Gps Who Push for Genetic Testing

As mentioned many times below, knowledge is power. I am a former women's health specialist for a national lab. Women opted for these tests to be prepared with their families and physicians.

My daughter's very catholic, 21 year old friend had a baby last year with Down's, who didn't develop kidneys or lungs and passed away at 19 days. They had no intention of aborting but were able to get counseling and be in the very best place for delivery.

After you getting so upset with your coworkers for making small talk I am going to go out on a limb and think you took the comments by your doctor wrong as well.

Please for your own sanity explore why you think everyone is offensive.

I had my first at 20 and I was married, no assumptions were made. I was offered an amnio with all my pregnancies, I didn't consider that pushing. Never did the offer take the joy out of my pregnancy. Please, please explore why you are feeling this way because I don't think it is your doctor.

I did not have an amnio with any of my kids because that was all that was offered at the time and it carried a high risk of miscarriage. If it had been a simple test I would have considered it and I would never terminate a pregnancy either. It isn't like signing on to a test means you must act on it.

Are you talking about actual genetic testing (as in they test samples from you and your husband for genetic conditions) or about pre-natal screening tests such as the quad-screen blood test offered to all pregnant women. If it's the former, I would find that odd and would ask why they are offering it. Perhaps there is a concern that you're not aware of? For example, my husband is Jewish and although I am not, I had myself tested for Jewish carrier diseases because if I was negative for carrying all of them, they wouldn't be an issue for us. It was just something I would want to know.

If it's the latter...there is a lot of value in those tests beyond whether or not to carry a pregnancy. While those screenings can raise a lot of false alarms that are later put to rest with further testing, they are a good way to raise flags about conditions that can be treated in utero or would indicate the need for a different kind of birth or immediate care after birth. For example, some abnormalities would indicate a higher rate of survival if a baby was born via c-section and a surgical team was ready to do a life-saving operation to repair heart or spine damage. I can see why doctors find value in the tests because it gives them more information to go on in their goal of getting you to deliver a healthy baby. So I wouldn't be offended by it, and you were probably asked multiple times because it's so routine that they may have wanted to make sure that you knew about the opportunity to test and didn't miss the testing window.

It sounds as if you don't click with you OB. Perhaps there is someone in the practice who would be a better fit for you, or maybe a midwife would be a good choice? Ask friends and family for recommendations...if you're not too far along in your pregnancy, you can switch to another doctor or practice and find someone who doesn't rub you the wrong way.

Best of luck to you!

I was going to say exactly what J B. said.
Even if you plan to carry to term, no matter what, it is very good for the doctor to know of any potential problems so they can be completely prepared to give the baby the best chance of survival if there is something wrong. It also can help you prepare for any special needs if there is something that comes up.
The doctor doesn't want to be liable if something does turn out to be wrong and it was something that could have been prevented had they known ahead of time. It is most likely that they keep offering is so there is no possible way you can come back and say they never offered me XYZ if something were to happen.
Birth defects happen to even the most healthiest and youngest. They do not only happen to the old or the ill. They can come up out of nowhere.
I'm certainly not saying there is anything wrong with your pregnancy. I'm just saying I can totally understand where the doctor is coming from.

Say it with me: "It's nothing personal. This is how things are done."

Not everything is about you.

ETA: Honestly, dear, it seems very strange to be upset and post a rant nearly a year later. I rant when the thing that pisses me off actually happens. Don't bottle up your anger or eventually it's going to explode. Deal with it by talking calmly right then and you'll find that all the other little things in life (such as coworkers and moms) won't seem so annoying.

Perhaps you might consider finding a yoga class. You need to learn some healthy calming techniques and not hang onto silly slights like this. YOU are taking the joy out of your own life by marinating in your angers.

What GP does prenatal care in this day and age?

A., your anger issues are very, very troubling.
your mother.
your co-workers.
now the doctor for a baby you had over a year ago.
if that was all it took to take the joy and excitement out of your pregnancy, then there wasn't much there to start with.
i sincerely hope you find a good counselor soon. i fear for your child being raised with this toxic level of rage and unfocused resentment.
khairete
S.

wait a minute! Isn't your baby...almost 6 months old? Your 1st post was last September & the baby was 1 month old.

