Poll: Do you know your DC's blood type?

[EllasMum]

OK I haven't done a poll before, so I hope I do this right!

Today, my friend and I were discussing blood donation, and she mentioned that she did not know her own blood type, nor those of her children. I was quite surprised, as I was told, by a nurse, shortly after DD was born (we were still in the hospital). My friend said the nurse didn't tell her and it never occurred to her to ask. So, now I am curious... do you know your DC's blood type? No need to identify the blood type, I'm just curious if people know!

Thanks.

[justlearning]

I do now but only because DS needed blood transfusions when he was 1 1/2. I didn't know his type before that.

[LMPC]

Off hand, I do not....but I vaguely remember it being on some of the hospital paperwork. I am AB+ and the donor we used was O (if I remember correctly)...so I could take a pretty good guess as to what DD's blood type is most likely.

[WolfpackMom]

Not off the top of my head but its written somewhere. I didnt even know my own until I was pregnant and they checked...and now I can't remember it either. Geesh I should go look those things up!

[Dr C]

If mom is blood type O or Rh negative, they usually check the baby's blood type at the hospital to see if the baby is a set up for hyperbilirubinemia/jaundice (if the baby is A or B and the mom is O, or if the baby is Rh + and the mom is Rh -, the mom can make antibodies to the antigen in the baby's blood which can damage some of the baby's blood cells, leading to excess bilirubin which is a byproduct of broken down red blood cells). So if you (mom) are O or -, they check your baby, if you are A/B/AB and Rh + they don't routinely check the baby unless there's another reason to do so. So that's why some folks know and some don't.

I'm O neg, so both of my kids were tested at birth.

[kristenk]

I am AB+ and the donor we used was O (if I remember correctly)...so I could take a pretty good guess as to what DD's blood type is most likely.

I believe that type O can be given to any blood type.

[o_mom]

No - they were all typed in the hospital due two ABO incompatability (it's not standard here to do blood type), but I can't remember which one was which type. There are only two possiblities, though, so I could narrow it down. :) I do know my own and DH's from our donor cards.

[marit]

As a mom with RH sensitization, boy oh boy do I know my kids blood type :tongue5:

[fivi2]

No, but I don't know my own either. I am sure I read it somewhere in all the paperwork, but did not retain it.

[Clarity]

If mom is blood type O or Rh negative, they usually check the baby's blood type at the hospital to see if the baby is a set up for hyperbilirubinemia/jaundice (if the baby is A or B and the mom is O, or if the baby is Rh + and the mom is Rh -, the mom can make antibodies to the antigen in the baby's blood which can damage some of the baby's blood cells, leading to excess bilirubin which is a byproduct of broken down red blood cells). So if you (mom) are O or -, they check your baby, if you are A/B/AB and Rh + they don't routinely check the baby unless there's another reason to do so. So that's why some folks know and some don't.

I'm O neg, so both of my kids were tested at birth.

I'm O- and both my girls are O+. I guess your post explains why I know that. Thanks! I hadn't realized that myself but it does make sense.

[mommylamb]

I'm 90% sure he's B+.

[scrooks]

We are trying to figure it out. DH and I are both O+ so we think the kids can either be O- or O+. No one has ever provided us their info.

[egoldber]

Yes.

Younger DD was in the NICU and had lots of blood work and they typed her in case she needed a transfusion. Older DD had a DNA test done soon after birth and she was typed then as well.

[Corie]

I know my blood type and both of my children.

I do not know my husband's blood type.

[wendibird22]

I know mine but I do not know either of the girls'. I'm O+ so perhaps that's why it wouldn't have been an issue to know the girls'?

[LMPC]

I believe that type O can be given to any blood type.

Yep, it can...on the other hand, I could receive A, B, or O blood. I find it all so fascinating!!

[EllasMum]

If mom is blood type O or Rh negative, they usually check the baby's blood type at the hospital to see if the baby is a set up for hyperbilirubinemia/jaundice (if the baby is A or B and the mom is O, or if the baby is Rh + and the mom is Rh -, the mom can make antibodies to the antigen in the baby's blood which can damage some of the baby's blood cells, leading to excess bilirubin which is a byproduct of broken down red blood cells). So if you (mom) are O or -, they check your baby, if you are A/B/AB and Rh + they don't routinely check the baby unless there's another reason to do so. So that's why some folks know and some don't.

