Need Some Advice on Getting an Amnio

They offered me the tests as well, both when I was pregnant with twins at 34 and now pregnant with one at 37. I refused based on the fact that nothing would change if there was indeed something wrong. For this pregnancy I asked for a level II ultrasound in lieu of the amnio. Perhaps you can request one as well?

Dear C.,

Trust your instincts. Noone else knows how you feel about this.

My story: I was pregnant at the age of 43, I was 44 when my daughter was born. Because of my age, every test under the sun was reviewed with me. At first, my hubby and I said we'd do everything, then I thought about it. I was so happy about being pregnant and hadn't had any problems. I also know that if something happened, and I lost the baby, I would always remember the joy of my pregnancy. I didn't want my entire pregnancy to be governed by tests, and waiting for test results. I felt it would tak away some of the excitement and joy. I also did some research and learned that certain tests have a high degree of "false-positive" results - meaning that the test could show something abnormal, but the test was wrong. This was particulary possible with the blood screening tests done in the earlier part of pregnancy. So, I told my hubby that I wasn't interested in being tested for everything, because I wanted to enjoy the miracle of pregnancy, but I admitted that I would like to have some idea of what to expect if there was a problem. I decided to have one test, and that would be it. I opted for the CVS, which is similar to an amnio, but can be done earlier. I had it at about 13 weeks, and never looked back. My daughter is 1 now, and dressed up as an angel for Halloween. Who knows, maybe she'll have a sibling........Good luck to you. Enjoy!!

What did they call the spot near the baby's heart? On my daughter's ultrasound they saw an echogenic focus (a spot near the heart ) They said this could mean down syndrome but on the other hand may not be. She was born healthy not too many months later. I cant advise you on if you should get one but ask yourself this ... what would you do if the amnio shows something if the answer is nothing and you will continue the pregnacy then dont get an amnio because they can cause a mis carriage. If the answer is youre not sure then think it through just remember those tests can be wrong. Good luck I hope everything is okay and congratulations on your pregnancy :) I just want to share another story with you that may help... when my cousin was pregnant with her son her bloodwork came back saying there was a problem and then she had an amnio... The amnio came back saying her child had down syndrome... her husband and her after alot of thought decided to go through with the pregnacy that they loved the baby regardless ... well the baby was born with no health problems what so ever ... he did not have down syndrome or anything else for that matter. so remember those tests are not 100%

I personally would not do it. I did not have any testing done. I was going to keep the baby regardless of what some test said, and some of time the tests are wrong. It is stressful enough being pregnant and sorting out all those details. In the end you have to way out is it worth the stress of the test on yourself physically and mentally. Everyone is different when it comes to pregnancy and raising your children so it is a personal choice.

HI C. -
When I was pregnant with my son Matthew, he was diagnosed with duodenal atresia, which means that part of his intestine died while it was forming. In about 60% of babies with this birth defect there is also down syndrome. I decided that no matter what the outcome, I was keeping my baby, but I also wanted to be prepared for anything else that might happen. I ended up having 2 amnios during that pregnancy, the first at 20 weeks, and the second at 35 weeks (gave birth a week later!). I was lucky enough and I had no problems at all. I gave birth to a healthy little boy, who now has no problems at all. I think that if it would give you peace of mind that you should get the amnio, because the chances of miscarrying are so slim. I had 2 and I didn't miscarry. But it is a personal choice that you and the baby's father have to make. Good luck!

C., I was pregnant at 35 and they wanted me to have one. My husband asked them what it would do and they said it would tell if there was something wrong with the baby and he said if there is what can you do for my wife and they said nothing. so he said forget it why make yourself crazy when those test have been wrong before.

C.,

Due to your age, the risks of downs syndrome and other chromosomal defects are much higher. The question comes down to, Do you want to know? for myself, I would need to know. I would need time to adjust to the news, to research the situation as thoroughly as I possibly could, to get the absolute best medical team I could assemble in place, and to line up the necessary suuports, like therapists, try to find a suuport group of other moms who raise children with the same diagnosis, etc. I wouldn't handle finding that out all the way at the end well. In return, I would spend 22 additional weeks worrying. It comes down to your personality type.

I would suggest you speak with your doctor about your concerns. Some people do miscarry after having an amnio, so I would discuss this possibility with the doctor, and also find out how necessary they feel the test is. Also, are you sure of your due date? I ask only because when I was pregnant with my son, my bloodwork came back wrong, and they wound up finding out that I was a month farther along than I thought. Just a suggestion. Good Luck.

Hi C.~ I had the same thing happen to me, We were very nervous about the blood test results, there is already so much to worry about during your pregancy it stinks to add more with a abnormal blood test result,anyway after having a good ultrasound besides the white color around the heart(which they told me it was probably just calsium built up in 1 spot and would go away)we decided to not do the amnio we said if there were to be something wrong with the baby we would still keep it and thought why put the stress of the test on us and the baby. good luck to you and the baby

Hi C.,

Sorry to hear that you are in this position and afraid. I had a similar situation just last year. I was 37 and pregnant with my third child. They saw some white spots on a sonogram and the doctor informed me that they were calcium deposits. He said that they could be normal or it could be something to be concerned about it...how is that for narrowing a potential disaster?!? Anyway, they wanted to do an amnio but I refused because of the dangers involved. I figured since it was a 50/50 chance that something could be wrong I would not put the baby at risk just to know something that I would find out eventually anyway. Some people would want to know if something was wrong but I thought of the risks involved in finding out if something was wrong and I just refused. My son was born happy and healthy and will be a year next month. The calcium deposits disappeared as the pregnancy progressed. This could be the same for you.

