Amnio: to Test or Not to Test

T.
I just had my amnio last Friday. It was not bad.
The specialist I went was very good, she was very detailed with the Ultra sound and was very confident that we have a healthy baby and gave me the option to continue with the amnio. We did go ahead with it because with my 1st son we did the ultra sound but not the amnio and he was born with Down syndrome. I did the amnio because we want to make sure and be prepared, nothing else. The way I found out about my 1st son I would not want to wish that on anyone.
Good luck.

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I know you have a lot of advice here, but I thought you might like a response that doesn't push someone else's morals on you. I had amnio last year. I was forty and pregnant with my first child. It is not near as painful as you would expect. Everyone told me that, and it was true. The injection of the local anesthetic was a little painful, but the actual test just felt strange. It was over very quickly. It was definitely nothing to stress over. I would do it again in a heartbeat. If nothing is wrong, you can put all of those worries out of your mind for the rest of the pregnancy. If something is wrong, you will already know and not have the day your baby is born clouded by the news and shock. The results are very accurate. If it is right for you, just get an excellent doctor with lots of experience. I can't remember the statistics, but I asked my perinatologist his personal miscarriage rate, and I didn't worry about that again.

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T.~
When I was pregnant with my daughter (now 15) my doctor said that tests (protein???) indicated there was a possiblity of Downs Syndrome.
When I asked if we should perform amnioscentesis, he asked the most relevant (and wisest) question of all... "What will you do if the result comes back positive?"
My reply was, "Nothing. I cannot abort my baby."
He replied, "Then there's no need to have the amnio. It won't change the outcome at all."
Yes, it was a difficult time, wondering and worrying... and several people commented "God wouldn't do that to you," as if a child with Downs was some kind of punishment and not simply a result of DNA flaws.
THere were some people I couldn't lean on, and didn't even talk to about the possibility of Downs... my mom was one of them. I didn't want to hear her ask me to abort my child, so I simply didn't tell her.
My doctor also mentioned that there was a possibility of losing the baby from the amnio procedure, whether the child did or didn't have Downs.
My daughter was born without Downs.
SHe's smart, funny, goofy and has been known to wear too much eyeliner. Not having the procedure was right for us because it wouldn't have changed anything.
Hope this is a good viewpoint for you!
J.

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I just had a baby (1yrold)and I am 42. They kept pushing me to have that test too. I just flat told them no. The sonograms looked good, so there was no reason to do that test. But this was my choice. You have to really ask yourself, if you found out there was something wrong- what would you do differently? Not having the test was our choice. Good luck!

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I have not had an amnio, but I had a healthy baby boy when I was 36. I turned down the amnio because I would not have aborted the baby anyway. I figure even if there had been a problem it would have just caused me to worry for the remainder of my pregnancy. So unless you plan on aborting the baby I would not have the amnio, but that is just my opinion.

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you can see a specialist that does the testing they will talk to you and your husband to see if there is anything that would lead them to think there are any problems and they can do a sonogram and measure different areas on the baby to see if they need to actually do the test. I had my last child at 39 and this is the process we used. The specialist told us after the sonogram she did not beleive there was any issue of downs.

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We were faced with this question while pregnant with our daughter. We opted not to do the test for two reasons. It increases the risk of miscarriage (what I would consider a significant amount especially since we had just had a miscarriage) and we would not choose to terminate the pregnancy if it came back positive. There just seemed to be no benefit to us to do the test.
It is a hard decision to make and I wish you peace with making it, no matter what you decide.

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You can google this for yourself but there is alot of info on this site for you.
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/preconception/beforeyoubegin/...

Remember having a baby is natural and normal don't let the medical field scare you!!!!You know you already have kids which is a bonus for you and your age at pregnancy.You shouldn't worry about it!Try and relax and enjoy your pregnancy as it could be your last if your worried about your age!
I am a mom of 2 who can be rebellious against the medical field!! Natural birth is best when possible!!!!

--aj

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I am a 54 year old mother of 2 grown daughters & 7 beautiful grandchildren. I have never had the test but I do know that God answers prayer & by the stripes of Jesus, we are healed of all things. For what ever we ask & pray for we will recieve. Ask for God's blessings to be on you & your child and for the Baby to be healthy & normal then each day praise him & thank him that you have recieved that gift & have faith that his word is true. God bless you & yours.

