are at high risk of a placental abruption (which is my case). If I were to have a partial abruption and not realize it, my body would begin forming the antibodies completely without my knowledge… by the time I gave birth, it would be too late for Rhogam.
As for the argument that the antibodies could invade/attack the baby in the event of a trauma, that could only happen if the BABY began bleeding… the chances of the baby himself suffering so much trauma that he started bleeding, are MUCH slimmer than a bleed from the placenta. So, I’m weighing my risks and would prefer to have protection from a likely event rather than worry about an unlikely one.
I also wanted to reiterate the point these ladies have made. I am Rh-0, my husband is positive, but 4 of my 5 kids are Rh – (I haven’t tested the 5th). I have not been sensitized to date, even with 5 births and 2 miscarriages. I have always been adamant about about leaving the cord till it has quit functioning, and apparantly I have strong genes.
Interesting post. I have done tons of research on this as I am RH- and mostly came to the same conclusions and findings as you. The only thing I disagree with is when you said "the only way a person can be Rh negative is if both parents are also Rh negative." My mom is Rh- and my dad is not. I am Rh- even though both of my parents are not. My husband is Rh+ and I am Rh-. Our first son was Rh+ and I ended up with an "emergency" c-section with him and had the shot after he was born and his blood was tested (not during pregnacny though). Our second son was a VBAC and I again refused the shot during pregnancy and he was Rh- (so I did not have the shot) even though we both are not Rh-.
Audry, thank you for the clarification. By the way, when I was researching for this article, I came across some information that a person who is Rh negative can apparently become Rh positive using diet and herbs alone. I thought about using this in the post, but thought it would be too confusing to go into the genetics too deeply and cloud the overall message about the Rhogam shot and its dangers.
Hi Sarah! Thank you so much for this info. I was reading another person’s blog, who had this article as a link from hers. I have 8 children & have had 2 miscarriages. I don’t even like to think how many rhogam shots! My question to you is, would you mind sharing the link to the info about being able to change from negative to positive they diet & herbs? I would be so grateful to see this. Thanks again, Jessica
Hi Jessica, I know of no way to change from negative to positive. I do not cover this in my article.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist\’s last post: Lacto-Fermented Thousand Island Dressing- Probiotics on Your Salad!
Hi Beth, thank you for making that point! You are right, that wording should be fixed that so it does not detract from the main message of the post which is about the RhoGam shot dangers.
What a great post, thank you!
I only wish this had been up when I was pregnant with my first. I had a funny feeling about that RhoGam shot but didn't know enough to refuse it.
Hi Sarah, I am Rh- and both my parents were Rh+. My then husband was Rh+, and after my first son was born more than 36 years ago, I received a shot of RhoGam due to his being Rh+. My second son is Rh- so no shot after him. Did they use the thimerosal in shots way back then?
Hi Sarah.
Just a comment from personal experience here, but I don't want to cause any controversy. When I was pregnant with my first son, knowing I am Rh-, I received a Rhogam shot in my second trimester, per routine. In-utero afterwards, my son was extremely active – to the point that I could not even sit down without extreme pain in my ribs. He was born a very irritable baby with many different issues we had to deal with. Eventually he was diagnosed with high-functioning autism at 3-4 years of age. I always thought it was just one of those things, but now, after much education, I do believe it was the Rhogam shot that hurt him in-utero, and caused his diagnosis. The story does have a happy ending though, as he is now a regular functioning guy who is one of the blessings and delights of our lives. That is another story in itself . . . .
Lori
Great post, once again. My basic rule is this – just say no to vaccines, every vaccine, no matter what lies are being told to promote them. It is all about money.
It is fascinating that Mercury appears to still be in every vaccination, even the the "thimerisol free" ones. This ecplains why Autism has not been reduced by the supposed elimination of thimerisol, because thimerisol is still in the vaccines!
And the despicable, greedy medical profession and mainstream media claim that the lack of improvement in Autism rates "proves" that mercury in vaccines are safe!
Sarah, this blog post is invaluable. Thank you so much for spreading the truth.
Hi Joan, yes – thimerosal was in the original RhoGam and was supposedly removed in all batches by 2001 but this is disputable based on testing.
Stanley – thanks for the comments. Yes, I think the fact that there hasn't been a decline in autism despite the supposed removal of thimerosal may have been a calculated move by Big Pharma. If the rates started to drop precipitously, then the dispute about thimerosal causing autism would have been an open and shut case. This way, by saying the vaccines are mercury free when they really aren't covers them legally and still gives them the ammo to say that vaccines never were one of the primary causes of autism.
Lori, very interesting .. during my research for this article I came upon some data that showed that autistic children many more times than not born to Rh negative women who would have gotten the mercury laced RhoGam shots. I'll see if I can dig up that link again.