I didn't do it and I don't suggest that you do because of the risks but I think it all depends on if you want to know now or later if there could be a problem.

Good luck!

C.:

I have a friend that was in a similar situation, they saw calcium deposits around the baby's heart for her two pregnancies. She never did the amnio for either one of the pregnancy and she came to have two wonderful healthy boys. The question I would ask is what are you planning to do with the amnio results? If you would use the results for you to prepare yourself for possibility (keep in mind that there is also a good chance everything is fine) of a child with down syndrome and all that entails, I would say you already have the answer b/c of the previous test results. Therefore don't risk the pregnancy.

Hi C., I'm only 23 and have a 5 month old son... im healthy as well and found no reason to get it done. But i figured that i could at least tell u this: No matter what the test comes back as- are u willing to keep your child? If so, then i would not get it done due to the chance of miscarrying. You're baby could be perfectly healthy and ok, and if u get this test done, its possible to misscarry him/her- so i think you, as a mom and a woman, should listen to yourself and your heart and weigh your benefits to risks. Dont let medical reasons guide you b/c they are never 100%. So good luck and no matter what you choose, im sure it will be the right decision for yourself. ;)

This is tough, a very hard situation. But if you aren't the type to abort the baby even if something is wrong ... then there is no point in having the amnio. the only benifit would be knowing more about what is going on. I was always afraid of amnios , just thinking about a needle going into our stomach and piercing the sac??? I could not imagine where your head is at right now... emotional rollercoaster!! I will say a prayer for you and your family. My advice would be sit down with a pen and paper and write down all the positives and negatives, sometimes when you get it down on paper it becomes clearer to you. If you need to talk to anyone You can email me at ____@____.com. I am sure this is a tough time for you. Be strong and thik positive it will all turn out the way it is supposed to be.

research the risks at your stage, and weigh it with your need or the importance of knowing about a potential problem. If it's not worth it do not do it. The most important thing I've learned as a mother is to always trust your instinct. your body always tells you what to do in these situations. I had the amnio and it's not as bad as you would expect as far as pain. the risk of a problem was low for me because i was toward the end of my pregnancy. you should definatley be informed before letting a doctor perform any procedure. that way you feel comfortable about anything being done to your body and child. good luck!

If this were me. I'd decide how I feel about this pregnancy and baby. If you decide that no matter what happens you will continue with this pregnancy then I wouldn't bother. If you decide that no matter how healthy or sick this child is you will continue with this pregnancy, then don't take the risk. Because once you do have the amnio your risk of miscarriage increases. If you decide that if there are health problems with this child that you would terminate the pregnancy then I'd do it. If you know that you can't handle a child that is physically or mentally handicapped (and let's face it ladies not everyone can handle that. It takes someone special. And God never gives us more then we can handle.) then I would have the amnio done. So you need to do some soul searching right now. Decide what is right for you and your family.

P.S. I don't mean to step on any toes, or hurt anyone's feelings. I know that others would choose to have the child either way. And I know how some feel about termination. Not everyone can handle a child with special needs, and that's o.k. It takes a women of amazing patience and strenght to handle this situation. And please remember, that irregardless of our own personal views, this is a choice that C. has to live with. I would hate for any of us to come here and look down our noses at whatever she decides is right for her and her family.

when i was pregant with my son 8 years ago....they found a white spot on his brain. they thought it was downs syndrom and we had a amnio done. i didt it becuse i was 6 months along. you're only 18 weeks. that means that you have a larger chance of losing the baby dont do? did they talk to you about that? its nothing to be afraid of really. just take a deep breath when the needle goes in and watch the sono they have so they dont hit the baby. it would put your mind at ease at least. but make sure they carry on talking about it. cuz after they did my amnio, they stopped talikin about the spot on his brain and i had to find out on my own that he got brain damage from it! good luck and hope things work out for you.

I wish you had posted a few days ago! Don't be scared.... Did you have a level 3 u/s?? when I had my son, I was 36 and they gave me an alternative for the amnio, it was a level 3 u/s and a series of bloodwork. It was less invasive and we got the same results. You should go, if you want to be prepared if something is wrong, if you don't want to find out, then don't go. My opinion (and it's an opinion, not telling you what to do), is go, that way you'll know what you are up against and maybe they could even fix any issues in utero.... good luck..

I feel for you. I was 37 and 40 for my pregnancies, and each time, I agonized about whether to get the amnio or not. Both times, i went through with it, mostly convinced because the numbers for my age were not good. Both times, I was fortunate that all went well with amnio and babies. But just last month, my friend (41) misscarried after her amnio. It hasn't yet been clearly determined if the amnio caused the misscarriage, because the fetus/placenta did have some issues. But it was still the most heartbreaking thing.
I would suggest trying to talk to your OB/GYN, and also do some reading. See if you can find out the rate of misscarriages after amnios at the place you are going for the procedure. I'm sure you already thought about all the other things they tell you to think about when amnio's come up, like will you abort or not, etc. Keep in mind that 18 weeks is also 2nd trimester, so maybe you could do some other screenings before taking the amnio, or at least put it off for another week. I wish you all the best.

i wouldn't take the chance...they use us as an experiment. there is no reason why we have to put a needle in us to do anything...THEY DON'T BELONG IN THAT SAC WHERE THE BABY LIVES!!! they are wrong sooo many times. we are part of an experiment. a doctor let it slip once right in front of me!!! listen to what that first girl said as your first response...BRAIN DAMAGE...ENOUGH SAID!! good luck!!