Undecided About Amniocentisis

My first (and only) baby born was when I was 32. My doctor said having a baby before 35 makes it muchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh easier to have another one after 35. I really wouldn't worry about it since you already have 2.

Hi N.,

I was 43 when I had my son. I actually scheduled a test then called and canceled on my way home. I just didn't want to take the risk. My son was just perfect!

I had an AFP with my first, and the test came back with a low protein level, so the doctor recommended another blood test. After a lot of stress about it for a couple of days, my husband and I decided not to go through with it because we weren't going to do anything regardless of the results. Come to find out later at the ultrasound that my baby was just younger than they initially thought, which is why the protein level was low. So, I recommend to anyone who asks that I think many of those tests just produce more stress than is necessary and many times they are not even correct.

Tests aren't 100 percent, but the death of a child from abortion is. If you carry that baby to term and that baby is born perfect and then later on that child is in an accident. What then? There are not absolutes in life. I have held my dead child's body in my hands. After she had died we found out that she was downs. I would do anything to have her alive and be able to kiss her little head. It really doesn't matter that she was downs, it matters that she was mine. It was agony burying her. There would be only one thing that would make it harder, to have known I caused her death. Please don't abort your baby. You carry it to term and if that baby isn't as you like, PM me. I'll take your child.

i find it exasperating that so many used this question, which makes N.'s beliefs quite clear, as an anti-choice platform rather than actually read what she wrote and answer THAT.
that being said, i really don't care for amnio. if the results were more accurate AND you would consider terminating in the case of severe problems (that was our position too) it would be a smart test to take. however, the risks are considerable and the results questionable.
i spent a lot of time worrying about the prospect of down's syndrome, when it turned out we had just miscalculated our conception date. tests that stress out pregnant women really pluck my nerves. i'm sure there are times they're helpful, but just using them across the board has caused way more angst than relief.
in your case, being barely over 35, healthy, no genetic issues, and two healthy kids already, i think i'd pass.
khairete
S.

This may be too simple an answer but if by having the test you're going to stress and worry about it don't have the test. You have had 2 healthy children. There's no reason to think you won't this time either. So you're a couple of years older, big deal. People do it everyday and have healthy children. How many friends do you have who gave birth at age 35+? How many of them have children with abnormalities? Probably none. Just relax and enjoy your pregnancy. I'm sure you have a healthy baby setting up shop inside your belly and s/he is doing great. Do whatever is going to make you worry less. You and your baby don't need all that extra stress.

Hi there. i have three children also. With my first i was 35 years old. My doctor was very pro amnio and sort of scared me into getting one. I had no problems with the procedure other than a weird reaction called a "vagel" something or other which just means i react to stress pain oddly. Anyway, all went well. With my second baby i skipped the pretest screenings and just went straight to the amnio (at 37) with the same doctor. My husband was pro amnio all along, but we had differing opinions as to what to do if we had a baby with an issue, so I am relieved we never did. Anway, i had the same reaction to the procedure with my second, but again, all turned out well. Then with the third baby we had moved from LA to Baltimore, I was now 40 and my Doctor said that she was appalled I had ever had the procedure done in the first place. she said it is archaic and that I should just have the pretest screenings and see how the results were then decide from there. So I listened to her, had the tests, the results were low worry, so we skipped it and i didn't have to worry about miscarrying or having to go through the awful reaction. I guess when all is said and done, having a good discussion with your husband about how to proceed if results are negative, then doing the prescreening tests, and seeing how those results are, then go with the amnio if necessary. The piece of mind that comes with a healthy amnio screening cannot be beat, however the fact that the procedure is painful, and rather archaic and holds risks, didn't really make it worthwhile for me. I hope this helps and isn't too scattered. All three girls are running amock and the third has a poopy diaper.
-R.

its a very personal decision, and not an easy one. with my 3rd baby i had really lousy afp results too, 1 in 35, it was awful. i am resentful because i feel that it ruined my last pregnancy. i didnt have the amnio. i was 39. maybe if i did it wouldnt have ruined the pregnancy. but maybe something would have gone wrong, and i never could have forgiven myself...i dont know...
i will tell you the things that we considered when deciding.... first of all, the "what would i do if....", also, even if you wouldnt terminate, there is the consideration that you might want to be more prepared and knowledgeable if you are going to have a baby with a "disability" (remember that even if your amnio shows downs, it doesnt show the severity, which varies widely).... anyway, the thing that was the clincher for me was that my husband said, well, if we were thinking of doing something that had a 1 in 100 chance of "terminating" one of our kids (that we already have), i sure wouldnt do it. so,,, just to add to your confusion :) anyway, i wish you the very best of luck. oh, and i wouldnt put too much stock in the afp test,,,

