If you’re worried about getting the RhoGAM injection because it is made from donated plasma, keep in mind there's minimal to no risk of contracting diseases like HIV or hepatitis because the donated plasma is thoroughly screened and treated. If you’re worried about the potential side effects, talk to your doctor about any concerns. The side effects associated with the RhoGAM shot are rare and mild. Are there side effects or risks of the RhoGAM shot? You won’t, however, need a RhoGAM shot after a chemical pregnancy. The RhoGAM shot is a good preventative measure to take any time your baby’s’ blood comes into contact with yours, which can happen if you have a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. Do I need a RhoGAM shot after a miscarriage or chemical pregnancy? If you undergo chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis, or if you experience bleeding during pregnancy or any trauma where you could be exposed to fetal cells, your doctor may give you the RhoGAM shot at another point in your pregnancy. If your doctor determines that you may have Rh incompatibility, you’ll get a shot of RhoGAM when you’re between 26 and 28 weeks pregnant and then again within 72 hours after delivery to ensure that future pregnancies are as safe as the first. (If it’s determined that your baby is Rh negative too, you won’t need the shot.) When should I get the RhoGAM shot? Speaking of later pregnancies, if you’re Rh negative, it’s important to get the RhoGAM shot with each baby unless your provider says otherwise. It protects your baby’s red blood cells from attack if her blood comes into contact with yours during labor and delivery and helps prevent Rh-related complications from happening in later pregnancies. Getting a RhoGAM shot is the best way to prevent any possible complications from Rh incompatibility. If you test Rh negative and the baby’s father subsequently tests Rh positive, your doctor will recommend that you get the RhoGAM shot. If you test Rh positive, the shot isn't necessary. Do I need the RhoGAM shot during pregnancy? Like other shots, RhoGAM is injected into your arm or backside. In other words, it keeps you and your baby’s Rh incompatibility from causing any possible problems should your blood types mix at any point during your pregnancy or delivery. The shot contains antibodies (collected from plasma donors) that stop your immune system from reacting to your baby’s Rh positive blood cells. RhoGAM is the injection used to treat Rh incompatibility during pregnancy. The good news is that Rh incompatibility is easy to treat with a RhoGAM shot. That’s why your doctor will test your Rh factor early on in pregnancy. This can lead to potential complications (especially if you become pregnant with another Rh positive baby in the future) because your immune system will mount an attack against those Rh positive red blood cells. If your baby’s blood comes into contact with yours during pregnancy or delivery, your body can build antibodies against the Rh factor. Rh incompatibility happens when an expecting mom is Rh negative and her baby is Rh positive. Whether you’re Rh positive or negative doesn’t matter much, except when it comes to pregnancy. O+ blood, for instance, has the Rh factor, while O- blood does not. This symbol indicates whether or not the Rh factor is in your bloodstream. If you’ve ever gotten a blood test or given blood, you probably noticed the “+” or “–” at the end of your blood type. Negative Rh factor occurs in about 15 percent of white people, between 4 and 8 percent of Black people and 0.3 percent of Asian people. If you carry the protein, you’re Rh positive. Rh factor is a type of protein often found on the surface of red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body.

A negative blood type pregnant