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First of all, congratulations on your pregnancy. I, too, was an "older" mother, being pregnant with my first child at 38. Only you and your husband can make this decision. Many in the medical field will try to force you into this and/or make you feel guilty for not choosing to do an amnio. Pesonally, I opted not to have an amnio or the other series of blood tests to test for birth defects that they wanted to do because of my "advanced maternal age", because regardless of the outcome, I would not have terminated my pregnancy. I believe children are a gift from God, and I believe that He will give us the strength to face whatever comes up! The medical community will try to scare you to death regarding birth defects. I was more at risk because this was my first child and I was close to 40 (apparently the dreaded age). I kept my focus on taking care of myself and believing for a healthy baby. My son was born totally healthy, weighing in a 8 pounds, 13.5 ounces. Now, at 42, I'm considering a second child. Look at it this way....if you were in Hollywood, you would be considered a young mother. (Jennifer Lopez just had twins, and I think she's very close to your age.) Many women are having babies in their late 30's and 40's. Try and stay positive. Listen to your Mommy's intiuition. You'll be just fine and you'll make the best decision for you.

Best wishes,

R.

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Seriously all these unnecessary medical interventions are just crazy! How many years did women have children even past their 40's with no problems?

Think about what you would do with the knowledge if you get this done and it causes a miscarriage (which it can), or if you find out the baby has downs? Would you terminate the pregnancy? If not then why get it done?

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Hi T.,
My name is K., I am 31 and 25 weeks along with my 3rd child. My husband and I went through this. My blood panel came back abnormal for Down's. We saw a specialist and a geneticist and discussed the issue, Here's what was said and our decision.Maybe it will help you out. First they did a family health tree to see if anyone in the family has had issues in the past.. DOWN"S in NOT hereditary!!!! It is a simple duplication of the 23 chromosome during conception. NOthing you or your partner did could cause Down's. KNOW THAT!!!! ok...then they did a sonogram, testing for known characteristics such as a thick lining behind the neck more than 5 cm, missing bones in the pinky, heart malformations, location of the eyes, and comparing the leg bones to the rest of the body's growth. Then we had the option of the anmio. Here's the down and dirty of it, they stick a needle about the size of a rabies shot needle into your uterus and sample the amniotic fluid. This can not only cause severe pain, but internal bleeding and increases the risk of miscarriage greatly. They probably won't try testing you until at least 16 to 18 weeks. In my opinion, and that's all this is, there is no need to put you and your baby through what could be a devastaing ordeal just to know 100% that you have a special baby. Unless you are contemplating not keeping the baby because of this. It's just too risky. You can basically tell by the sonogram what you need to know. We opted not to even take the amnio into consideration. ANd just so you know, the blood panel we had was a goof. Our son is perfectly normal! Other than trying to kick his way out now! I hope this helps. Good luck and God Bless!

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I agree with these folks--it is your decision. I'm 40 years old and 25 weeks pregnant. I chose not to have the test. Frankly, there is no "preparing" financially for a down's baby in the next 5 months, so I don't even understand that one.

The bottom line for me was: what am I going to do if I had the test and it was positive for Down's or Spina Bifida, etc? Nothing. I wouldn't abort my baby, so, why bother? If it came out positive it could be false (it is very common) and then there are the positives that turn out to be true. Why go months fretting myself about something like this? There's nothing I can do. There's nothing that I did to cause it.

But that's just me. There. Some folks "need to know." I don't.

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Hi T.,
This test was also offered to me when I was pregnant in my 30s. Let me just share my thoughts because ultimately you have to decide. The test has risk in itself. I decided that I would not abort the child even if the test came back showing Downs. Also keep in mind there is always a chance of getting a false positive test result. This means the test would show the baby may have Downs when in reality it does not. I decided it was not worth putting my baby at risk for this or causing possible undue stress to the family. I would love him anyway. The 'only' reason I was given to do it was to prepare us for Downs if the baby had it. Really no one can be prepared for that. You just love them and deal with it. So...just my opinion. Good luck and many blessings to you and the little one.
J.

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I am a 51 year old grandma with a Daughter with mental retardation. When my son had children they had the testing done. I think that it away to find out what you may be dealing with in the future. It gives you time to come to accept your child and their future, time to look around for the support that you might need. Dr's therapist schools .Children with Downs are the most loving giving people. There is also a blood test that can detect Downs. Usually that test is done first and then the amnio. If you are a person who can accept what ever the outcome might be then it would be ultimately your decision. But I wish the test had been available to me 30 years ago. Love my daughter and never have regretted what we were dealt ,but it would have been nice to know how our lives would have been changed and been more prepared

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Hey! good luck with the pregnancy. i am almost 43 and i had my first daughter at 33 and 2nd daughter at 37. i chose a midwife, same for both pregnancies. i did not appreciate the fear factor of mainstream birth. the more tests you subject yourself to the more money the hospitals and insurance companies make. i would not recommend the test. take good care of you and your growing baby...eat well, sleep well, exercise and stay as stress free as possible. both my daughters were delivered at home and my first was a breech. they are perfect. i have a friend who at the age of 43 is having her first child. he is due next month..they scared her so bad throughout her pregnancy...she and the almost here baby are doing fabulous..you and baby will be just fine!

