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I am Rh- .
During my first preg
(standard prenatal scare with CNMs), I was given a Rhogam shot (with no information about the possible dangers)-- and gave
birth to an Rh NEGATIVE boy... Intervention for nothing (as usual). When I was pregnant with my second (standard prenatal
scare with LMs), I was offered Rhogam during the preg, but declined. My second son is Rh+, and I was scared into getting a
Rhogam shot (again, without any information about it), because "my future babies might *DIE*!!!!". And I figured that at least
he wasn't in my belly anymore, so he wouldn't get a big exposure to it.
By the time I was pregnant with Dora, I had
learned quite a bit about Rhogam and Rh problems. That Rhogam can have side effects, including affecting the fetus if given
during pregnancy (my old puter died, or I would give more info and links), and that with a non-intervened with pregnancy and
birth, the causes of maternal and baby blood mixing are *zilch*. To get an Rh sensitivity going, the mother and baby's blood
have to come into contact for the Rh- mother to make antibodies to her Rh+ baby-- no contact, no problems.
We did
test Dora's cord blood after her birth, because I had a feeling that she was Rh- (she was), and I knew that at that point,
I might still have lingering doubts if I had an Rh+ baby and no Rhogam after the birth-- doubts placed there by one too many
scare tactics on the part of the medicos.
Beatrice-- mama to Max (6, CNM hospital birth), William (4, LM home waterbirth),
Dora (2, family UC), Wee One (in belly, arriving late-Winter, UC)
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