# How long to wait to try again after a miscarriage if you're RH negative



## miren73 (Feb 15, 2007)

Hello,

I'm new here. I just miscarried last week at just about 8 weeks pregnant. I had a D&C done and the bleeding has stopped but obviously the sense of loss remains. What my question is that I'm RH negative and my husband positive and I've had the Rhogam vaccine like I did after the birth of my son two years ago, but I've been told by the hospital that I have to wait six months before trying again. Why? Well, they want to do a blood test in six months to see if the vaccine has worked. My question is, has anyone else who is RH- like me been told this? Is this the 'norm'? I really feel that six months is a long time to wait and would be willing to wait the usual three months as per everyone else.
Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Miren


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## ScarletBegonias (Aug 24, 2005)

i'm so sorry for your loss







i, too, have had 3 m/c. i have not had any exp with the rh factor, but i do know that the first 3 cycles after a m/c are usually VERY fertile. now, i'm not suggesting you go against your doc neccesarily







: , but just to do research and follow your body's lead. it will tell you when you are ready. i hope everything starts looking brighter for you soon! m/c are so hard and only time will heal the pain.

also depending on your body the first 3 cycles can take 6+ months to take place. you may not be regular again for a bit or you may start cycling right away. if your af was irregular before it may be awhile before af comes or your cycles may "magically" become rugular.


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## Baby Makes 4 (Feb 18, 2005)

I am miscarrying right now and am RH-. I will be having the RHIg in a couple of days, I sure hope we don't have to wait 6 months. I'll let you know what they tell me.


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## 68825 (Nov 29, 2006)

i miscarried in november, and had the rhogam shot. i was not told that i had to wait, and didn't find any information to support the need to wait.

if the rhogam didn't work, what would they do? you are supposed to have the shot within 72 hours of giving birth, or having a mc, so it would be pointless to give it again in 6 weeks.

very strange!

rain


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## taradt (Jun 10, 2003)

I am RH- and have never been told to wait. If the shot didn't take I don't think there is anything they can do about it

tara


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## miren73 (Feb 15, 2007)

Thank you all for your responses and I am sorry for your losses too. I'm convinced this six-month wait is unnecessary but in order to keep my dh happy, I'll try and get a professional opinion on it...a second professional opinion that is. Do keep in touch and let me know if you have any other experiences or opinions on this.

Miren


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## roslyn (Aug 23, 2006)

Another Rh- with + dh. Doctor just greenlighted us to try again and I lost my baby in December.


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## miren73 (Feb 15, 2007)

Rosyln,

Did your doctor make you have a test to ensure that the vaccine worked? Maybe, it's just here in Spain where this occurs.


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## Baby Makes 4 (Feb 18, 2005)

I am going to my midwive's backup OB today to get my shot and ask when we can start trying again. I will ask to be tested for antibodies before we TTC because I am afraid we waited too long to get the shot.

If I test positive for the antibodies we will not try again.


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## roslyn (Aug 23, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *miren73* 
Rosyln,

Did your doctor make you have a test to ensure that the vaccine worked? Maybe, it's just here in Spain where this occurs.

No, I haven't had any follow-up bloodwork at all. They took some blood that day, but that was mainly for the anesthesiologist because I had a D&C. But I haven't had any type of blood test since.


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## Baby Makes 4 (Feb 18, 2005)

I just got my shot an hour ago and got the standard "wait 3 months" from the OB. Nothing to do with the RH shot though. She did say that it circulates in my system for 3 months and that I should wait until after 3 months to be tested for sensitivity.


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## greenrosemom4 (Aug 28, 2006)

I'm RH- and DH is positive. After both of my m/c I was never told to wait 6 months. DS was concieved 1 month after my D&C and he is perfectly fine. I remember antibodies showed up in my blood at a 8 weeks or so, but it was determined that they were from the shot itself. Another test 4 weeks later was fine.

