Rh factor in pregnancy planning: reviews

Pregnancy is an unforgettable period in the life of every woman. For nine months she carries a long-awaited baby in her and experiences new, completely unusual feelings.

Unfortunately, at the present time a very small number of women can boast of an absolutely problem-free pregnancy. Constant visits of the obstetrician-gynecologist, often prescribed tests, weighing, taking any medications, as well as periodic screening studies - without any diagnosis, there are rare mummies.

What is the Rh factor

One of the important issues at the stage of preparation for conceiving and bearing a baby is the influence of Rh factor on the planning of pregnancy. Particular attention should be paid to this problem by those women who have different Rh factor with the father of the unborn child. The concept of "Rh factor" can often be heard both in the hospital and on TV. On whether it is positive or negative, it does not matter for our well-being. Rhesus factor does not affect our health, the work of all vital organs and systems. Of course, any modern person should know what his rhesus is, just like a blood group. It may be necessary in such unforeseen circumstances as an urgent operation or blood transfusion. But when you think about taking offspring, be sure to do the necessary tests, because to know the Rh factor when planning a child is vital. And this applies to both future parents.

Each person is the carrier of one of the Rh-factor species - either positive or negative. In medicine, the Rh factor is understood as the presence or absence of protein on the surface of erythrocytes (red blood cells that deliver oxygen to the tissues and organs).

Rhesus factor in the planning of pregnancy

Every woman who worries about the health of her future child should make the necessary research as early as possible in order to know the characteristics of her blood. From them depends largely on the course of pregnancy, the health of the baby and young mother.

The future mother and father may have different Rh factors. So, if they both have a positive, then the child will get the same. The same will happen if the parents have a negative Rhesus. Usually, there are no problems and complications when the Rh factor in the mother is "+" and the father has the opposite meaning. But in the event that a woman "was lucky" to be born with a negative rhesus, and his father is positive, there is a very high likelihood of occurrence of a rhesus conflict during childbearing. It poses a certain threat to the condition of the fetus.

Consequences of Rhesus Conflict During Pregnancy

The whole point of the problem lies in the fact that in the Rh-negative mother's body, when a fetus having the opposite factor is born in it, when the mother's and the child's blood contact, the active production of antibodies to the erythrocyte antigens of the Rh-positive fetus can begin. If you know your Rh factor in planning pregnancy, you should be prepared for this turn of events. The woman's organism perceives the red blood cells of the child as an alien object. Antibodies can under certain conditions penetrate in large quantities through the placenta and detrimentally affect the crumbs. The effects of antibodies on the fetus can be anemia, intoxication, as well as disruption of the formation and functioning of the most important body systems. This effect of Rh factor in planning pregnancy and bearing a child is commonly called hemolytic disease. In the overwhelming majority of cases, it develops almost immediately after the appearance of the baby and is very difficult to treat. Sometimes a newborn needs a complicated procedure, such as a blood transfusion.

The negative impact of Rh factor on child planning: how to prevent

If you deliberately and carefully approach such a sensitive issue as preparing for conception, many problems can be avoided or reduced to the probability of their occurrence to a minimum. A lot of women, just confronted with a situation where they could not bear the child and lost it at one time or another, learned how the Rh factor could be detrimental to the planning of pregnancy and throughout the nine months. The probability that you will be among such people is small, but still exists. If you believe the statistics, the owners of negative Rh are from 15 to 20% of the population of our planet. Therefore, when preparing to become a mother, be sure to find out your Rh factor when planning pregnancy. Reviews of women with this problem, successfully conceived and safely endured healthy babies, indicate that knowledge of their Rh status allowed avoiding most unpleasant complications and even miscarriage.

What if Rh is negative?

If you donate blood and find out your Rh factor in planning pregnancy, then you can be sure that the attending physician will do everything possible so that you can bear and give birth to a strong heir. If you find yourself carrying a Rh-negative blood, then you will definitely be placed on a special account in a women's consultation. In this case, constant and strict control is simply necessary. Therefore, you should not avoid the tests and studies that the doctor prescribes to you, because he worries about your well-being and your baby's well-being. Do not risk the child and go through all the procedures in a timely manner. You will often have to donate blood from the vein. Thus, doctors will be able to track whether there are antibodies to your child's antigen in your blood, and if they are, then whether their number is growing. Before reaching the gestation period at 32 weeks, this analysis should be done monthly, from 32 to 35 weeks - twice a month, and starting from 35 weeks until the very birth - every week.

Modern medical technologies allow you to closely monitor the fetal condition and observe the possible appearance and development of hemolytic disease. In extreme cases, if it is needed, even intrauterine blood transfusion is possible. The main purpose of this procedure will be to improve the child's well-being. Dangerous for him will be premature or too late childbirth. The optimal period is the period from 35 to 37 weeks.

Negative Rh in first and repeated pregnancies

It should be noted that the influence of Rh factor in planning a child during the first pregnancy is not strong and does not lead to the development of hemolytic disease. This is due to the fact that the mother's immune system first meets with hostile red blood cells and does not have time to form antibodies that would harm the baby. They are produced, but in very small quantities. This is why women with a negative Rh factor are prevented from interrupting the first pregnancy, as this can deprive her of the chance to endure a healthy child. In the case of repeated and following pregnancies, the prognosis is significantly worse. In maternal blood, antibodies are already present that penetrate the placenta and are capable of even killing the fetus.

Measures to be taken with Rh-conflict

In any case, if you found out during pregnancy that you and your husband have different Rh factors, you must carefully monitor your blood picture. The attending physician will examine all the factors affecting the situation and only then will appropriate adequate measures. Now the development of Rh-conflict is very often prevented by introducing a special vaccine. Immunoglobulin is administered immediately after the first birth or interrupted pregnancy and blocks antibodies.

Prognosis of development of pregnancy with a negative Rhesus factor

The first pregnancy in the vast majority of cases proceeds normally and ends safely. If immediately after the first birth, to introduce a special vaccine, then it will bind the maternal antibodies and make it possible to tolerate a second child without problems.