Hi, Im not 35 (22 actually) and I just had an amnio less than 2 weeks ago. I decided to have it because my quad screen came back as having a 1 in 18 chance for a baby with Down's. I mainly ahd the amnio because I wanted to know if I had to prepare for a Down's baby. Plus I was freaking out over my high risk odds. I had a level 2 ultrasound first that showed no markers for Down's but still wanted an amnio to confirm that all was well. The procedure wasnt as bad as I was thinking it would be. Just a poke and a very uncomfortable weird feeling. I got my FISH results the next day and they came back normal. I am still waiting for full results. Plus side, you can find out the sex way early. I found out I am having a girl (at 16 weeks). Good luck with whatever you do decide, but the amnio is a sure answer and its not bad at all.

I have had 3 healthy children and with each I opted for amnio. The 1% risk of complications drops even lower when your amnio is performed by a doctor who is very experienced. Don't hesitate to ask your OB how many amnios he's done and how often he performs them (i.e. 10 per month, per year, etc.). If you don't feel comfortable, tell him you would like a referral to have the amnio performed by a perinatologist (a doctor who specializes in maternal-fetal medicine). Better yet, if you don't want to ask for the referral up front, you can instead "make sure that your schedule doesn't match up with your doctor's schedule to perform the amnio". That way, they'll be forced to refer you to a facility that regularly performs amnios. A fine, fine group is Greater Washington Maternal Fetal Medicine in Rockville with Drs. Pinckert, Gallagher, Matea and Manley. They are w/o question top notch!

Wow. In all honesty I have a hard time relating to your position. I cannot imagine being far enough along in a pregnancy to be considering amnio and even consider the idea that you might not continue the pregnancy.

I was 35, almost 36 when I got pregnant with my son, after five years of trying. We had finally given up and were perfectly happy with our daughter. Then surprise! The whole thing was touch and go for months. About 8 weeks in they did a sonogram (our third) and still no heart. They told me they would give us one more week, if there was no heart at that point they would declare it a miscarrage and they would need to remove the tissue. I was really upset.

Then, lots of bleeding (not just spotting) at 13 weeks, a really mess. Everyone at the ER and my doctor really believed this was it. But he was still there, my little fighter!

They did that tests you mentioned about odds, which over 35 the odd go up dramatically. Our odds were 1 in 45 chance that he would be born with his spine exposed. They asked us about amnio. We asked them if the information would change anything they would do to prepare for his delivery. They said no. We then asked "why do the amnio?" The doctor said something like, maybe we would want to continue the pregnancy. My husband and I, without even looking at each other, said no. After everything we went through to get to this point, we were "all in."

I suffered with an entrapped nerve and a scheduled c-section. My son was perfect. He is five and is still a wonderful kid. Does he have issues, yup. He had two seizures when we was two. We spent time on epilepsy meds. He probably has some learning issues, we are still work on that. All of which could have happened regardless of my age.

So on the one hand I can relate to the question of "to amnio or not." However, on the other hand I cannot relate. I went through so much to get both my children, and I love them so much -- warts and all. That the idea of having a less than perfect child would not change my mind to have another. I cannot have any more, both physcially and financially. If I could I would in a minute (despite how hard it is on me). If I could financially, I might even adopt. These are options I don't have, so in this regard I cannot relate to your position.

That said, if you are being honest about yourself, and you really don't think that a less than perfect child is something that you and your husband can cope with -- I don't know what to tell you. I can understand that you would not want to deal with it, but not wanting and not being able are too different things.

I would suggest learning a bit more about amnio. First, just because the amnio indicates that there may be a genetric abnomality, that doesn't tell you anything about the extent to which that disability will impact your child. So you'll have some info but not a full picture, I think. The full picture still cannot be known until the child is born and develops. I do not think there is anything in the amnio that can tell you if your child is autistic, do you want to deal with that?

Why did you opose amnio before?

