Do you know your blood type?

[Julie Smith]

There is one person who got an organ donor transplant, and her blood type ended up changing to that of the organ donor. 

 

Odd and cool. 

[gardenmom5]

I know mine because I tried to donate blood once. I nearly passed out so I haven't tried since. Dh is the same so if I understand correctly all our dc (except the adopted ones) should be A positive like us. Now that I think of it, though, maybe they could be A negative. Does anyone know how that works?

depends if you and your dh have one or two + genes.    you can be +- and it will manifest as + due to dominance. but you'd both have to be +- to have any chance of a - child.  (works out to about a 25%  chance of two +- parents having a -- child.)

 

I have a genetic mutation for which I'm the equivalent of --,  dh is +-.  of the three children tested, two are +-, and one is -- (which is how we knew dh had to be +-, he's never actually been tested for it.)

 

 

I do. I found out the first time I was pregnant because my rh factor is negative. Im O -. Funny story. My first 2 kids were O + so before I left the hospital I had to have a rhogam shot. I got home fron the hospital with dd and I was in the shower and it suddenly occured to me they did not give me the rhogam shot. I called the hospital in a panic and it turs out she was also O - , so thats was why. lol

 

the rhogam shot is such a blessing.  I know a dear sweet lady who lost two babies because she's -, and they hadn't developed treatment for it.

[Julie Smith]

 

the rhogam shot is such a blessing.  I know a dear sweet lady who lost two babies because she's -, and they hadn't developed treatment for it.

 

I'm not an expert in this, so I may be wrong - I have just read some articles. But the rhogam shot is made from blood for people with something special in their blood. 

 

http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/09/health/james-harrison-golden-arm-blood-rhesus/index.html

[Rosika]

Both my husband and ex-husband are blood type AB-. My kids are a mix of types A and B, however I am type O.

[mellifera33]

I'm A+. I must be old because we did blood typing in high school biology. I remember wondering if my mom had a secret because both she and my dad claimed to be O. Being a discreet teenager, I brought it up at the dinner table.  :lol:  After dinner my dad dug out some paperwork and saw that he is in fact A. Family crisis averted! 

[sassenach]

I found out with my first child (a-). They allowed me to not get rhogam because dh was in the Marines and his blood type (o-) was right there on his dog tags.

 

First child they typed in the hospital (a-)

Second had a ton of surgeries and needed several transfusions (o-)

Next 2 didn't get typed at birth. We did a blood typing experiment last year for science and found out that my youngest is o-.

Only my third child remains unknown. The bloodtyping kits are less than $10, so we can always test if we get curious.

[Loowit]

i am A+ as are all my siblings and my parents.  I did the testing thing in biology class but it has been confirmed a number of times both as a blood donor and when they did typing when I was pregnant.  DH is O-.  We have known this for years, but it was also recently tested before he went in for a major surgery in case he needed a transfusion.  Our kids are O+ (older two) and A+ (youngest).  We did the home science testing kit.  I would not fully rely on that of course, but both DS have been confirmed by other testing when they were going in for surgery.  As far as I know DD has never had her blood officially tested because there hasn't been a need.

[Word Nerd]

I am type O, but cannot for the life of me remember if it's + or -.

I always forget whether I'm O + or - too...mainly because I don't care.

[MeghansMom]

I am O positive and my spouse is A positive. I think our daughter is A positive too. She has a physical coming up soon and I will ask her doctor. My son is A positive and so is his father.

[luuknam]

If you've ever donated blood, you tend to remember your blood type. It's a pretty memorable experience.

 

 

Um, nope. Maybe because I lost consciousness right after getting home from donating, hit my head (lightly) on the driveway, and DW had to call 911, at which point the EMTs told me to never ever donate again (after helping me get inside onto my bed). So, that might have been more memorable than my blood type. Of course, now I can't donate because I'm European as well (for some reason they did allow it back in 2005 when this happened... back then the ban was for only certain European countries). FWIW, I'm thinking maybe the above happened because my blood pressure runs low... 100/60 is not uncommon for me. (actually, I think I maybe donated plasma... not sure)

 

I got tested during my year in high school in Thailand (all the high school freshmen (iirc) got tested, as well as anyone claiming to never have been tested (i.e. me)... I'm not sure what the point of the exercise was, but w/e). I'm A+. Now, I wouldn't rely on that, but I don't remember ever encountering conflicting info since then... of course, this would only matter if somehow we were stranded on a desert island without a universal donor and without the supplies to test for blood type but with the means to transfuse... so, yeah, extremely likely scenario. 

