Anyone else freaking over Amnio Testing? Ahh!!!

[MountainMama2Be]

My husband and I had "the talk" last night about whether or not to do the ultrasound (neck measurement to check Downs Syndrome) and then possibly the Amniocentesis testing.

On one hand.....I know it would be a good idea....to know, but.....on the other hand....I've read horror stories of women getting it done and the needle accidentally poking and KILLING their baby! I just think I would DIE if that happened. It would be like MY FAULT because I'd made the CHOICE to get the procedure done! I didn't HAVE to....it was our decision, right? Wow. Deep.

I just don't know WHAT TO DO. 

I think I am going to talk with my OB next appointment and see what her thoughts are on it. Maybe she can provide me with some statistics (hopefully good ones) that will help calm my mind about it.

Is anyone opting to GET it done?

Anyone NOT getting it done?

I am 8 weeks, so I still have a couple of weeks until we need to make the final decision of to do or not to do it. 

[boysmom2]

I think it's a good idea to think about what you would do with the information.  I'll share with you how we decided not to do the testing, you may have totally different feelings than me, but it may help to read how we came to our decision.

For us, no matter the results of any testing, terminating a pregnancy is not an option.  So that helped a lot in coming to our decision, since we would not change the course of things based on that information.  So the other reason we would have had to do it, would be to know in advance of any disabilities and could prepare for them.  But, the ultrasound and blood tests have a high false-positive rate.  So just doing those could have given us a lot of potential worry for no reason.  And I just don't need any more stress when I'm pregnant.  The only way to confirm for sure is to do the amnio.  We've had a lot of m/cs, so that was a risk (however small) I was not willing to take.  

So, in the end, we decided that it would better to not do the testing.  I do have the 20wk anatomy check u/s, but that's all.  I feel like that's enough to catch really major stuff, like growth problems, etc. that would need to be monitored or might need intervention during the pregnancy.  

Congrats on your little one!  Good luck with your decision!

[NicaG]

For my first two pregnancies, we got the blood test and early ultrasound done. Both are non-invasive, and we were given a revised probability of abnormalities. Our probability of trisomy disorders and Down's was very very low (like 1/4,000) based on the tests, so we opted not to do amnio. For this pregnancy, I am older (37) and we already have two kids to take care of, and we felt like we definitely wanted to know if something was wrong. Our risk was still very low based on the screening tests, but I opted for cvs as well. I chose cvs because it can be performed earlier than amnio. Good luck with whatever you decide.

[MarineWife]

I'm pg with #4 and have been offered the NT scan and amnio for the last 3. It wasn't an option when I was pg with #1 in 1990 but I was also only 20 so there wouldn't have been any reason for either. I was 33 when pg with #2, 36-37 with #3 and 40-41 with this one so all the medical professionals recommend both tests. I declined each time. I actually declined all those early birth defect tests. I wasn't and still am not concerned about it. I would not have terminated my pg if anything had come back positive. I don't feel the need to know ahead of time if my baby might have any issues so that I can prepare. None of those tests were worth the potential added stress or the unnecessary risks involved to me. I did have the 18-20w anatomy ultrasound to make sure there wasn't anything that would preclude me from having a home birth.

[contactmaya]

Originally Posted by MarineWife 

I'm pg with #4 and have been offered the NT scan and amnio for the last 3. It wasn't an option when I was pg with #1 in 1990 but I was also only 20 so there wouldn't have been any reason for either. I was 33 when pg with #2, 36-37 with #3 and 40-41 with this one so all the medical professionals recommend both tests. I declined each time. I actually declined all those early birth defect tests. I wasn't and still am not concerned about it. I would not have terminated my pg if anything had come back positive. I don't feel the need to know ahead of time if my baby might have any issues so that I can prepare. None of those tests were worth the potential added stress or the unnecessary risks involved to me. I did have the 18-20w anatomy ultrasound to make sure there wasn't anything that would preclude me from having a home birth.

This.

Im on my third now. My age ateach of my pregnancies was 37, 40 and now 44. I would not terminate anyhow, so what is the point of  getting  worried over  something i cant change? The amniotic scan at 20 weeks  picks up important details that allow you to plan ahead if it is necessary. I am only interested in useful information, not information that gives me the legal right to terminate to a pregnancy, of gets me unnecessarily worried.

I short, i declined all of these tests, even at age 44.

Good luck
 

[parsley]

MountainMama- the nuchal translucency screening/quad screen and the amnio are two very different tests.  The nuchal translucency screening and quad screen are just an ultrasound and a blood draw.  If you are opposed to ultrasounds then you may want to skip it.  Personally, I don't have a problem with the judicious use of ultrasounds.  And, for me, the experience of being told everything is alright (ie: unlikely to be a chromosonal problem) is a huge relief.  I did this test with DD when I was 31 and will do it in a few weeks with #2 (I'm also 8 weeks pregnant). 

I'm not sure yet if I'll do an amnio or CVS.  I figure I'll make that decision once I have the results from the nuchal and quad screenings.  If my risk is very high, I will likely do the amnio (bc of the time factor as well as the lower risk of miscarriage).  If my risk is moderate, I'm not sure what I'll do. 

Regardless, I find it useful to think about these tests as two very different types of tests.  The first is a noninvasive screening (though it is medical and does use ultrasound).  The second is a diagnostic test with a risk.  To my way of thinking, you wouldn't do the second (amnio or cvs) unless the first had you very worried. 

And, in my limited experience having the nuchal and quad screening last time was a huge relief-- it gave me the very useful information that everything actually seemed fine!

Good luck and congratulations!

[Abraisme]

I do a 20 week anatomy ultrasound, which I feel is non-invasive and decently informative.

I would always opt out of an amnio at any age.  I wouldn't terminate a pregnancy and the amnio is quite invasive.