I'm O neg, so both of my kids were tested at birth.

I am O neg, and DD is B+. I did have the Rhogam shot the day after her birth. I guess I just assumed everyone was told their baby's blood type. Interesting that it is not routinely checked. Even if I had not been told, I guess I would have been curious. I'm kinda geeky like that. :jammin:

[ellies mom]

I'm Rh- so both girls were tested at birth. And yes both were Rh+ so more shots for me. Yay!

[MontrealMum]

Sort of...I guess it's in his file due to my being O, but I don't remember what it is. We're participating in a university study on Vitamin D levels in preschool-aged children in our area and will be getting a huge report on all those test soon, so I'd imagine it will be in there too.

[jenstring95]

I found out at my kids' births too. I guess it is because I am Rh-, although I guess I figured everybody gets typed. I do think it's kinda cool that all four people in my family have different blood types. I'm B-, DH is A+, DS is AB+ and DD is O+. Pretty geeky, huh?

[kijip]

No, we have not had any need to know at this point. No Rh factor, no blood products needed at birth. I only know mine because I donate blood.

[MommyAllison]

No, and DH can't remember his either (though I'd bet money that my MIL remembers DH's blood type!). Neither my parents nor I knew my blood type until I donated blood in high school.

[fauve01]

yep. Dh and I are both RH negative, and DD had jaundice at birth, so we found out right after she was born when she had to have all those blood draws!

[TwinFoxes]

Yes, both DDs needed transfusions for jaundice when they were in the NICU. DH donated. He and I have the same bloodtupe, and so do our girls.

[ShanaMama]

If mom is blood type O or Rh negative, they usually check the baby's blood type at the hospital to see if the baby is a set up for hyperbilirubinemia/jaundice (if the baby is A or B and the mom is O, or if the baby is Rh + and the mom is Rh -, the mom can make antibodies to the antigen in the baby's blood which can damage some of the baby's blood cells, leading to excess bilirubin which is a byproduct of broken down red blood cells). So if you (mom) are O or -, they check your baby, if you are A/B/AB and Rh + they don't routinely check the baby unless there's another reason to do so. So that's why some folks know and some don't.

I'm O neg, so both of my kids were tested at birth.

I don't recall either of my kids' blood type, although I might have known it at some point. Both my girls were yellow & one of the suggested reasons was AB/O incompatibility. I am O+ & DH doesn't know his blood type. (I was horrified to hear that but now I don't even remember if I ever knew my kids' blood type!) Both of my girls were sent for outpatient blood tests to check the billirubin levels, but neither needed more intervention than that. I don't recall them checking the blood type, just mentioning the possible reason. Apparently, future kids have a high likelihood of being yellow as well (despite us not knowing the precise reason).

[edurnemk]

Yes I do, they told us at the hospital when he was born that he's A+. I know mine, DH's, my parents' and my brothers.
Even though I've always known I'm O+ (my parents told me), my OB had me take a test to verify it when I got pregnant, he says sometimes moms get them mixed up and tell their kids they're one type, but it's actually another sibling that has that type.

[twowhat?]

Nope, we don't know our DC's blood type. They do not routinely type blood unless there is a specific reason to do so.

[Sillygirl]

I've got two little A+ boys!

[army_mom]

now you have me thinking I need to go check DD's records to see if it is listed! If they did type her when she was born, no one told me....DH and I are both O+. It seems odd to me that people don't know their blood types but then again not everyone wears tags that have that info stamped on it on a daily basis :rotflmao:

[MontrealMum]

I'm surprised that so many DHs don't know. I can see not remembering, but I'm surprised that many don't even have it in their files somewhere. When I got pregnant DH was required to go get tested so they would know beforehand about the potential for RH issues. Is that not standard everywhere?

[jgenie]

No and we just had their yearly bloodwork done and I forgot to ask if they could type them then. Maybe I'll remember to ask next year.

[ellies mom]

I'm surprised that so many DHs don't know. I can see not remembering, but I'm surprised that many don't even have it in their files somewhere. When I got pregnant DH was required to go get tested so they would know beforehand about the potential for RH issues. Is that not standard everywhere?

Neither of the practices I had children with automatically test the fathers. They just assume that the father is Rh+. Their reasoning is that the "claimed" father isn't always the "real" father so they prefer to be safe. Rh- mothers receive the Rhogam shot at 28 weeks or as needed and then they type the babies at birth and go from there. I can actually see their point.

