Cathy Seapy

LivingWell, Medical, Parenting, Pregnancy

The Rh Factor and Pregnancy

Pregnancy is one of the most wonderful things a woman can experience. Caring for your baby begins as soon as you see your positive pregnancy test. One of the most important things you should be aware of during your pregnancy is the Rh factor.

Why is the Rh factor important?

While your Rh factor doesn’t affect your overall health, it’s important to be aware of your Rh type if you are pregnant.

What is the Rh factor?

The Rh factor is a protein that is found on red blood cells. You can either be Rh positive or Rh negative. If your blood cells have the protein on them, you are Rh positive. If they don’t, you are Rh negative.

While being Rh positive is more common than being negative, being Rh negative does not mean you are ill or there’s something wrong with your blood cells. However, it can affect your pregnancy. “Your pregnancy needs special care if you’re Rh negative and your baby is Rh positive. That’s called Rh incompatibility. A baby can inherit the Rh factor from either parent” (Mayo Clinic).

Taking a blood test can determine if you’re Rh negative or positive, and what that means for your pregnancy going forward. You should take a blood test shortly after you find out that you’re pregnant.

What happens if my baby and I have Rh incompatibility?

If you and your baby are Rh incompatible, this can cause complications if you and your baby’s blood mingle during your pregnancy. Your Rh negative blood will recognize that the baby’s Rh positive blood isn’t yours, and will create antibodies to destroy it. “These antibodies can cross the placenta and attack the fetus’ blood cells. This can lead to serious health problems, even death, for a fetus or newborn” (ACOG).

These antibodies are not a risk during your first pregnancy. However, problems can occur if you get pregnant again.

While Rh incompatibility is serious, it’s preventable by taking blood tests throughout the different terms of your pregnancy. “If you’re Rh negative, you might need to have another blood test — called an antibody screen — several times: during your first trimester, during week 28 of pregnancy and when your baby is born. Some people need the test more often” (Mayo Clinic).

How can my blood mix with my baby’s?

There are a few ways that your blood may come in contact with your baby’s, such as:

  • Miscarriage
  • Ectopic Pregnancy
  • Abortion
  • Birth
  • Bleeding during pregnancy
  • Trauma or injury to your midsection during pregnancy

While there are other ways your blood might mingle, these are the most common occurrences. However, not all of these guarantee that a blood mix will occur. They only increase the chances.

How is Rh incompatibility treated?

Rh incompatibility is treated by a shot called Rh immune globulin (or RhoGAM). This injection prevents your body from creating antibodies while you’re pregnant. If your blood somehow mixes with your baby’s, you may need a second injection as a precaution. If your baby is born Rh positive, you will need another immune globulin shot after birth since your blood mixes with your baby’s during delivery (Mayo Clinic).

Can the father cause Rh incompatibility?

Even if the father of the baby is Rh negative, this doesn’t increase your chances of incompatibility. The only time the risk is present is when the mother is Rh negative. As long as the mother is Rh positive, there won’t be any risk of Rh incompatibility.

How We Can Help

If you think you may be pregnant, we are here to support you with pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, and options consultations at no cost to you. Schedule an appointment with us today by clicking here, calling us at (530) 272-6800 or texting us at (530) 802-0858.

Sources and Links

Mayo Clinic Staff, Rh Factor Overview, Mayo Clinic, 2022

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/rh-factor/about/pac-20394960

ACOG Staff, The Rh Factor: How It Can Affect Your Pregnancy, ACOG, 2024

https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/the-rh-factor-how-it-can-affect-your-pregnancy#:~:text=How%20can%20Rh%20antibodies%20affect,the%20body%20can%20replace%20them

Eva Fisher

Nursing Director

The content on this page has been reviewed and approved by our Nursing Director.

LivingWell, Medical, Sexual Health, STIs

STI Avoidance

In today’s world, STIs are common. The CDC estimates that over 50% of people living in the U.S. alone will get an STI or STD at least once in their lifetime. Now, where does that leave you? It’s important to be aware of the top ways to avoid getting an STI as you make sexual decisions.

What Are STIs?

According to the CDC, a sexually transmitted infection, or an STI, is a “virus, bacteria, fungus, or parasite people can get through sexual contact”. This sexual contact includes vaginal, anal, and oral sex, along with mutual masturbation. Each category of contact puts you at risk.

There are currently over 30 known infections or viruses that can be spread through sexual contact. While some are more common and easily cured than others, the risks remain the same. “STIs can have important health consequences, including genital symptoms, pregnancy complications, infertility, enhanced HIV transmission, and psychosocial effects” (PAHO). It’s important to be aware of these risks in order to make safe and responsible decisions going forward.

There are three vital ways to avoid getting an STI and to reduce your exposure to them.

1) Getting tested regularly

Getting tested for STIs is an important step to take. Some STIs, including more common ones like gonorrhea and chlamydia, can be asymptomatic, meaning there are no obvious or visible symptoms for you to notice. Even using a condom doesn’t guarantee 100% safety from a STI. Both you and your partner should be tested and open with each other about your results before having sex.