I am probably not helping, but really the question is are you committed to this child no matter what or not? Amnio can only give you some info. It cannot answer all questions. If the amnio misses a problem, and you find out after the birth, are you going to regret having had the baby? If you find out when your child is 2-6 years old that he/she has autism are you going to regret having had the child?

This week a man testified before the US House of Representatives about the American with Disabilities Act, he was in a wheel chair, at the age of 8 his twin and he were playing ball. He ran into the street to get the ball, and was hit by a car. He has spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair. If that happened to you would you regret having had him?

Lastly, at the age of 25 my husband had a brain hemorage from a blood disorder, he spent 11 days in a coma. They said he wouldn't live. They said he wouldn't walk. They said he would never have children. He has done all those things. He cannot drive, and does have some issues. If he were your son, and you had to suffer through all that -- the coma, months of therapy -- would you regret having had him?

The point is there are no promises. Any thing can happen to your child. Your either "all in" or your not. Of course this is a lot of heavy philosophy to be dealing with when your hormones are going crazy. I wish you the best of luck. As much as I would like to have another child, I wouldn't want to be in your shoes, and have to suffer with these types of doubts.

I hope this is somewhat helpful. Good Luck! I wish you and your family the best of luck! I hope someone posts something that helps you find peace of mind.

Personally, I chose to forego any type of testing because all I'd heard is stories of people getting false results, worrying the whole pregnancy, and then having a healthy baby.

I delivered my second child when I was 36 and I felt that I should trust in God that the baby would be healthy and if not, we would deal with it when the baby was born. I would not want to live with the decision to terminate, so that made my choice a bit easier for me/us. I am now pregnant with my 3rd child and we are going to make the same choice.

We will do the 20 week ultrasound and if there are obvious health issues, they can be identified and dealt with at that time. There is no need to put the baby's life in jeopardy to do testing that is never 100% accurate.

This time I am more worried - this pregnancy was unexpected and I was not taking pre-natal vitamins until about 8 weeks. But I will still stick with my decision and put my faith in God that we won't be given anything we can't handle.

Only you and your husband can decide that. You may want to decide the "what if" before you decide on the test. If you would continue the pregnancy either way, then you shouldn't stress yourself out with the test.

I did not have one with either of my children (I had one when I was 19 and the other when I was 34. There are risks with the test and like you said, not 100% conclusive results so in my opion "what's the point?". Before anyone gives me a list of all the reasons to the test...I do know there are benefits but without risk factors (besides age) and unless it makes a difference in your decision to continue the pregnancy I don't feel there is a reason to have the test. What I see is the risks envolved w/ the test itself and another source of stress for everyone especially mom.

My sister's friend had a risky pregnancy w/ a baby who had hole in the heart. They monitored so closely and downs syndrom was a strong possibility (along w/ the characteric appearances). They have been SOOOO stressed. Baby was born and appears perfectly healthy. Does still have the heart issue and will need treatment for that but is otherwise perfectly fine!

With my pregnancy 2 yrs ago, I was 36. I decide not to go with amnio because I was having a girl. Amnio would have done nothing for me except stress waiting for results and such. If it was a boy, I would have gone for it because I do have a history of genetic disorders and I would have wanted to know to prepare, and make sure my son was handled correctly at birth. If I were to get pregnant again (NOT trying) I would do the same thing.

Three years ago, I was pregnant at 35 years old and had a nuchal test that showed increased risk for Down Syndrome. I delievered a healthy baby, but will never forget the worry even after the ultrasound came back with positive results. I decided let the ultrasound results guide me in the decision of whether to have an amnio or not as I felt uncomfortable with the risk related to the test. I need to tell you that I had alrady decided to continue the pregancy unless the baby did not have a brain. I am a Christian who would not have an abortion at this point in my life. If you would have asked me many years ago I'm not sure of what the answer would have been. The doctor told me that an amnio is the only definitive way to determine abnormalities, but in 8 of 10 cases they can see something on the ultrasound. I suggest having the ultrasound and remember that the tests often have false positive results so you cannot rely on them.