Sooo why the rant now?

& for the record, young mothers can also bear children with health issues. I know 2 young moms with babies born with Gastroschisis....both moms under 30! Same parameters/life choices as you....& both with babies facing serious issues all in the last year.

My daughter was born with multiple heart/lung defects. The only testing offered at the time (21 years ago) was an ultrasound. In today's world, there are several tests which would have eased her birth...allowing for better success at living. Additionally, heart transplants are an option now...not then.

Sooo what's really up with you & this issue?

Knowledge is power. The more your doctor knows, the better. She wants to know as much as possible about the life growing inside you, so that she can take good care of you and you baby.

Knowledge is power. I, too, would not want to terminate a pregnancy because of positive test. But I'd sure as hell want to know so that I could educate myself and prepare emotionally for what might come! I would not want to find out at birth when I could have known 6 months sooner.

I knew a couple whose daughter was born with Spina bifida. (Part of her spine was exposed - the skin was missing.). They didn't know this until the mom was in labor. Not sure what prompted an u/s while she was in labor, but thank God! The doctor performed an emergency c-section and prevented further injury. She ended up with a very mild form of Spina bifida. She had surgery when she was a few days old. They did a skin graft on her, and she has a rather large scar on her back. (I've changed her diapers.) I can only imagine what could have happened to her spine had she gone through the birth canal. Some kids are in a wheelchair their entire lives. She leads a very normal life.

Knowledge is power.

You had your child a while back. Why the rant now? Seriously, get over yourself. Really. Complain about what? That your doctor asked about pre-natal testing? Do you try and find things to get upset about?

I have read and responded to your past posts. You seem to get angry about a lot of things.

I had our daughter when I was 24. I looked very young as well. I had the testing. I was called back because it came back positive. Scared me to death. But I would have terminated and that is a personal decision made between my husband and myself. Thank the Lord everything was okay.

Again, you should have changed doctors and found one that you gelled with better. However, after reading and responding to some of your posts, I'm not sure that would be possible.

Really? Having a very hard time believing this, as legitimate docs are simply way too busy to deal with young, uneducated expectant parents who morre than realize you'll just do whatever you want anyway, right? You don't care about the baby and the lifetime of costs (how could you, only someone with a Down's child gets that) you are just a child yourself, and you don't like to be told no.
GROW UP.

I don't mean to belittle your experience-- obviously, it was upsetting for you.

That said, by complaining-- what do you hope will come from this?

The reason I ask is that I find making a suggestion is far more effective than just complaining. Most medical entities/clinics or hospitals do offer the ability to file a grievance, so you could do that.

But what would you want to change? That's the crux of it-- if you are going to make contact, I'd be very concrete in your suggestions: "I would ask that your doctors would be made aware of how insensitive their questions were. Looking on the form, the doctor could have ascertained if I was married without making me feel bad or looked down upon. Many women come to your doctors seeking advice about how to proceed during pregnancy; we need to be treated with respect and with understanding."

I'm also going to stretch a little and say that, from what I remember of your other posts, these experiences may have triggered other negative feelings for you from your past. I'm not saying they weren't insensitive, just that as you get older and more confident in yourself, you will be more able to just let go of this stuff and consider it as just one person's opinion. One person. Yes, she may be judging you-- and honestly, I've heard of similar treatment from other moms (one of them Catholic and it was her third child, not an extraordinary amount of children by any means). They just shook their heads at these buffoons and vented and then let it go.