Sarh – I agree. That is exaxctly what they are saying. I read an article by a Pediatrician who claims that parents who oppose vaccines have "vaccinephobia". In other words, anyone who opposes vaccination is mentally ill. Her proof? No decrease in autism when all thimerosal was removed from vaccines. Of course her argument fails when you realize that the thimerosal was never removed.
She ignored the situation in China, where there was no autism at all, none, until a few years ago, when Big Pharma vaccines were introduced. Now there are over two and one half million autistc children in China, and the rate is growing.The China situation is direct evidence that vaccines cause autism.
Oh, I should mention that this same Pediatrician is a paid consultant for several Big Pharma vaccine companies.
I am so happy you posted this information! I am Rh- and my husband is Rh+. I've had 7 pregnancies/babies and 3 out of the 7 are Rh-. So, that makes 10 RhoGam shots in 13 years. Can you say TOXIC?? I try so hard to stay healthy and I really feel this has been holding me back. During my last pregnancy, I tried debating the doctor about not getting the shot at 28 weeks but I didn't really know how to debate it and she scared me into getting it AGAIN. Thank God none of my children have autism or ADHD or anything like that. Next time I'll know better! Thank you!!
I also wonder with this too – (even outside of all the toxin issues) – if mom has rh-antibodies floating around because of the shot, could she also pass those to her baby and cause auto-immune issues for him?
Thanks for a helpful article. Vaccines are a great theory, but there are too many unknowns, too little research, and too much money being made off of ignorance.
Hi Jen, yes – I believe your theory is very plausible. I refer to this very thing in the article under the "RhoGam Dangers" section.
Hi. Thanks for stopping by my site and commenting! Have a great weekend!
Oh, Sarah…I WISH I had known this two and a half years ago! I'm RH- and when told about the RhoGam shot while pregnant with my first, I felt very uncomfortable with it. Being SO new to all of this, (and not having any friends already on this journey) though, I felt like I didn't even have a choice. Then with our second, it was the same thing. What the docs shared, scared me! I honestly didn't feel like I had any choice, and it seemed like a life or death issue for the baby! We even came back to the States from a missions trip we were doing a month early because we were told how serious the shot was. Serious is right, just not the same direction they were leading us!
I'm so glad I know now! Thank you so much for sharing this post!
Quick question, though … now that I've had the RhoGam shot with both pregnancies, is it okay to not get it if we have a third?
Erika, You are not alone being scared into the shot! Seems to be a recurring theme with vaccinations!!
Erika, the choice is always yours of course but if it were me, I wouldn't let that needle near me knowing what I know after researching for this article.
"In addition, ensuring that no flouridated water or nonorganic tea (which is high in flouride) are consumed during pregnancy is wise as flouride has been shown to interfere with collagen production. The placenta attaches firmly to the uterus via collagen fibers."
Oh.
The surprise to me is not that the collagen keeps things attached – I know more about collagen than the average person thanks to a genetic collagen defect. It's the bit about fluoride interfering with collagen production that I find interesting.
While my collagen is already defective, no doubt fluoride can make it even worse. This is clearly something I need to research in much more detail.
Thank you for mentioning it.
This is awesome! I'm Rh- and my babies are both +. Our blood didn't mix. We checked titers after both births, and we're fine (I've never had the Rhogam). I checked for sensitivity before conceiving my second and will do so again when we TTC #3, because I'd monitor my baby a lot more if I was sensitized.
Our naturopath said that it's fairly common among homebirths for blood not to mix until after the 5th or so baby.
I’m curious about the titer testing. Was this for both you and the baby? And what is titer testing – does it test for antibodies? Could you explain more pls?
Hi, I’m curious about titer testing. Did you and the baby both get tested? What is titer testing – does it check for antibodies? Can you explain more please?
Thank you for this informative article! It's something I'll need to research further for my own pregnancy. I wish I could get tested BEFORE becoming pregnant so that I know whether it's even something I need to be concerned about or not. Not sure if they'll do that though. Something to look into!
If you go donate blood to the Red Cross they will then tell you your blood type and if it is negative or positive. For example A- (neg) blood is Rh negative, A+ blood is Rh positive etc.
Sarah,
Thank you for writing this article! As a midwifery student, I studied this topic in-depth, including reading an enlightening book by Sara Wickham called “Anti-D in Midwifery: Panacea or Paradox?” that discusses what we do—and much more importantly what we DO NOT know about RhoGAM and how it affects the mother’s and the baby’s immune systems, etc. I think she makes an excellent case that further research would be needed before the medical community can say that it is “proven, safe, and effective”. I believe it is very important for care providers to give mothers all the good and bad information about RhoGAM, and let them make their own informed choice about what is best for them and their baby—not making the decision for them, and only giving them the information that would make them think they “have to” take the RhoGAM shot.