Go with your gut feelings. I had my 1st child at 36, 2nd at 38 both high risk. I had all kinds of negative results, enough to stress me out. When the tests came back my son may be growing in my abdomen instead of womb and I had a chance either me or baby would die, it got more confusing. I prayed so hard, you can't imagine. They recommended amnio because they also thought he might have down syndrome...(those dogone tests-make me mad thinking about them again)..Long story short, after going back and forth for a week whether to risk losing him thru the amnio or after birth, I chose to leave it in God's hands and not take the test. Turns out my baby is totally fine, no problems. So bottom line, go with your guts and prayer. You are high risk already, why risk losing a child over the test that may or may not prove a thing. The fact is that IF the baby is or is not down syndrome or whatever the test will prove...you cannot change that, can you. All you can do is make a decision to take care of a special needs child or a healthy child, whichever one you get. I was not for abortion, so the only option for me was to have the baby whatever the outcome was. Good luck on your decision. It's a tough one.

Listen to your heart, it will guide you.

I had my first at 36, second at 38. We did the ultrasound screenings and ended up finding a problem with my second's kidney. I was planning on home birthing and could tell that the specialists were too keen on that idea. I ended up speaking to my pediatrician, and he calmed me down enough that I decided to stop going for monthly ultrasounds. Son ended up having surgery at 4 weeks, and he will go again at 12 months, but I just listened to my heart.

I personally think the tests cause more stress than anything. Unless you are going to abort if you find a problem, is there a reason why you need to know NOW? If there isn't, I would skip the amnio.

Doctors make much money off tests and forget about the person and their feelings. They tell you its best and if you care about your child; but that is not exactly true. You have to go with your instinct is telling you; if you are having stress or worries over it then you should not do it. Do not let the doctor make you feel bad; if you need to sign a form stating you refused it then sign it. No test or doctor is 100% accurate.
Our first we had at 20 in 1994 and the doctor thought our baby was dead...no she was just laid back born healthy today a healthy 16 yrold girl in honors classes, drill team & journalism. The second girl we gave birth too in 2009 at 35 (i know years later...we wanted to be more financially secure) the doctor said she was abnormal from blood tests and we had to see a perinatal doctor that stated the baby was just fine & she was born healthy and normal; all the doctor said was oops some test come back with false positives. By the way....we refused to do the test where you drink that orange sugary drink and the amnio; i told him give me the paper to sign because i wasn't pumping my baby full of sugar to make me & her sick or risk losing the baby. He was angry called me inconsiderate and i told him he was rude & inconsiderate of my feelings because i know my body. He based it on statistics..me black&mexican my husband swedish; i was 35 and gained a lot of weight from 145 to 269....(gained from lots of salads, seafood, stirfry...no junk.. overall healthy) no high blood pressure or diabetes. Doctor's have to base test on stats and money; instead of the person's personal history. So, if you have issues or worries over a test do what your mind, heart, and instinct are telling you. Don't do it. We as mother's can never go wrong with our instincts. Congrats on your 3rd little; what a beautiful blessing to bring another little angel into the world.

I guess it depends on your reasoning for getting the amnio, meaning...would you do anything different about your pregnancy if the outcome wasnt great? If you would still go to term w/ your pregnancy and have the baby, then I say why bother with the test.
I was 37 w/ my last pregnancy and opted out of testing. I figured whatever was wrong w/ my baby didnt matter. I would carry to term, give birth and move on with my life, dealing with whatever happened. I knew I ran the risk of having a baby w/ down syndrome, but that didnt bother me. You just sort of have to know your risks and plan to deal w/ the outcome. Once you have that mind set, enjoy the rest of your pregnancy, the birth of your child, and ultimately, Your new baby. Best Wishes.

i had an aminocentisis while i was pregnant with my daughter, and while the procedure is painful, its nothing compared to childbirth without painkillers. it basically feels like you are being jabbed with a large, sharp straw in the tummy, because really thats what is happening to you. you will need to bring a volunteer to hold you , to keep from squirming around. my obgyn was dr hyde with va. physicians for women, i wouldnt recommend either the company or the doctor to anyone,living or dead. more later
K. h.

Think of it this way.. would you love the baby any less if it did happen to have an abnomality? If you say no to this then you should say no to amnio.. it isn't worth the risk.

