Clashing Blood
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I never really put much thought into my blood type until I was pregnant. I have A-negative type blood and my husband has O-positive type blood, but we didn’t know this was an issue until our doctor brought it up. Apparently a mom with a negative Rh factor having a baby with a dad who has a positive Rh factor can be a problem because the clashing Rh factors don’t get along. Luckily there is medicine for women like me, and I need the medicine with each pregnancy to keep everything in order. It was odd to need medicine for something that wasn’t even an issue before I got pregnant. Really, who ever pays attention to their Rh factor?
I can’t tell you how weird a feeling it was to think that my husband’s blood and my blood might have been duking it out while my baby was forming. Of all the things a pregnant woman has to worry about - and we all know those are many - I didn’t think that my blood type would ever be an issue. On the one hand I was really glad that this was something easily fixed with a shot, but on the other hand it all seemed so bizarre. I can only imagine what couples feel like after genetic counseling if they’ve been told that they have higher likelihoods of potential problems. If I were in that position I would feel like my body was rebelling against me.
The Rh difference with my husband and I resulted in nothing more than a couple of shots of medicine and a few concerned musings on my part. I’m glad to live in a time when a potential problem is headed off at the pass with preventative medicine instead of turning into a life-threatening situation for my baby. I’m also glad my daughter inherited her dad’s positive Rh factor, so this will be one less thing she’ll need to worry about someday when she decides to have a baby…you know, after she’s gotten her PhD and all that jazz.
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