Weddingbee boards

I'll be 12 weeks tomorrow. I still have a few weeks before my next appointment, but I'm trying to decide what tests I'm okay with and what tests I'm not okay with in advance. I want plenty of time to decide!

So.....

What testing did you have done while you were pregnant? Which tests did you op out of? Why did you make those choices?

I'm especially curious about the amniocentesis. I know it could help us prepare if your baby did have disabilities, but I don't like the idea of having such an invasive procedure, especially considering the risk of miscarriage.

Thanks everyone for your responses!

@Lillindy: We feel the same way! We know we would love the baby regardless and I don't like the risk at all, no matter how small.

I think I would more worry too & as a result have other issues such as high blood pressure. I know we wouldn't terminate under any circumstances and I don't feel like we need to know or take the risk.

We opted out of the screenings for both cystic fibrosis and down syndrome. For us it wouldn't change how we feel about the baby and like many others have said I didn't want to make myself sick with worry.

I have had both a CVS and a first-trimester screen + amnio (different pregnancies). It is very difficult to accurately ascertain the risk associated with these procedures, seeing as it''s impossible to know exactly how many of those pregnancies would have spontaneously terminated regardless. And provider experience has a dramatic impact on risk rates- I feel very comfortable with an ultrasound-guided amnio performed by a specialist who does this several times a day.

While there are now certain other tests (like the AFP for neural tube defects) that can help identify abnormalities, there are many, many conditions that are only discernable through genetic testing, which means either CVS or an amnio.

I don't think that the only reason to have this testing done is to determine whether or not to terminate the pregnancy (though I do think that is valuable information- if I have any future children with anencephaly, I'd much rather find out at 15-16 weeks through optional testing and terminate the pregnancy then, then find out at a 20 week ultrasound). Having a child with a serious condition would change lots of the decisions and planning that my husband and I need to do now. If we have a child that will require serious and prolonged medical interventions early on in life, that has major repercussions for what kind of health insurance plan we want to go with, whether or not we both go back to work, what kind of care we can/want to provide, etc. I'd rather know, and be able to research the condition, talk to specialists, seek out support groups, and prepare myself and my family. That's also why I've chosen to have the invasive testing done- I think the screening tests are valuable, but they can't give conclusive information, and that's what I wanted.

I just turned 35, so I know the doc will want to do more invasive testing, but it's still my choice and we are going to do as much non-invasive screening as possible to decide if amnio is worth the risk.

But please don't think that just because you're under 35 you're off the hook for Down's.  Older moms might have a greater risk, but these things are genetic, so we ALL have a risk and need to consider what level of testing we are comfortable with.  Not everyone who has a child with CF or Down's or other genetic abnormalities is 35+. 

Sorry if I sound defensive, I just want people to remember that age is not the only factor in the health of your child... 

NT TEST, is good.

I think that too often, opting for testing is seen as a proxy for "we want to see if the baby is totally health because otherwise we will terminate the pregnancy" when that it not necessarily the case. I think it's entirely possible to be able to say "We will love our baby and joyfully welcome him/her into our lives no matter what health conditions s/he may have" AND "We've opted for testing in order to be as well-prepared as possible for welcoming this child into our lives."

I also think that many people equate testing as testing for Down's syndrome, and decide that if they wouldn't terminate for Down's, they aren't interested in testing. And while it's true that trisomy 21 is much more common than other chromosomal abnormalities, I think that there are plenty of people who would not choose to terminate a trisomy 21 pregnancy, but might feel differently if faced with a condition with an average life expectancy of just a few years, or less.

I don't mean this to sound like I disapprove of anyone's decision NOT to undergo prenatal testing- it's just that sometimes I feel like people see a decision TO undergo (particularly invasive) testing as an indication of a woman's stance on pregnancy termination, or an indication of her ability to love her child no matter what. (I'm also not referring to anyone on the Weddingbee boards when I say this-  it's just something I've experienced in "real life" and find frustrating)