Because our family is very naturally-minded, and is wary of unnecessary medical intervention, I am inclined to be very skeptical of things like RhoGAM that claim to be routinely necessary to “fix” something inherently wrong with women’s bodies. (I believe that God very much knew what he was doing when He designed the female body, and when He created the processes of conception, pregnancy, and birth!)
Would you mind posting the sources you found about changing blood types through diet and herbs? I’ve heard of that before, but never was able to find more information on it.
Thanks again!
Hi Brittany, thank you for the insightful comment. I do not know any details about changing blood type through diet. I did not write anything about that in this particular article .. am I misunderstanding your question somehow?
I meant to ask you for your sources that said that someone could change (or had changed? ) from RH- to RH+ through diet. Sorry about the confusion there!
My daughter who is AB Rh negative received the Rhogam injection at 28 weeks. She trusted the advice of her midwife. At that time, I knew nothing about Rhogam either. I trusted the midwife too. At 31 weeks my daughter suffered from a bad flu like illness. Prior to this her health was excellent, no complications, no problems. She recovered and went back to work. But at 32 1/2 weeks my daughter went into premature labour. Approximately eight hours and 45 minutes later, (my daughter had been in the hospital for a total of three hours) her doctor gave her a C section. Her 4 lb 9 oz baby girl, whose heart rate was regular and normal approximately 45 minutes before the C section had died from asphyxiation. My daughter’s amniotic fluid was off coloured and odd smelling. The placenta had also prematurely detached. My daughter’s white cell count was also higher than normal but the doctors did not pay close enough attention to that info. I have no way to prove that Rhogam played a vital part in this tragedy, but your statement, Sarah:
“More concerning is that the Rh antibodies have the potential to negatively affect the immune response of either the mother or baby to other foreign substances that enter the bloodstream” haunts me. My daughter had not received a flu shot or any other shot during her pregnancy except the Rhogam. She hasn’t read this article yet and doesn’t realize either that Rhogam may indeed have played a vital role in the death of her daughter. It is much too soon yet to tell her that it may have. I dread having to tell her, but she does want to have another baby….and soon. She is still grieving. Sarah, do you know of any other cases such as this?
Sarah, I also have another question: once a woman has a C section, is it necessary for her to have C sections for future children? My daughter wanted so much to have a natural birth with her first child; she has told me that she will try for a natural birth with her next child. I am horrified at the prospect of her losing another child if natural childbirth became a problem during her labour and she wasn’t able to deliver successfully. She is not pregnant yet. I also forgot to mention in my last blog….my daughter received a second Rhogam injection after she delivered her Rh+ daughter.
I had two natural births after my c-section.
I’m RH-. I refuse all prenatal Rhogam shots. This caused a few arguments with the OB during my first pregnancy. I switched to a CNM. Wound up with an emergency c-section. They tested baby’s cord blood, and he was RH+. I consented to the Rhogam shot.
My second and third pregnancies were very similar. I found a group of amazing homebirth midwives. They had no issues with me refusing the Rhogam while pregnant. I had two fantastic homebirths. Yes, homebirths after a c-section. The births went perfect. No complications, no worries. Both times, the midwife typed the baby’s blood. It was at the 24 hr checkup where she also did the PKU tests. Both babies were RH+, so both times I consented to Rhogam.
I’m okay with receiving Rhogam while not pregnant. I will not consent to it during pregnancy. I am also CMV-, and don’t want to chance getting infected with that, especially while pregnant.
I’m not sure if there’s a difference, but with all three shots, I received individually sealed shots. They were not out of a multi-dose vial. I know with regular vaccines, the multi-dose vial has/had extra preservatives. (Such as mercury.) I knew with individual doses, no extra preservaties.
Hi Sarah,
I am rh- and i do quite a bit of research on the subject as i was raised without shots and intend to keep with the tradition. I read here:
http://www.naturalbirthandbabycare.com/rhnegative.html
that it is possible for two rh- people to give birth to an rh+ baby so I thought I would pass that on.
Also I read on the same site that there is a new blood test that can tell you if your fetus is rh- or rh+ potentially telling you whether or not it is even necessary to consider the shot. It is called the RhD genotyping test and according to the company who puts it out it is covered by many insurances and is 98% correct.
Also I read somewhere, though I cant find it now, that rh- women have a 30% chance of having an autistic child while the rest of the population has 2% chance-very alarming, I can only imagine it has a strong relationship to the many shots rh- women are told to have in America. About 30% of the Basque people of Spain and France are rh- (the hghest in the world) and they are not necessarily known for having higher rates of autism so it could not possibly be solely related to the rh factor.