[happypamama]

I know mine.  I don't know which pregnancy it was checked for, but I've seen it in my records.  I know at least three of my kids' blood types because they were checked at birth.  I know the MW was out of cards for my fourth, and I can't recall if we checked the fifth or not, but based on the rest of ours, I'm pretty sure his is the same.  Probably someone checked the sixth in the hospital too; I know he got some transfusions, but I don't know if they took his from cord blood or at some other point (he had so little blood, and they needed it for checking blood gases and such, so I don't know if typing was a big deal to them, and they may have just given him O- anyway).  I assume his is the same as the other kids', but now I am curious and will have to look through his 244 pages of records, haha.

[happypamama]

If you've ever had a baby, you would probably know if you are negative or positive, because if you're negative they would have wanted to know if your partner is negative or positive because if your partner is positive, they'd probably have talked with you about maybe needing the Rhogam shot.

Edited September 3, 2017 by happypamama

[SKL]

Yes, I know it from donating blood.

[Elizabeth86]

I know. I donate blood.

 

I'm O-. Everyone wants my blood.

 

:p

 

My Dh is something positive, and our kids take after him.

Right Im O - too and realize how it is good for me to donate and I never have. I really need to, but im so squemish. Is it that bad?

[Julie Smith]

Right Im O - too and realize how it is good for me to donate and I never have. I really need to, but im so squemish. Is it that bad?

 

Not bad at all. 

 

Follow the recommended stuff to do before hand (drink lots..) Also bring a warm sweater or something. I supposedly have very tiny veins. They always have trouble finding one big enough. What helps me with that is drinking TONS and dressing up really warm. 

 

I find the pin prick on the finger tip more painful than the needle for the blood donation. I don't watch the needle going in. 

[foxbridgeacademy]

I know mine (AB), my mom (AO), Dad (BO) sister 1 (AB) sister 2 (O), DH is (AB) (all +) what I don't know are my kids but we're going to be doing a blood type test for Bio this year so that should take care of it.

[Paige]

I saw mine on my records once but don't remember what it was. It was A, B, or AB+. DH knows his but I don't know it. I'm not sure what DS or youngest DD's are or if they've been tested. I know the middle DDs are the same and matches mine because their blood types were tested immediately after birth and we were told that information. They said their blood types were the same and that it meant we needed to do DNA testing if we wanted to know if they were identical or not.

[Crimson Wife]

I don't recall being told my blood type when I donated.

 

Didn't the Red Cross give you a card? I've got one in my wallet and it does list my blood type.

[Spryte]

Nope. Donated blood 20 years ago and do not remember the blood type; they gave me a card, and I have lost it.

 

Since I lived in Europe, I am deemed unfit to donate blood in the US.

 

I can't donate blood either.  So I wouldn't know due to that experience.

 

I've never given birth, so if learning one's blood type is part and parcel of that experience, nope, can't say I've had that either.

 

I've had several major surgeries, and if they tested my blood type at some point during those, I do not recall, though of course my memory is a bit hazy.

[maize]

Didn't the Red Cross give you a card? I've got one in my wallet and it does list my blood type.

Not that I remember. Maybe it was a different organization running donations on our college campus?

 

I haven't donated since college because they changed the rules and having lived in Europe during certain periods disqualifies me.

[maize]

Blood type was a big thing in Japan when I was there--especially among teenagers. It was said to correlate with personality type.

[Hypatia.]

I know my type, and they verified it at the hospital last December when I was going into a surgery where they were suspecting I would need a transfusion. (They were right, it was needed.) 

[dsmith]

I knew it from when dh and I got married, and especially when I got pregnant as I needed Rhogam, plus I can't receive any blood except my own type: O-. 

[AmandaVT]

I do - I'm A- and Dh had his blood tested when I was pregnant and had the results sent to the midwives (O-) so I wouldn't have to have the RH shot. DS is also A-. 

[nixpix5]

I have always known because I am O- snd need to know. As a kid in the 80s I wore a bracelet but they don't do that anymore. I get called alot to donate since I am a universal donor but I can only receive my own blood type and need shots to have children.

[Closeacademy]

They told me mine but I was in labor so I was more concerned about other things than that. Both my parents are type O so I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be any different.

[slackermom]

B-, an uncommon type. I told that to a nurse when I was first pregnant, who told me that they would double check, but that I should always mention it. 

[scoutingmom]

Um, nope. Maybe because I lost consciousness right after getting home from donating, hit my head (lightly) on the driveway, and DW had to call 911, at which point the EMTs told me to never ever donate again (after helping me get inside onto my bed). So, that might have been more memorable than my blood type. Of course, now I can't donate because I'm European as well (for some reason they did allow it back in 2005 when this happened... back then the ban was for only certain European countries). FWIW, I'm thinking maybe the above happened because my blood pressure runs low... 100/60 is not uncommon for me. (actually, I think I maybe donated plasma... not sure)

 

I got tested during my year in high school in Thailand (all the high school freshmen (iirc) got tested, as well as anyone claiming to never have been tested (i.e. me)... I'm not sure what the point of the exercise was, but w/e). I'm A+. Now, I wouldn't rely on that, but I don't remember ever encountering conflicting info since then... of course, this would only matter if somehow we were stranded on a desert island without a universal donor and without the supplies to test for blood type but with the means to transfuse... so, yeah, extremely likely scenario.

