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There are four major blood types: A, B, O, and AB. The types are based on substances found on your blood cells. Your blood type also has a positive or negative sign. This is called Rh factor, which is a protein. If your blood cells have this protein, you are Rh-positive. If you don't, you are Rh-negative.

Rh factor is inherited (passed down through families). Most people are Rh-positive, meaning they have the Rh factor. Rh-negative people don't have it. Being Rh-negative doesn't affect your health, but it can affect the health of your fetus if you are pregnant.

If you are pregnant and are Rh-negative and your fetus is Rh-positive, it's called Rh incompatibility. Blood from your fetus can cross into your bloodstream, especially during childbirth. If you're Rh-negative and your baby is Rh-positive, your body will react to the fetus's blood as a foreign substance. It will create antibodies (proteins) that can damage their red blood cells.

These antibodies usually don't cause problems during your first pregnancy. But Rh incompatibility may cause problems in later pregnancies if the fetus is Rh-positive. This is because the antibodies stay in your body once they have formed. During your next pregnancy, the antibodies can cross the placenta (the organ that grows in the uterus to provide oxygen and nutrients to the fetus) and attack the red blood cells of the fetus. Rh incompatibility can cause Rh disease, a serious condition that can cause a severe type of anemia.

Your health care provider will order blood tests during your first trimester of pregnancy. This is often done at your first prenatal visit. These tests can check if you have Rh factor and if your body has made antibodies.

• During your pregnancy, injections of a medicine called Rh immune globulin can keep your body from making Rh antibodies. It helps prevent the problems of Rh incompatibility.
• After delivery, if your baby is born Rh-positive, you'll need another injection of the Rh immune globulin. But if you're Rh-negative and your baby is born Rh-negative, you don't need any other treatment.
• If treatment is needed for the baby, it may include phototherapy (light therapy) if treatment is needed for jaundice, supplements to help the body make red blood cells, or in severe cases a blood transfusion.

Early prenatal care and treatment help prevent issues with Rh incompatibility.

A normal pregnancy lasts nine months. Each three-month period of pregnancy is called a trimester. During each trimester, the fetus grows and develops. Regular medical checkups and prenatal tests are very important. They can:

• Help keep you and your baby healthy
• Spot problems with your baby (if there are any). In some cases, health care professionals can treat the problem before your baby is born. But even when they cannot, it can still be helpful to know about the problem early on. That gives you time to learn about your baby's condition and prepare for any challenges you may face after the baby is born.
• Prevent problems during delivery. For example, if your baby is breech (bottom first or feet first, instead of head first), you may need to have a Cesarean section to avoid complications.

Besides getting medical care, there are other things you can do to keep your baby as healthy as possible. It's important not to drink or smoke. Try to eat a healthy diet and make sure to take care of any health problems you have during pregnancy.

Edema means swelling caused by fluid in your body's tissues. It usually occurs in the feet, ankles and legs, but it can involve your entire body.

Causes of edema include:

• Eating too much salt
• Sunburn
• Heart failure
• Kidney disease
• Liver problems from cirrhosis
• Pregnancy
• Problems with lymph nodes, especially after mastectomy
• Some medicines
• Standing or walking a lot when the weather is warm

To keep swelling down, your health care provider may recommend keeping your legs raised when sitting, wearing support stockings, limiting how much salt you eat, or taking a medicine called a diuretic - also called a water pill.