Best,
Alexandra
I was a bit confused when I clicked on the link that said “flouride has been shown to interfere with collagen production” as I was expecting to see a good resource with information backing this claim. The only thing I came across was the name of an obscure book by a Dr. John Yiamouyiannis. When I looked the name up, I found this: http://www.quackwatch.org/11Ind/yiamouyiannis.html
It seems like a very well-researched article.
I have to say that I’m rather disappointed by such a lack of citation on your part, because so far I’ve been really impressed by the information that I’ve found on your site.
Thank you so much for such a great article! I just was told by my ob that I would have to get the Rhogam shot by 28 weeks as I am RH neg. I am currently 24 weeks pregnant with my first child. I asked if my husband’s blood type could be tested and she told me it wouldn’t matter, she would give me the shot anyway. I INSISTED that my husbands blood be typed. Unfortunately, he is B pos. Hence, me additional research into this topic.
My blood has never been tested to see if I am building any antibodies and I have had not had any signs of bleeding or trauma, previous miscarriage etc. I have had an overall healthy pregnancy so far.
Right now I do not want to get the Rhogam shot until AFTER delivery if in fact its definitely necessary. I want to speak to another doctor who is more educated in this subject but don’t know where to go to find one. My research so far has led me to believe that a Perinatologist may be the best route but I’m not sure. Any suggestions from anyone would be MUCH apprecated!
From what I understand, mom and baby’s blood don’t have to mix a second time to cause problems. One blood mixing causes the mom to make antibodies, and those antibodies pass freely into her baby’s blood (just like our antibodies for diseases do). Generally this is only a problem for the second Rh+ child.
As to whether the tiny amount of antibodies from the Rhogam shot pass into the baby … I think they always do (antibodies, like I said, are transmitted to the baby constantly), and yet it’s such a tiny amount it doesn’t cause a problem. It will kill any Rh- blood it finds, but the baby is always creating more blood, while the Rhogam shot is slowly fading out. Whereas if the mom is making antibodies herself, these will pass into the baby during the whole pregnancy.
I have known two moms who were immunosensitized to their babies. It’s very serious. Throughout the pregnancy, their antibodies were destroying their babies’ blood. The babies had to receive in-utero blood transfusions (amazing that they can do this) and were born premature and very sick. It’s very easy to be immunosensitized during birth, especially in the hospital where cord traction is standard.
I have had the Rhogam shot twice, once at 28 weeks and once after the birth of my son. Next time I’ll probably just get it once, immediately after delivery, because there’s nothing magic about 28 weeks … if you have any trauma, you’ll still need another one.
It’s important for Rh- moms to know that they should get the shot whenever they have a miscarriage as well, or any bleeding during pregnancy. (A doctor can tell you whether you are bleeding from the cervix (your blood, which is safe) or whether that’s the baby’s blood and will require the shot.)
As far as the Basques go, they traditionally had a strong cultural bias against marrying outside their own ethnic group. Might that have been because of the Rh factor?
Is the author a Dr.? If not, she probobly should not be giving out medical advice.
So what if you needed an emergency c-section?
I wish I would have known this sooner! Wow! I have had Rhogam shot at 28 weeks and after birth with all 4 of my kids. With the last one i became very sick with a high fever for several days after. If I had it to do over with all I now know about vaccinations I wouldn’t have them!
Does anyone know why an epidural is one of the causes of blood mixing, the mechanics just don’t make sense to me… the needle is going in your back how does that reach the baby or the placenta?
Hi Sarah,
I had not heard this, but could it possibly be that because the epidural changes the pace of labor (generally slows it down) that this change from the natural course of labor is enough to cause an increase of blood mixing in some cases? Just a thought.
I was told that I was rh- when i was pregnant with my first child 8 years ago. When I went in for my rhogam shot this pregnancy…they didnt wait for my blood work results to come back before giving it to me. By the time I got back home they had called to tell me that my blood work came back with the results of me being rh+ now. Not sure how my blood changed…but I was wondering if my baby or myself are at any additional risks due to having the rhogam shot while being rh+
I have a question. I am Rh negative and had two children. I had a shot after my first child because he was positive. Hubby was positive also. I didn’t have shot after the second because that was the last child I wanted. … This was back in 1970 and 1974.
I have had lots of mysterious illnesses since, even after my second son was born, I had a high fever, was very ill, fatigued, nauseous, etc. The Drs. could never figure it out. Now I have all kinds of strange stuff, including some strange seizure like episodes, no one can diagnose it. Could it be the old first shot in 1970 affected my blood and maybe an ingredient in the shot caused some kind of hidden virus in me? It sounds crazy, but I thought I’d find out if any other ‘older women’ have experienced the same thing?
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