Think about what you have going on in your life right now. How much time and attention do you want to give to this? So, either a strong letter with good suggestions or a grievance--- either way, try to let this go after that. You've got too many other things to focus on-- don't let this keep you from enjoying what you have now. Only you can give someone the energy to take the joy out of something-- think about it-- how many minutes did you actually have to spend in the presences of these unpleasant people? Probably not nearly as much time as you had to cuddle up with your belly and love on that baby growing inside you. :)

For what it's worth, the pregnancy I had before I had my son-- the doctors attempted to micromanage it; I refused. You do have a voice even in the moment. It wasn't easy to assert myself, but I also declined testing which wouldn't have helped me. (they wanted to do several ultrasounds on a high-risk pregnancy which I did end up losing, no one's fault) I do understand not testing; we declined an amnio as well; I just knew our son was either meant to be with us or he wouldn't be with us. These are very personal decisions-- we have to do what we feel is right for us.

There are benefits to knowing whether your baby has certain genetic diseases. Most importantly, the doctors can be prepared upon delivery to give any necessary medical care. If they know a baby is going to be born with a certain condition, they can have the right team and/or equipment on hand to treat the baby as soon as it's born.

Also, it can help the parents to be prepared. Knowing that your baby is going to spend time in the NICU, or knowing it will need certain care at home can make things easier on the parents. You can get information about the condition and what sort of effects it might have on your baby, both in the short and long term. You can make sure you have everything you need to give it the proper care.

I think it is great that you would keep the baby no matter what, but I definitely think there is a benefit to knowing in advance if your baby is going to have special needs.

I don't think your doctor handled it well - she shouldn't have been pissy with you. However, I most certainly see why she believes the tests are important.

ETA: Okay, so Julie's response got me thinking and I looked at your profile. Why are you upset about this now?? What triggered the rant? (And I'm okay with rants/venting. It feels good to get it out of your system.)

I get being upset put off about your doctor's comments, but why not just enjoy your daughter and put this behind you as a lesson learned?

Really, I'm trying to be supportive of your beliefs, but I'm confused...

Original:
New doctor. Stat.

My doctor offered the testing ONCE. He did it because it was his responsibility as a medical professional to ensure that I was an informed patient. And then he listened to my answer and never asked again. It was a very respectful conversation.

I also said no- like you, termination was not an option under any circumstances (ALSO NOT HERE TO START A DEBATE, that was just MY decision). My doctor was perfectly okay with it, too. (And I was in my mid-30's when I was pregnant!)

What your doctor did was awful, awful, awful. Find a new doctor.

And congratulations! This really should be a wonderful time for you and I hope you are able to enjoy the rest of your pregnancy!

Time for a new doctor. Why in the world are you seeing a GP? Is there a way to complain? Where there's a will, there's a way. I'm sure you'll find it.

Interesting.

Sounds like you need a new doctor. I personally saw an OB not a GP during my pregnancy.

I would have been out the door. You, we all, need docs who respect us and our decisions. You are both young and healthy. Not sure why they would push genetic testing. I would really find another doctor who is supportive of any decisions. Many girls refuse all testing because no matter whst, they are having their baby. Good luck to you.

I think you have a right to be upset. I was livid when I was pregnant with my second and I told them I didn't want the genetic testing done. Somehow they didn't take note of that and did it anyway. I received a call at work telling me I had to go in for a level 2 ultrasound and other testing because the genetic tests came back with a risk for Down's and neural tube defects. I had to wait something like 2 weeks and I was a nervous wreck. Of course everything turned out fine, and I was freaked out over nothing. I made sure to tell them that I hadn't wanted the genetic tests in the first place. I was adamant with my 3rd that I didn't want ANY genetic testing done. They didn't push it and everything was fine.

I think you should find a new doctor. If they can't respect your wishes this early on, why would you want to go through the pregnancy and labor with this practice.

Best wishes!

This genetic testing stuff is all new to me. I've never heard any friends saying they had it done or their doc said they should have it done....why in the world is it taking on popularity?

If I went to a doc that had a problem with this and was acting or treating me in any way that was disrespectful I think I'd give them benefit of asking them if they had a problem with my choices. If they did then obviously there would be a parting of the ways for us.

That was just rude for your doc to act like that.

Change doctors. It's one thing to be professional, but another to be pissy.

I am confused as to why you're upset about this AFTER your child was born... Why are you still thinking about it, unless you still go to this doctor and they are pissy about everything. In that case, change docs.