Natural Birth and Baby Care.com

Do I Need Rhogam So I Can Get Pregnant Again?

I have a 19 month old daughter and when I was pregnant I found out I had type O negative blood. I was given Rhogam because my body was trying to reject the baby. I was wondering if I need to have the shot again before I can have another baby?

Answer:

Rhogam was created to help prevent an Rh- woman from becoming sensitized the the Rhesus factor, which is present in Rh+ blood. It's given to women who miscarry, sometimes during pregnancy, and after delivery of an Rh+ baby. It's also given after blood transfusions.

It does not stop a woman who is already sensitized to Rh+ blood from rejecting a baby of that blood type. If a woman is already sensitized a perinatologist can help her plan how to have healthy pregnancy.

Miscarriage or threatened miscarriage can be caused by Rh incompatibility issues - but that happens if you're already sensitized. Otherwise, many doctors just give Rhogam at standard times during pregnancy to try and prevent sensitization.

You can ask your doctor to give you a screening to see if you're already sensitized - if you are, ask for a referral to a perinatologist. But a Rhogam shot will not help you in that case. If you are not sensitized you can choose to have Rhogam during your pregnancy (generally around 28 weeks) in case your baby is Rh+ - this will make things safer for future babies. Usually the baby you become sensitized with is not effected - it's the babies that come after.

I hope I've made sense - Rhogam isn't given during a pregnancy to stop miscarriage or to stop the body from rejecting a baby. It is given after miscarriage and birth so that baby (the miscarried or delivered baby) will not sensitize mom. It's given during pregnancy (again, usually around 28 weeks and sometimes 36) to help prevent a mother from becoming sensitized.

So if you're having trouble with miscarriage, Rhogam is not going to help. But if you suspect blood type incompatibilities, a perinatologist may be a great source of information for you. Ask your doctor to screen you for Rh sensitization, then go from there.