[Tondi G]

Yeah I'm O- and my DH is O+. I believe both of my boys are O+. I have had more rhogam shots than I care to count with my miscarriages and pregnancies etc.

[MoJo]

We're all A+ here.

DH already knew his type, but I didn't learn it until they told us our first born was A+ and he announced that was the same as his. I didn't learn my own until I was pregnant with our second and asked. The doctors had already determined my blood type, but they just hadn't told me.

[JBaxter]

Im O+ but DH doesnt know his and I dont know the boys. Oddly I know my siblings Mom & Dad. Everyone is O+ but my Dad he was O- My sister was born with a odd blood disorder and they wanted to check everyone.

Logan just gave blood for the first time a few weeks ago so he will find out.

[klwa]

I'm B-. DS is O-, DD is O+, and DH is O+. As PP said, since I have - blood, my kids were typed at the hospital. My SIL's are all +, so no one checked their kids' blood. (My mom was a bit disturbed, but she was - blood as well, so she was told with all of us before leaving the hospital.)

[lowrioh]

If mom is blood type O or Rh negative, they usually check the baby's blood type at the hospital to see if the baby is a set up for hyperbilirubinemia/jaundice (if the baby is A or B and the mom is O, or if the baby is Rh + and the mom is Rh -, the mom can make antibodies to the antigen in the baby's blood which can damage some of the baby's blood cells, leading to excess bilirubin which is a byproduct of broken down red blood cells). So if you (mom) are O or -, they check your baby, if you are A/B/AB and Rh + they don't routinely check the baby unless there's another reason to do so. So that's why some folks know and some don't.

I'm O neg, so both of my kids were tested at birth.

:yeahthat:

Both my girls are A+ and I'm O- so I had to get the Rhogam shot and both girls were jaundice.

[lizzywednesday]

Yes, I am fairly sure I do (I was in recovery when they told me, so it's a little fuzzy) but only because she might have needed blood donation right away.

DH and I are not the same blood type; he isn't sure what his is, and I'm a blood donor. Neither of us is Rh-.

[marymoo86]

If mom is blood type O or Rh negative, they usually check the baby's blood type at the hospital to see if the baby is a set up for hyperbilirubinemia/jaundice (if the baby is A or B and the mom is O, or if the baby is Rh + and the mom is Rh -, the mom can make antibodies to the antigen in the baby's blood which can damage some of the baby's blood cells, leading to excess bilirubin which is a byproduct of broken down red blood cells). So if you (mom) are O or -, they check your baby, if you are A/B/AB and Rh + they don't routinely check the baby unless there's another reason to do so. So that's why some folks know and some don't.

I'm O neg, so both of my kids were tested at birth.

Must have been why they checked DD. I'm O+ and so is she. I never knew and asked when they were doing bloodwork during my pregnancy.

[veronica]

Yes, I remember them telling me when both DD and DS were born. All three of us are o+

[Moneypenny]

We are all A+. I'm not sure why I know this, but I do. I think the only reason I remember is because we are all the same.

[gatorsmom]

No, I never needed to. It's probably a good thing to know, though.

I know my own type because with my first pregnancy, my OBGYN told it to me and said I should remember it.

[BabbyO]

I've known mine for quite some time...but both my parents have the same blood type so it was pretty easy to figure out.

I can't remember what I needed to know DS' for (or maybe it was just so I could make up emergency info sheets for the sitter and parents when we were overseas). Anyway I was surprised to find out that it took a bit of digging and several phone calls and I think a release form to get my own child's blood type released to me. He was under 1 yo...

I'm not surprised. I've volunteered for blood drives and there are many adults who don't know their blood type.

[crl]

I know mine, from high school science class. But I do not know the kids'. They are both adopted so I wouldn't really know from birth and thankfully haven't had any reason to find out.

Catherine

[indigo99]

I wish that I did, but I do not because they haven't ever tested it. Apparently it isn't routine to check when there aren't any problems. I am Rh negative so DH asked his doctor to check his when I was pregnant with DS. His came back as positive (but they didn't bother to check for the actual type), and I was automatically given rhogam after the birth.

I'm O neg so I could narrow DS's down if I only knew what DH is.

[smiles33]

I just emailed my ped to ask for both my DD's blood types as I don't know them either. I know I'm A as I used to donate blood.