I had two similar tests with my sons One was called a Chorionic Villus Sampling or CVC and I only had the amino with my first son. The CVS is done only between 11 and 12 weeks of pregnancy. Which I feel gives someone the opportunity to decide what they want to do early if a chromosonal abnormality is found. The problem with the amino is that it is done so late and for someone like me, who was going to have the baby no matter what, it did not make sense for me to do. So I did not have the amino with my second son but I did do the CVS again.
My sister had a similar test done I forget the name and the results were that her baby had a high chance of having down syndrome. It was measured by some type of antibodies or something that was found in her blood. She was a reck and I talked with her for weeks trying to convience her that her baby was not going to have down syndrome. Today she has a healthy 3 year old.

I was 36 when I was pregnant with my first (and last!) child. They recommended the CVS, but it scared me, so I didn't do it. We had a little bit of an issue getting pregnant in the first place so that was part of my decision not to. Later, we did the sonogram and the risk was decreased from what they saw then, so my husband and I both decided against the amnio. My husband was trying to reduce the drama for me and the risk for Erin; I was thinking of the story of a woman who had it done, the baby was fine according to the test, but the amnio caused an abortion. Her baby was perfectly healthy and she lost it anyway. It might be rare, but it can happen. If the sonogram shows no abnormalities, I'd skip it.

My daughter has a heart murmur, nothing serious, and otherwise is a very normal, sweet 6 1/2 year old.

Waiting to find out "if" is no fun, but is it worth the risk? And without %100 results anyway? And since the odds weren't good for your last child, but they're fine after all? I can see why you're uncomfortable with it. My take is, it's up to you, not your husband. Input is fine, but the decision is yours.

I just had my 5th baby at age 39. I had an amnio to determine lung maturity at 36 weeks. This was my 4th child having this done because of Alloimmune Thrombocytopenia. They wanted to do a bunch of tests at 15 weeks or so to determine if I had any abnormalties or chromosone disorders but I opted out of doing those. Nothing was going to be treatable anyway. I'd see which was riskier, to go with it or not to know if there is something going on. Good luck and congratulations!

I had one with my seconds baby, because like you, I was unsure what I would do. Luckily the results were good and I had a healthy son. You have to do what feels right for you.

Hi N.,

Amniocentisis is right 50% of the time. The doctor will give you that statistic. It is also an invasive procedure for the baby. I would think that a doctor would dodge that kind of issue if he thinks a 36 year old is a high risk. I had both my little ones in my 30s and had no tests done. They were both healthy. Too many times I hear (on this website) that moms opt for the test, it showed something wrong with the baby and then when the little one comes into the world, nothing is wrong. I personally believe there is more risk with the test. When I "point blank" asked my OB, she said the same thing.

God bless,

M.

I am currently pregnant with my 3rd as well, but I am younger than you are. I originally thought that I was going to do all the extra testing that I could to see if abnormalties came up - and my reason was b/c I have 2 other children at home that I need to care for. Then, I got sidetrack and accidently left the dr. office at my 4 month appt before doing my blood work. I called in and asked if they needed me to turn around and my dr said nah... don't worry about it we can do it at your next appt. So, I again was all for doing the blood work at my 5 month appt. I did the ultrasound first and then had my normal dr appt. After the dr came in I asked about doing my bloodwork and she said she didn't really suggest it b/c my ultra sound looked just fine. And honestly, at 5 months pregnant, I knew the test results would not have changed my mind about the pregnancy - this baby has become part of our family already. So, not matter how baby comes out - he/she is here to stay and we will love it no matter what.

Now, I have never thought of doing the amnio, I was just going to do blood work, but I suggest maybe waiting till your ultrasound and see what it brings.

Congratulations with your soon to be family member!!

I had my two sons at age 36 and 39. I did not get an amnio because I knew that no matter what, I was keeping my children. I'm not sure if this helps you out or not. I don't think knowing in advance could help you prepare for any child as all children are different.

I would agree with mommy x 3. You are healthy. Your family history is healthy. Any dr. worth his salt will be able to tell by the ultrasound if there are any issues with your baby-to-be. I did get blood tests and ultrasound with my two because I had them at 37 and 40, and I guess I may have considered the amnio if there were any concerns after those, but both times my dr.'s were able to say they weren't expecting any problems just because ultrasound technology and testing (esp. for Down's) is so much better. I didn't want to risk (even if it was a "small" one) the amnio. We waited too long for these two to risk it. Still, do what you need to do to be prepared for your baby's needs when s/he comes, and congratulations!