Resolved question:
I have a question about antibodies. I am awaiting a lung transplant and recently went off the pill for the first time in years. Surprisingly, I am still having sex with my boyfriend, but have been really really nervous about becoming pregnant. My main concern for getting pregnant is not just the obvious -- i would have to terminate the pregnancy, and its an all around bad situation for me right now -- but PRIMARILY i am concerned that I would develop antibodies that would then make me a more difficult match for transplant. I realized I don't understand enough about antibodies and pregnancy, and therein lies my question. 1- do all women develop antibodies from pregnancy? 2 - do the antibodies develop as a result of birth (mixing of fluids at that time)...or later in the pregnancy stage while the baby is still in the womb, or can it happen early on?
Basically I would like to know for peace of mind, even though it is unlikely, if, WORST CASE scenario, if i got pregnant and had to terminate the pregnancy early on...would I be at risk for developing antibodies that early? Or from the termination?
I should note that I had to terminate a pregnancy when i was younger (19) and never developed antibodies then.
I am very careful and use condoms + spermicide and all of that, but this is just me laying awake at night, worrying. Thank you .
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
OBGYN
Hello.
Thanks for writing to DoctorSpring.com with your health concern.
The baby ( fetus ) is essentially a foreign body, because half the genetic composition of the baby is different from you , coming from the father.
Theoretically , each conception increases the chances of a mismatch in organ transplant, because each time you are sensitized to the foreign body that is the new baby.
However, most such sensitization occurs when blood from the baby passes into the mother's circulation.
For one, this is possible only after the placenta starts functioning, which is after 12 - 14 weeks of pregnancy.
So early trimester terminations are much less likely to immunize you with antibodies compared to full term pregnancies.
The risk is maximum during birthing, due to blood mixing at that time, and lesser during the last trimester of pregnancies, least in the first trimester, when the placenta is yet to take over.
Avoiding pregnancy is your best bet, and you are doing your best.
Termination itself leads to mild mixing of fluids, so it is better avoided.
However, in case you do conceive by accident, a first trimester termination is very less likely to load you with antibodies.
All the best, hope the answer helped you.
Please feel free to discuss further.