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I believe that for everyone this is a very personal decision. I can only give you my advice - I am 36 and pregnant with my 3rd child. I am not doing amnio or any other testing for 1 reason and 1 reason only - the testing does not "tell" you if your baby has Down's Syndrome and unfortuantely it gives a FALSE POSITIVE over 30% of the time. For my husband and I, it would not matter to us - the decision for us would be the same and we would keep the baby. If you might decide to terminate the pregnancy - then you have to morally grapple with the possibilty that 30% of the time people terminate a normal healthy pregnancy. The other thing to consider is possible injury to the baby. I am a firm believer that pregnancy is hard enough - why spend the next 6 months worried that your baby may statistically be more likely to have Down's Syndrome? Life is too short...enjoy your pregnancy!

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I think people are getting a little confused with their data here...

False positives in TRIPLE SCREENS (not amnios) is 30% or more and that is why many phyisicians recommend getting an amnio instead of this test after a certain age or in younger patients where an elevated reading is rare. Accuracy in amnios approaches 100%. Granted, this is only for trisomy defects. A baby could have other issues.

http://www.surgeryencyclopedia.com/A-Ce/Amniocentesis.html

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There is a fingerstick blood test that can be done as early in gestation as you are. It's accompanied by an ultrasound. They look very closely at the neural tube, measure it at the base of the neck. It is 92% accurate if I remember correctly. It looks specifically for Down's Syndrome. This gives you the option to end the pregnancy early if that is what you would choose. It's done by a Perinatologist, and if there is a risk, then your insurance should cover it. An amniocentisis would be more accurate. Good luck!

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The first questions is would you do anything different if you knew? They do have very good markers that they can tell from just a sonogram. I would ask your doctor to try that first. They also have 3D sonograms that can be more specific if there are questions with the regular sonogram. There are also protein tests that can be done. If after all that the doctor feels you still need one, you can assess the situation again.

If you do have an Amnio, make sure that your husband, or someone else can watch the kids for the next few days. You will need to be inactive for a few days.

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As others have said - it is a very personal decision. Have you had other non-invasive testing done? If not - I would start there. It could be that those tests would reduce your risks substantially. If you did - and got a positive - then it comes down to what you would do - and how sure you want to be.

I was pregnant with my 1st at 44. The early testing came back okay. In the end I opted to have the amnio. My Dr. indicated that he believes the increased miscarriage risk if overstated. In more than 20 years of practics he only had 1 patient that had a problem due to the amnio. We are glad we did it and knew that things were okay.

On the pain front - it was more painful than I expected - so be prepared for that - though some say it was nothing.

Good luck.

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I had my 3rd child at 35 & my sonogram came back with the red flags of DS. I went thru all of the genetic counseling & testing as well as another advanced sonogram. I decided to have the amnio because I was so freaked out. We didn't have any family history of DS on either side of our families. Of course, the amnio came back with good results. The test cost me $815 (& I have insurance!) for them to tell me ultimately that my baby was ok. It was a relief but a huge waste of money. Spend the $800 bucks on your nursery!! If your not going to terminate the pregnancy then don't waste your time or your money. You run the risk of sabotaging your pregnancy too so that part is scary. You'll love your baby regardless if it has DS or not. if I had it to do over I wouldn't have done the amnio. You can read about DS & amnios on babycenter.com. Do your homework to help make your decision. Praying helps too! Good luck!!

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I had it done when I was 7 mos. pregnant and I had a history of several early deliveries and this was in 1986. It was very helpful for my daughter's pediatrican to know what she was facing in developement with this premature baby being born. And for what I can remember it wasn't painful. Here is a good web site also will alot of good answers to your questions .http://www.babycenter.com/0_amniocentesis_327.bc
Best of Luck,
Y. M.

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T.: I started writing my own experience with being an over 35 "high risk pregnancy." Then someone came along (my daughter!) and asked me to look at something she found on the computer. So I don't know if my response to you was sent or deleted.

I will try again later if you didn't receive it.