HTH, Terri


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## miren73 (Feb 15, 2007)

Hello,

Just an update. It's been seven weeks since my D&C and I decided that I was not going to wait six months before trying again as I had been told to by the hospital. Anyway, I went to my midwife and asked her about why I had to wait six months. She said, and I am very skeptical about this, that there is a risk the RHogam vaccine would make a pregnancy prior to six months 'risky'. I replied, I thought it was the supposed 'antibodies' that I may have picked up due to the m/c that would have made this risky. I'm very confused. Anyway, I told her that I didn't think I was going to wait six months and when pushed she said that the six months was 'precautionary'. I don't know. I don't want to wait six, but am willing to wait three which is about the time the antibodies from the vaccine will stay in my system. Any advice?
Also, when they did the D&C, they analyzed the 'tissue' and came to the conclusion that it was 'Arias-Stella'..anyone know what this is. I have looked it up on the internet and have found that it seems to be a cellular deformity of some type. Anyone know any more about this.
Hope all of you are doing okay.

Miren


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## liseux (Jul 3, 2004)

"I am RH- and have never been told to wait. If the shot didn't take I don't think there is anything they can do about it."--taradt

True! If the shot didn't work, there is nothing anyone can do about it, you would be considered high risk but that doesn't mean the baby would necessarily be affected.

I am unfortunately the rh queen, I have had 2 rh sensitized pregnancies. I lost my second baby to a birth injury, he lived for 7 weeks. I'm rh neg and I had a massive bleed so I got rhogam but it didn't work. I was also never told to wait, and less than 5 months later I was pregnant with #3. My antibodies were discovered right away but I had a low titer that then jumped up at 28 weeks. I then had to switch to high risk dr's and baby boy was born fine, he had a little anemia which cleared up after doing some phototherapy. My second sensitized pg was 3 years later & amazingly, my titers dropped and stayed down the whole time. My 4th boy was born with absolutely no anemia and went home with me.

A couple of things; rh is still very mysterious to many doctors, even perinatalogists don't have all the answers. It is barely taught to nurses, only a few pages in a textbook on it, and very few people are sensitized. Chances are, you are definitely not sensitized and there is no need to wait. If you were sensitized, it could be helpful to wait to give your immune system time to relax, but nobody knows if this will help or not. They predicted that my 2nd rh pregnancy would be worse than the first, the dr thought my son would get anemic 3 weeks earler than my first rh baby, so he thought for sure I would have a 34 weeker. When I went to term, he admitted they don't know too much about why sometimes the antibodies just don't always "see" the baby.

I didn't mean to write a book, the bottom line is sensitized pregnancies are not a nightmare anymore thanks to new technologies (non-invasive) and you still have a very low chance of being sentized. Good luck to you!


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## miren73 (Feb 15, 2007)

Thanks for that Liseux and I am so grateful you took the time to write such a long response.
I am really annoyed that the midwife said to wait so long and what made me more confused was that she said that the RHogam shot would in itself cause problems if I got pregnant within that time frame.
What I forgot to mention was that she did consult with the gynecologist and she said 'What's the problem with that woman'..then said 'She can do whatever she likes'. Luckily, I wasn't in the room with her when she said that. My gynecologist is extremely curt and insensitive at the best of times.
Your experience has just reinforced my opinion on trying after three months. However, I've got to convince my dh before that can happen.

Miren


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## whateverdidiwants (Jan 2, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *taradt* 
I am RH- and have never been told to wait. If the shot didn't take I don't think there is anything they can do about it


I've had 5 losses and was never told to wait before ttc again (because of being Rh- ).


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## EENS (Jul 8, 2005)

I just had a m/c 3 weeks ago. I am rh- with a + dh. The doctor really didn't say anything regarding the shot. In fact he didn't say anything at all. It happened naturally. Should I look in to this shot? Is it necessary? I was planning on possibly forgoing it at 27 weeks had this pregnancy been viable, but I was first going to read up on it. I know the standard rhogam has mercury in it so Iwas at least going to ask for the mercury free shot.

What to do? What to do?


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## Baby Makes 4 (Feb 18, 2005)

If you miscarried 3 weeks ago then it is too late for the shot. It has to be taken within 72 hours of possible exposure to RH+ blood.

