M.*.
I was 37 when I was pregnant and didn't have an amnio. I relied on the red flag blood tests the OB did prior to the amnio and also went to genetic testing which came out fine. I too was concerned as a friend of a friend had recently lost their baby due to a "mis-poke."
My un-medical opinion is unless you have a genetic pre-disposition to a specific disease or certain blood tests come out "off" then you should be fine. Their are a lot of down sides to actually having an amnio and it is truly your choice. Moral acceptance of what your higher power gives you for a child is the ultimately the point.