2) Being in a monogamous relationship

Having multiple sex partners increases your chances of getting a STI. If you stay committed to and only have sex with one person, you are way less at risk for an STI. This is because less bacteria or viruses have the chance to be spread. While this does not lower the risk of an STI to zero, it certainly helps bring the number down.

3) Avoiding any sexual contact

Abstaining from any kind of sexual intimacy is “the only way to completely avoid STIs” (CDC). Not having sex is the singular way to never be at risk for any kind of sexual transmitted viruses or bacteria. While this may seem a difficult route to take, it’s the only route that’s guaranteed to be 100% effective.

How We Can Help

If you think you’ve been exposed to a STI or would like more medically accurate information, we are here to help you. We offer STI/STD testing, education, and private consultations at no cost to you. Schedule an appointment with us by clicking here, calling us at (530)-272-6800 or texting us at (530)-802-0858.

Sources and Links

How to Prevent STIs, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024

https://www.cdc.gov/sti/prevention/index.html

Sexually Transmitted Infections, Pan American Health Organization, 2023

https://www.paho.org/en/topics/sexually-transmitted-infections#:~:text=There%20are%20more%20than%2030,syphilis%20and%2For%20trichomoniasis).

Eva Fisher

Nursing Director

The content on this page has been reviewed and approved by our Nursing Director.

LivingWell, Parenting, Relationships

Understanding Adoption

From the outside, choosing adoption for your pregnancy may seem intimidating. It may feel like a long process that will require a lot of energy and time. However, creating an adoption plan is not nearly as frightening as it may seem. Once you learn the basics from this blog, it may help you feel less overwhelmed moving forward. There will be people to help guide and support you every step of the way.

The Three Kinds of Adoption

There are three different types of adoption for you to choose from. Each has a different level of involvement after birth. They are:

  • Open Adoption
  • Semi-Open Adoption
  • Closed Adoption

Open adoption is when the birth mother has open communication with the adoptive parents. She has their contact information and is welcome to reach out anytime. Open adoption commonly includes texts, video and phone calls, and in-person visits. With open adoption, the child grows up recognizing their birth mother.

Semi-open adoption is when the birth mother has contact with the adoptive parents so they can send her pictures and videos as the child grows. The birth mother feels connected to her child while also keeping a distance. In the majority of semi-open adoption plans, there are no in person visits or phone calls.

Last, closed adoption is when the birth mother has zero contact with the adoptive parents. They meet after the birth of the baby and never again. The adoptive family raises the child with no communication to or from the birth mother.

It’s up to you to decide which type of adoption works best for you.

The Adoption Process

It’s important to be sure that adoption is the right choice for you. There are five basic steps to the adoption process.

  • Decide. It’s important to be sure that adoption is the right choice for you.
  • Find an adoption agency and make an adoption plan. The agency you choose will help guide you through what you want your adoption process to look like. They will enforce whichever type of adoption that you choose.
  • Find an adoptive family for your baby. This choice is completely up to you. Your adoption agency will give you profiles on different families that are looking to adopt. These portfolios include information on the families’:
    • Living situation
    • Hobbies
    • Parenting ideas and philosophies
    • Values
    • Religious beliefs
    • There is no pressure when choosing the family that you want your child to be a part of. Your agency will provide you with as many portfolios as needed until you find the one that you love.
  • Get to know your adoptive family. This step is entirely optional to you. If you choose a more open adoption approach, you have the option to meet and get to know the adoptive family that your child will be a part of.
  • Complete paperwork after birth. After the birth of your baby, and once you’ve had time to recover, your agency will walk you through all of the legal paperwork needed for the adoption. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and understand exactly what you are signing!

Finding Support

Making decisions around an unplanned pregnancy can be hard. We understand that! It’s important to have people around you that love and support you. Having someone to talk to about your feelings can mean the world when making a decision about your pregnancy.

How We Can Help

If you need support, we are here for you. We care about you and how you are feeling. We offer pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, and options consultations at no cost to you. Schedule your safe and confidential appointment by clicking here, calling us at (530)-272-6800, or texting us at (530)-802-0858.

Sources and Links

FCCA. How to Put a Baby Up for Adoption in California. Family Connections. 2022.

https://www.fcadoptions.org/adoption-services/pregnant-and-considering-adoption/how-to-put-a-baby-up-for-adoption-in-california/#:~:text=If%20you%20have%20chosen%20adoption,does%20all%20the%20heavy%20lifting.

Adoption Network. How to Give My Baby Up for Adoption – 7 Steps. Adoption Network. 2021.

https://adoptionnetwork.com/birth-mothers/understanding-adoption/benefits-of-adoption/how-to-give-my-baby-up-for-adoption/#:~:text=If%20you%20have%20made%20the,to%20your%20needs%20and%20wants

Adoptions From The Heart. Giving Baby Up For Adoption Doesn’t Mean Losing Touch. Adoptions From The Heart. 2020.

https://afth.org/pregnant/adoption/

Cathy Seapy

CEO

The content on this page has been reviewed and approved by our CEO.