Jessi, I believe it's called a Rhogam Shot. Kimmi-nashville had to get this too.
I don't have any knowledge about it, but they do for sure.

yes our blood types are the ones that can only have O neg blood given to us but we can donate to everyone. it is called the RhoGam. i'm sure i misspelled it. but it is a shot that does have blood in it so it takes a while for the lab to get it together. i have to carry around the card and my DH has a copy of it too so in case we are rushed to the ER they will know that the shot has either been given or needs to be administered. this is something that every women needs to talk to their doc about cause not all docs will mention this. i didnt know about this til i was pregnant with my son and almost lost him at 6weeks. they ran a batter of tests and finally came back saying that with my blood type the father must have a diff blood type (i told him he was AB) and therefore our blood mixing was causing my body to build up a defense system. my bloodcell count was way above avg and found that after they gave me the shot my cell count went down and the light spotting stopped within a matter of 6hrs. i had to receive the shot at 28wks and again within 72hrs of giving birth. my son's blood type is AB+. so this is something that you need to look into for yourself also so that when you go talk to the doc about it you know exactly what he or she is saying. not having this shot can cause a spontaneous m/c and nothing will be wrong with the baby. it's sad cause 23% of women who have a spontaneous m/c could have prevented it by having the shot. have your blood type and the soon-to-be-father blood type tested together in a lab to see if they can coexist( it is a costly experiment that may not be covered under insurance but is considered part of the genetic testing category) together in a petri dish. but definitely have that dne. my last m/c i had placenta previa directly across my cervix and walking around made it seperate lost the baby at 13wks. the m/c before i was pregnant with the mirena IUD in lost it at 5wks.
I hope that this helps you and anyone else out there

victoria

Wow, this helps a lot!! I knew about my blood type being the "universal donor," but didn't even consider the fact that my blood type and my husband's wouldn't be compatible. The next time I see my OB, I will definitely discuss this with her. Thanks so much for your help!

Jessi,
As a veteran mom AND a woman with B- blood, I can speak first hand about Rh factor and the Rhogham shot. This is how it works, if you have an Rh- factor and your hubby has an Rh+ factor, there is a chance that your baby could have Rh+ blood. During your first PG, this is usually NOT a problem (usually), and your doc will see that you have a Rhogham shot some time around your 28th week, and then again after the baby is born. Here's why: if, for some reason, your blood and your baby's blood "mix" (which can happen during birth/C-sections/amnios/CVS) your body actually builds up antibodies AGAINST Rh+ blood, so the next time you get PG, if that baby has Rh+ blood, your body will fight off the PG like an infection/virus (just like Victoria said). Blood type is the FIRST thing they check when you get PG, so they will know right away and treat you accordingly. Since you already know your blood type, you are a step ahead of the game. Like I said, USUALLY there is nothing they can/will do for you during the first PG because your body doesn't build up the antibodies until/unless your blood mixes with baby's. However, if you have any type of bleeding or spotting or any procedure done (like an amnio or CVS) where your blood can cross with the baby's, then you will get the shot.

As I said, you already know your blood type, so you are ahead of the game. Since I am B-, my husband's blood type was also tested so that we knew for sure whether or not I would need the shot. With my first PG, I got the shot. With my second and third PGs, my docs knew my hubby's blood type (also B-) and felt that there was no need to give me the shot again. This time around, it sounds like they might give me a pass on the shot again. (Not all docs will do that, it depends on their policies.)

For further information (that may make more sense and be more detailed), Google "Rh factor and pregnancy" or something like that. Yes, it can cause tragic results IF IT IS NOT DETECTED AND "TREATED," but in today's society with our medical advancements, there is nothing to worry about. Victoria is right, though, let your docs know that you are Rh- and ask LOTS of questions!

(BTW, if you've been PG before, but just not carried to term, whether it be because of an abortion or m/c, you'll need the shot.)

well said Jennifer. well said. the Rh factor can be complicating to understand. one thing for sure is you get all your ducks lined in a row and know for yourself. hope that you have all the info you need. good luck

Jennifer is right. I am O neg as well and my husband is AB+ I did a lot of research on this subject. If it is your first pregnancy they will not give you the RhoGam shot until 28 weeks unless you have ANY bleeding or spotting during your pregnancy.

If you've ever had a m/c before and not gotten a shot afterward then you would need to tell your doc about it so that they can determine if you have built up antibodies against RH+ blood.

You guys are super, thanks so much! My husband does not know his blood type (which to me seems super silly, I've known mine for a long time, but maybe that's a precaution my mom took). I think we need to figure that out first and get him tested.

One other teensy question, you can have a m/c and not know it, right? Like if it's super early, and the PG just doesn't take? Would that still be a factor, or does it have to be a little further along??

it is still a factor Jessi. even when i had 1st m/c i still received the shot so complications would not arise later. the implantation was on the tip of my cervix (weird) my cycle started exactly 5wks and 6days into the PG. the 2nd m/c the placenta attached at the end of my cervix and the PG was lost at 13wks. i have received the shots during all 3 PG as a precaution from my Doc. you can have a m/c even when you dnt really know that you were carrying. some people pass it off as a really heavy period when they might have been just a few days late and figure that they are irregular. hope this is what you wanted to know. i can only tell from my experinces and what i have seen happen. i will be going to school next fall for Nurse Midwifery.

Jessi,
it's not really necessary to spend the bucks to get DH tested. If you are RH neg they are going to give you the RHoGam shot regardless of his blood type. And it is still very possible to conceive even if you have for some reason been sensitized, it can just lead to severe jaundice, anema and such like that. Now, the more you are sensitized with subsequient pregnancies the more severe the baby is going to be affected. And just being pregnant does not cause your blood to mix with the baby's. Blood is only mixed during spotting or bleeding, procedures such as Amnio, m/c, and sometimes delivery. That's why unless you have other concerns they don't give you the shot until 28 weeks in prep of delivery. Talk to your provider...they should have a lot of information to help you out with this

I am O negative also but did not discover this until I had a miscarriage in October. I have one child already but was never given the shot when I was pregnant with him. Looking back at my medical records from when I was PG with my son, they showed that I was O positive. After several blood tests when I was in the process of miscarrying with this last pregnancy. They discovered the hospital where I had my son mixed up my test results and I truly am O negative. I received the rhogam shot when I was bleeding during the miscarriage. My DH is B positive. But I will have to have the rhogam shot with any future pregnancies. Hopefully, that will be soon!!!!