Okay, we’ve had the podcast baby, now what? Molly and Bethany discuss the medical measures needed to keep the baby healthy after they join us on the other side. As our new patient is born we have a new series of information and tips to keep baby safe until baby is finally cleared of mom’s antibodies, usually by 12 weeks of age.

Eventually, a pregnancy story becomes a birth story. Molly and Bethany cover the various things to expect with an Alloimmunized birth, and talk about the many things you can do to prepare for your birth, and some choices you can make to have your birth experience be your own.

Most episodes of the Allo Hope Podcast discuss the effects of alloimmunization on mom and baby, but on this episode we talk to partners. Bethany and Monique interview eachother’s partners and discover how they found out, what they felt, and how they supported their wives and children during the difficult pregnancies. Visit Bethany and Monique’s individual story episodes to learn more about their alloimmunization journey.

In our quest to share the experience of Alloimmunized moms, Bethany interviewed Monique Kinney, a contributor to the Allo Hope Foundation. Monique founded the premier Facebook support group for Alloimmunized moms before the Allo Hope Foundation was started in 2019.

Why do we have to advocate so hard for adequate care for Maternal Alloimmunization? This disease is so rare, many maternal fetal medicine doctors (MFMs) simply do not treat it often. Finding the right doctor with experience in this disease can change the outcome of your pregnancy experience and the health of your baby.

Bethany’s story continues with the growth of her family, learning from the mistakes made in Lucy’s treatment for severe HDFN. After Bethany becomes pregnant she goes to great lengths to keep her babies safe, moving out of state, undergoing frequent plasmapheresis and IVIG, many IUTs, NICU time, and post-birth transfusions. While Bethany’s proactive pursuit of treatment leads to the delivery of 3 healthy children, the loss of Lucy motivates her toward activism and the founding of the Allo Hope Foundation.

Host and Allo Hope Foundation founder Bethany Weathersby tells the story of Lucy, her daughter, who passed from HDFN. Her loss sparked the blog Losing Lucy and Finding Hope, which grew into a resource for alloimmunized mothers seeking help and support. Lucy’s loss gave Bethany the drive to advocate for alloimmunized moms and HDFN babies around the world, and to advocate for the lives of her future children (more on that in Part 2). Lucy’s life has continued to impact the lives of countless babies with HDFN.

Severe alloimmunization is surrounded by vague information and confusion, but this episode will prepare patients and providers for available treatment. Patients with previous fetal death, previous IUT before 24 weeks, or with a titer of 256 or higher may be diagnosed with severe disease. Remember, options do exist for severe situations, and prevention and monitoring are the key elements to having a healthy baby. This episode discusses IVIG and plasmapheresis, early MCA Scans and early IUTs, and phenobarbital.

Molly and Bethany discuss the when and how of intrauterine blood transfusions (IUTs). Bethany, possibly the world record holder for number of IUTs, has had 16 IUTs through her four allo affected pregnancies. IUTs come with their own risks, but in the hand of a trained and experienced doctor they are the most effective way to maintain the health of an anemic baby.

Bethany and Molly discuss how to monitor an Alloimmunized pregnancy. This is the first step to treating a sensitized pregnancy. Monitoring the antibody titer can indicate when you need MCA Scans, and intrauterine blood transfusions to keep your baby healthy.