Wow. I donated blood once, but my blood pressure tends to the low side of normal. They only let me if I had an orange juice and a cookie both before and after. And it took me about 3x as long as my coworkers because it filled the bag so slowly.

 

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[desertstrawberry5]

It was on my military id and my dog tags. I was an emergency donor. They called me when there was a patient in crisis with my blood type. I am absolutely certain I'm B+.

 

I know my fist two kids for certain, because we banked their cord blood. They are both O+. They would be able to donate their cord blood to any future children we had.

 

I am reasonably certain Jay is A+. I think they tested him right at birth. It's POssible He Was Tested During A Hospitalization At 2 moNths Old, But I don't recall That.

 

I vaguely recall that W is O+, but I could be wrong.

 

I Have No Idea About Luna. A, B, O Or AB +, Because Those Are All The Possible Combinations Of D's And Mine.

[unsinkable]

I know mine, my dh's, and our son's. I also knew my brother's and my parents' blood types.

Yes, yes, we know. It's tattooed on your inner thigh.

 

Tell us something we don't know.

[matrips]

I forget how I knew mine, but my kids did one of those blood tests things for a science class way back when. My identical boys were B+, my daughter was A+, and I'm AB+.

[KungFuPanda]

I thought everyone who has given birth would know her blood type. Yes, I would absolutely trust a transfusion on my word alone. I'm Oneg. I wore it on dog tags for years and nd if I'm wrong there's still no risk :-) This is also THE most boring blood to type in Bio lab.

 

ETA: Apparently Oneg is a favorite of mosquitos. I feel special.

Edited September 4, 2017 by KungFuPanda

[rebcoola]

I have given blood and birth and still don't know mine.  Maybe I just don't pay attention.  The only time I gave blood was in high school and all I remember is getting weighed like 4 times because I was close to the minimum.

[Ellie]

Mr. Ellie and I are both A-. I missed most of that class in high school biology, so I don't remember if that means both of our children are A- or not. 

 

I've never thought about whether the hospital would check or not.

[Lanny]

I have known my Blood type is B+ since I was a child. As an Adult I donated Blood multiple times in Texas and also here in Colombia. I think it is shown on my Colombian Drivers License and my National Identity Card.

 

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[Lanny]

And yes it was on my Dog Tags too.

 

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[Lanny]

It was on my military id and my dog tags. I was an emergency donor. They called me when there was a patient in crisis with my blood type. I am absolutely certain I'm B+.

 

I know my fist two kids for certain, because we banked their cord blood. They are both O+. They would be able to donate their cord blood to any future children we had.

 

I am reasonably certain Jay is A+. I think they tested him right at birth. It's POssible He Was Tested During A Hospitalization At 2 moNths Old, But I don't recall That.

 

I vaguely recall that W is O+, but I could be wrong.

 

I Have No Idea About Luna. A, B, O Or AB +, Because Those Are All The Possible Combinations Of D's And Mine.

Like you I am B+ and when the local Blood Bank called me I knew they were desperate. Unless I was sick and taking medicine I always told them I would eat a big meal and then go there to donate. That was in Texas. Here in Colombia one of the times I donated was for a Niece of my wife. She needed a C section and was severely Anemic. They were afraid to operate on her. My wife's OB-GYN was on call when she was there. He did the surgery and I don't think she received any Blood. The boy is now 17 years old so it went well...

 

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[Mabelen]

Wow. I donated blood once, but my blood pressure tends to the low side of normal. They only let me if I had an orange juice and a cookie both before and after. And it took me about 3x as long as my coworkers because it filled the bag so slowly.

 

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This used to be me too. I always would have to lie down and see how others would come and go while I was still filling the bag.

[Mabelen]

I got my blood type tested at school with the rest of my class. We even got the card with the drops of liquid and the blood reaction.

[HS Mom in NC]

O+

My husband and I had some blood type compatibility testing during my pregnancy with my oldest because of the 3 previous miscarriages.  He's A+. It wasn't for the rh factor thing.  It was something else.

I had a transfusion when middle daughter was born.  I don't know if they went off my medical records from the midwife who ordered the above test or if they tested me first anyway.

I get that they test because human memory is faulty. 

By the way, donors, thank you!  

