Content

• Steps

Knowing your blood type is important, especially if you are a frequent transfusionist or are trying to become pregnant. The ABO blood type system classifies different blood types by the letters A, B, AB and O. Your blood also has either the Rhesus or Rh factor, which can be either positive or negative. You inherit the blood type and the Rh factor from your parents. To determine the Rh factor, learn about your parent's Rh factor for more information. You can also do blood tests at the clinic.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Using Available Information to Determine Rh Factor

1. 

   Understand the factors that determine your Rh factor. In your red blood cells, the Rh factor is a protein that you were or did not inherit from your parents. You are Rh positive if you have this protein. If you do not have this protein, you are Rh negative.
   • People with Rh factor have positive blood type such as A +, B +, AB +, or O +. People without Rh factor have negative blood type eg A-, B-, AB-, or O-.
   • Most people have Rh factor in their blood.

2. 

   
   
   Check out your health chart. If possible, check for the Rh factor in your blood when you have a blood test. Ask your doctor if they have your blood type information on record. If you had a frequent blood transfusion, perhaps your blood type was recorded. Likewise if you go to donate blood.
   • If you have the Rh positive factor in your blood, you can take up either Rh + or Rh- blood type on a transfusion. If you have Rh- blood type, you can only receive Rh- blood type (except in potentially life-threatening emergencies, you need to take the Rh + blood type as well).

3. 

   
   
   Learn about your parental Rh factor. Ask your parents about their blood type. You can determine your Rh blood type through your parental blood type analysis. If both your mom and dad have Rh- blood type, chances are you'll have Rh- (with a few exceptions below). If your mom is Rh negative and your dad is Rh positive (or vice versa), you probably have either Rh positive or negative. In this case, you will need more specific tests by a doctor at a lab or hematology center. It's also important to note that even though your parents are both Rh +, you may still be Rh-.
   • Since each person with a positive blood type can possess both the Rh positive gene (Rh + / Rh +) or one Rh positive gene and one Rh negative gene (Rh + / Rh-), it is possible that both parents have. blood group is positive but the child is negative.
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Part 2 of 2: Blood Type Tests

1. 

   
   
   Ask your doctor about blood type testing. If your parents have different Rh blood types (or your parents are both positive and you want to make sure you are positive), you may suggest a blood type test. The procedure for taking blood is quite quick and painless. You can go home right away.

2. 

   Get a blood test. The doctor or nurse will clean the inside of your elbow or wrist with an antiseptic bandage. The nurse will determine the most likely vein to draw blood in this area. After tying the garland in your upper arm to hold the blood, the nurse will insert the needle into your vein. The needle is usually connected to the syringe where the blood is drawn from you. Once the required amount of blood has been drawn, the nurse will remove the needle and press gently on the injection area with sterile cotton. After that, you will be re-bandaged. Next, the nurse will mark your sample and send it to the lab for testing.
   • Doctors usually take a baby's blood sample from the back of the hand.
   • If you feel you are about to faint, talk to the nurse. They will help you to lie down.
   • You may feel pain, throbbing, or mild pain when the nurse pricks the needle. After the blood is drawn, you may bruise the area where the needle was inserted. This pain usually doesn't last long.

3. 

   Check the blood sample. At a lab, a technician will check the Rh factor in your blood sample. They will combine your blood sample with a Ph-resistant serum. If your cells coagulate, you have Rh + blood type. Conversely, if your cells do not clot, you have Rh- blood type.
   • The lab can also check your blood type for ABO in the process.

4. 

   Recognize the importance of the results. Keep your blood type information in a safe place and share it with those on your emergency contact list. You will need this information if you need a blood transfusion or an organ transplant. Plus, if you're going to get pregnant it's important to know your Rh blood type.

5. 

   Please be careful of the risks of pregnancy. If you are a woman and have a Rh- blood type, your partner will need to have a Rh factor test. If you have Rh- and he has Rh + blood type, you will likely experience a Rh factor incompatibility. This means that if your child inherits the Rh + blood type from his father, your antibodies can attack the child's red blood cells. This leads to severe anemia and is life-threatening.
   • During pregnancy, if you have Rh- blood type, you need to have your blood checked to see if your body produces antibodies against the Rh + blood type. The first check-up is during the first 3 months of pregnancy and the second will take place at 28 weeks of pregnancy. If the antibodies are not present, you will be injected with the Rh immune serum. This shot will stop your body from producing dangerous antibodies against your baby.
   • If your body produces antibodies against the Rh + blood type, you cannot inject the Rh immune serum. Instead, your doctor will closely monitor the child's development. Before or after birth, the baby will receive a blood transfusion.
   • Once the baby is born, the doctor can check the baby's Rh blood type. If your baby has the same Rh blood type, you do not need to continue treatment. If you're Rh- but your baby is Rh +, you'll need another dose of the Rh immune serum.
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