Sincerely, C. G (____@____.com)

4:30 pm. I see you have received 40 responses already. I haven't looked through them, but in a nutshell for us...I have 3 girls: 28, 15, and 13. My family has a history of mental and physical retardation. When I got pregnant at 38 and again at 40, I was definitely considered "high risk." However, I did not take any special tests (not even a sonogram). It wouldn't have mattered whether the babies would have been diagnosed with Downs Syndrom because we are born again Christians and would have not chosen abortion. (Which some doctors offer as a choice.) So since there is controversy over this test anyway, and it wouldn't have made a difference to us, we did not even consider it. Who said age 37 is high risk anyway? They even said that to my oldest daughter when she was 21 and pregnant with her second child. The doctor/expert thought the baby was down syndrom. They did not take the test, and their son was born with no problems.
Good luck! C. Garris

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I think it depends on you. I had 5 miscarriages before I was able to carry (the entire pregnancy in bed) my miracle daughter. I knew no matter what the tests showed I would never abort a baby. So to me it was not an issue. I was 36 when I delivered her.

I also had a friend who had an amnio which said she was having a downs child. We prayed faithfully for her every Sunday in Sunday School. She wound up having a beautiful, healthy baby girl.

To me, it was not worth the risk of another miscarriage. There were times I worried about whether she was normal or not (I think all Mothers do), but I was able to put it out of my mind most of the time. Having regular sonograms helped too. The sonographer told me she would be able to pick up on any serious issues as well.

Blessings to you! Enjoy every second~

L.

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There is a blood test to determine if you need the Amnio first, have you had this done? I was 36 with my first child, and the blood tests showed no abnormalities, so no amnio, my second came along at age 41, and this time the blood test showed a need for an amnio, this was almost completely painless (it itched more than stung) and I was more mentally distraaught than hurt. I hope this helps, you really have only one reason for this test, and do you really want to know that you have a child that is going to be more special, or pray that God only gives you what you can handle and beleive that all will be well? This is your decision, please don't let them tell you otherwise. Best of luck!

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When my obgyn wanted to test me (I was considered high risk at 36 yrs), I was so scared. I too had heard so many stories about the test. This is what I did.

Stop and ask yourself this question. Will the results of your test have any effects on your continuing the pregnancy? Will the results of the test have any effect on your love for the child?

If you answer is "no", then what reason do you have for the test? If the answer is "yes" then there is a reason for the test.

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I understand your concerns... I am in my mid thirties as well as are most of my friends. I have had the majority of them (I can think of 5) got tested for that and with all of them there was no real conclusive evidence but the numbers showed that it was most probable their babies would have DS. Each of them were in fear and torment and over these numbers. Everyone of them had a perfectly normal baby, but the stress they carried during the rest of their pregnancy was unnecessary. I don't know if you believe in God, but I believe that He is in control and with Him in charge there is no fear. You can rest assured that He has your baby in His hands. Let's say for the sake of arguement that your precious baby did have DS... what is the stress of worrying about it while you are pregnant going to do except be passed on to your baby? Trust God, testing can yield no good results. I got so sick of it all I finally started using a midwife... For me, I couldn't have made a better choice. For you... you must have a great doctor, but trust God, not an inconclusive, perdentage based, test.

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I am the mother of six children. My third child was born with tetrology of fallot which was 4 things wrong with her heart. She is now 22 and has had 2 open heart surgeries but is doing well, in college and working. Because of her problem at birth, my doctor advised me to have an amnio with my next child which went okay, but when I had my 5th child my uterius was punchered and I lost amniotic fluid the whole time of my pregnancy. At the time I was working full time and going to college at night and I had to be put in the hospital 3 times on bed rest to build the fluid back up. I ended up having her 6 weeks early. She is fine now. But I did not have an amnio with my 6th child and would not have one again. You have to think that even if your child was to have Downs Syndrome, what would you do? If you would keep the child anyway, don't have the amnio.

A little about me:

I am a 56 year old divorced mother of six, and grandmother of three and one on the way. I work full time as a paralegal and love my job. I am very proud of my children. They range in age from 15 to 33.

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Hi T.,
Me personnally, I wouldn't do it. Isn't it like putting a needle in a balloon? The air eventually leaks out.
Do a research online of reasons not to do the amnio or the dangers of. I would err on the side of caution. You will still love your baby either way, so ENJOY your pregnancy now. You are not always pregnant, but you will have your baby to enjoy for a lifetime. Don't worry. Enjoy your pregnancy!

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I am a believer that god does not give you more than you can handle. That is how i dealt with my options for all 3 of my girls. A friend of mine did have the test performed. It came back as ds baby. They opted to keep the baby and began to prepare for it mentally. Caroline was born absolutely perfect. Not a single health issue at all. This is a very tough decision that is only the beginning of tough choices we make as parents. Find some quiet time and just pray for guidance. God bless!

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