Edited September 4, 2017 by Homeschool Mom in AZ

[Tanaqui]

We had to test our own blood in high school to find out the type, but after I filled out my lab sheet I promptly forgot the entire thing.

[creekland]

I think I know, but only because in 10th grade biology class in the mid-80s we tested our blood types at school (could you imagine this happening now?) when we were learning about Punnett Squares.  We had to ask our parents their blood types, hypothesize what ours would be, and then someone in class pricked your finger and did the test for you (again, could you imagine this going on today??)

 

We did this in school too.  I've known I'm O+ since - as are all of my family members.  We donate blood regularly and it's on that info too.

 

FWIW... It's still done in school - at least - at the one I work at, albeit not in basic Bio, but both Advanced Bio and Anatomy classes.  I'm not really sure why you think it would have stopped.  Kids wear gloves now (we didn't) and most prick their own finger with one of those auto prick thingies, but those are the only differences from "my" day back in the 80's.

[Mom-ninja.]

I know mine, my dh's, and my kids. I know because of my pgs. I'm -rh and dh is +rh and hence babies were tested at birth and I was told their type.

[SporkUK]

I know my blood type. I've donated blood and it was checked during each pregnancy - thankfully none of my medical conditions require me to regularly know it though I regularly see it listed at the top of my medical notes. 

 

After the birth of my second child who arrived before the midwife or paramedics (I went from inconsistent 7-15 minutes apart contractions all day to suddenly really needing to push at 3am), the midwife's first words to me actually were "do you know your blood type?" followed by her being thankful I was rhesus positive so she didn't need to get that stuff out. It was in my medical notes which were close by anyways and she did go through them after she helped me into a bath but she seemed fine with my knowledge of myself. 

 

My spouse and I have the same blood type other than I'm rh+ and he's rh-, I'm interested in which my kids are though they've yet to be tested and hopefully that can wait until they're old enough to donate. 

[maize]

It was on my military id and my dog tags. I was an emergency donor. They called me when there was a patient in crisis with my blood type. I am absolutely certain I'm B+.

 

I know my fist two kids for certain, because we banked their cord blood. They are both O+. They would be able to donate their cord blood to any future children we had.

 

I am reasonably certain Jay is A+. I think they tested him right at birth. It's POssible He Was Tested During A Hospitalization At 2 moNths Old, But I don't recall That.

 

I vaguely recall that W is O+, but I could be wrong.

 

I Have No Idea About Luna. A, B, O Or AB +, Because Those Are All The Possible Combinations Of D's And Mine.

Wouldn't Rh- also be a possibility? If you are both positive you could be carrying the recessive - allele without know it.

[TechWife]

I know mine because it was on my Red Cross donor card years ago. I know my sons because he has had multiple transfusions I read all the bags that were hung. DS needed blood when he was at a satellite ED and they only had O negative. By the time we arrived at the main hospital's PICU all of the lab tests had been completed and they switched him to his blood type, O positive, for the rest of the units. He received 8 units on all, plus two units of FFP. I don't think his blood type is something I'll ever forget!

[Tanaqui]

FWIW... It's still done in school - at least - at the one I work at, albeit not in basic Bio, but both Advanced Bio and Anatomy classes.  I'm not really sure why you think it would have stopped.  Kids wear gloves now (we didn't) and most prick their own finger with one of those auto prick thingies, but those are the only differences from "my" day back in the 80's.

 

We did it in basic bio, but I went to a very selective school.

 

As I recall, self blood-testing is what got the plot of Switched at Birth* rolling, so somebody thinks it's common for average bio students to still do today.

 

* The wealthier kid, Bay, tested her blood at school and came home and told her parents she was type B or whatever. And her dad said something like "No, you're not, because I'm type A and your mom's type O, you must've screwed up" but she insisted on checking it out properly. Wham, buckle your seatbelts, the plot has now commenced.

[Scarlett]

I know my blood type. I found out when I was pregnant with my son.

[Dmmetler]

I learned mine when I did the blood typing lab in high school bio. I did the darned thing about four times because I kept getting no reaction, and was convinced I was doing It wrong somehow. My bio teacher finally walked me through it and got me to recognize that an O- WAS going to show no reaction-I was doing it completely right.

 

Every time I've been at risk of needing a transfusion (and when pregnant or miscarrying) they've always typed me anyway. It doesn't matter that I can tell them that I need the RHogam.

 

DD has done the blood typing lab three times so far-once with a homeschool bio class, once in a forensics/CSI co-op, and once with a college general bio class, but all times they used synthetic blood. My bio professor friend says the liability is considered too high for her school to let them do anything involving real blood with anyone but the upper division nursing students.

Edited September 4, 2017 by dmmetler

[Guest]

I can't donate because I lived in the U.K. as a child and, while I ate a lot of mutton and loved it to bits, I did also eat beef.