If you miscarried early (before 8-10 weeks) then I know the risk of exposure is tiny because the baby wouldn't have developed far enough to develop its own blood type.

I get the shot anyway just in case but the OB said the odds on me being sensitized during a 6 week miscarriage were less then 2%.


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## melanie_rabbitbarn (Mar 28, 2007)

Hello,

I had a miscarriage 3 months ago and am Rh- and my husband is Rh+. I miscarried at 11½ weeks and got Rhogam. The Dr. I went to told me to wait three months to get pregnant because 1) I would need to heal emotionally, 2) I would need to heal physically, and 3) HE needed me to have several normal cycles so HE would know when the baby was due. (He was not my Dr.--I miscarried 400+ miles from my midwife). My midwife said 1) when I was emotionally ready was up to me and hubby, not Dr., 2) didn't know of any reason why I should wait for physical healing (I didn't have a D&C--that could change recommendations for waiting), and 3) since I use Natural Family Planning, I don't need a LMP for the _DR.'s_ comfort in dating my new pregnancy.
I didn't want to wait, so we didn't. However, even though my cycles have been perfectly regular, I have not been as fertile yet and three months later am still not pregnant. It is excruciating to deal with PMS, sadness over not being pregnant again, and grief over the loss of Elisha all at the same time. Don't know that it would be better if we didn't try, though. I looked for research. It's hard to find. One study suggested that women who get pregnant sooner heal faster, and I think that's because the monthly period just re-opens the wound of the miscarriage and pours salt in it.

Anyway, I never saw or heard any comments on my Rhogam shot that I should wait six months--not from research, the Dr., or my midwife. What I've found is varying opinions on waiting. Some say don't need to wait at all, I think Brit. Drs. say wait one cycle, some Drs. say wait 3, and others 6.
(Is the hospital's "six months" because of the Rhogam or the D&C? My midwife suggested that a D&C can thin the lining of the uterus and you might need to wait longer to become pregnant again.)

Miren73--if your GYN insists on 6 months (likely her opinion, not established research since no one else and none of my research ever suggested this), and if she is "extremely curt and insensitive at the best of times," you need to find a different Dr. if at all possible. This does not make for a trusting relationship that I feel is vital for a healthy pregnancy and a good birth. She will just make all your prenatal visits and your birth stressful for you if she shows you no compassion. Just my opinion.

I feel for all you who have lost little ones. It is comforting to know we are not alone.

Melanie


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## mwright (Nov 30, 2006)

This is a good thread for us RH- momma's! I am in the process of miscarrying a blighted ovum at 9weeks (sac measured almost 6weeks). So I was for sure comfortable passing on the Rhogam shot. But even when I knew that I had lost the baby, before the ultrasound, I had decided to pass on the Rhogam shot because there is such little risk of getting antibodies when you have an early miscarriage. I did the research. I was also planning on passing on the Rhogam shot during pregnancy and only getting it if baby came out positive. And that's the plan for the next one too! My daughter is Rh- so I didn't need a shot with her however I did get it while pregnant with her. I had not done my research yet.


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## Baby Makes 4 (Feb 18, 2005)

Another thing to remember is that the shot stays in your system for 3 months.

I miscarried in February at 6 weeks and just miscarried again at 6 weeks. Since I had the shot less then 3 months ago I don't have to get it again.


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## miren73 (Feb 15, 2007)

All your replies are really interesting. It really is reassuring that my hunch on ignoring medical advice in this case is right. I agree with you Melanie that enough research or any has been done for the medical powers that be to say that six months is the norm to wait for trying again after an RH- incompatible m/c (due to the hospital/medical opinion here, nothing to do with a D&C)
It makes me so frustrated that there is such a difference between opinion in the States and opinion here in Spain. I'm Irish and I know that some of my friends have not been told to wait six months either.
You're right Melanie about my GYN, she is the only one I've got here in the public system. Although she is a great GYN, her manner leaves a lot to be desired and I am thinking of definitely changing.
Well, we must soldier on. It is comforting to feel we're not alone.

Miren


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