2nd Trimester
lindseylovestj
member
Anyone opt to not have any testing done?
lindseylovestj
member
We decided not to have any testing done & just wondered if anyone else did the same?
Edit: Genetic testing, not testing for STDs, Rh pos/neg, etc.
Edit: Genetic testing, not testing for STDs, Rh pos/neg, etc.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Anyone opt to not have any testing done?
Are we talking just for genetic disease or no testing whatsoever for things like HIV/STDs, RH positive or negative, Group B Strep, GD?
If it includes the latter, I'm sorry, I think that's irresponsible.
ETA: Also Cystic Fibrosis...while it may not affect how you feel about your child it's nice to know if you're a carrier or not in case your kid wants to have children of their own one day...
I should have been more specific, I meant genetic testing. We've had all the other testing done that you mentioned, I'm actually RH positive & will be getting the shot at the next appointment.
^This.
Charlotte Ella 07.16.10
Emmeline Grace 03.27.13
This. Plus, the genetic testing is based off of the odds my child would have something. I did not want to have to worry about my baby possibly having something when he does not.
Please don't imply that those of us who choose to get testing do so because it would change how we feel about our baby, or because we would choose to terminate.
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Where I am from, you need to qualify for specific tests. For example, I do not qualify for an NT scan because of my age, and no family history. They do not have the proper machines and enough qualified techs for everyone who is pregnant to have the scan.
Same with the amnio - I'm too young, no history (you need to be over 35)
If we did have the option, yes, we would get testing done and we would not continue with the pregnancy if something was horribly wrong.
We decided against it as well. We never really talked in depth about it, but my husband and I both don't have any desire to get further testing done. I think for me, I just wouldn't want to worry about anything throughout the pregnancy.
I wasn't even aware what RH positive/negative was (had to Google it). I had blood work done and am sure they would have said something to me if there was an issue.
Congrats on your baby girl! We are naming her Ava too, but Ava Nicole.
This is how we feel about it too!
Thank you!
I only knew about RH pos/neg because of my cousin, & I really didn't know anything about it. I also had blood work done at the beginning & figured they would let me know if there was an issue. At my last appointment, two weeks ago my OB told me I'm RH positive & since we don't know what DH is, they're going to give me a shot as a precaution & test LO when she is born, if she is positive too, then they will give me another shot then to protect future babies. Your OB will definitely let you know if it's an issue for you.
Edit: Oops...meant to say RH negative, not positive, had them confused
Obviously a very personal decision, but here's what we did:
We opted out last time and did this time as well. If there was a test that could tell me definitively, that had zero risk I would agree just so we could be prepared. My issue with the screenings are, they could say your baby has a high chance of having X and your baby could be totally fine, or your baby has a low chance and it does indeed have X. So you have the entire pregnancy to prepare, but in the end you may have been worrying/preparing for nothing. I always knew we would never agree to a CVS or an Amnio, so for us screenings just didn't make sense.
We have never done genetic testing with previous pregnancies and will not do it with this pregnancy. As PPs mentioned it would not change anything and we know too many people who have had false positive results.
Its a personal choice....I respect those who want to do it but it just isn't what DH and I want.
Some could say the exact opposite. I will have all the testing done because I love my child.
I would want to be better prepared. Finding out serious things after just giving birth is likely to be more difficult for me than being nervous during pregnancy. Declining all testing is not responsible at all in my opinion. (finding certain things before birth can sometimes save a baby's life, low risk or not)
It's a personal thing. I think quoted comment makes it sound as though people who test love their child less and that's just wrong.
I refused the genetic testing for the following
1) I wasn't at high risk
2) My age
3) and MOST important - it wouldn't have changed anything for me
As my dr said, you will also learn a lot with your sonograms too
We decided not to do the NT scan and testing that go along with that because the results only give odds and it seems as though high odds or "false positives" are somewhat common. However, when we had our A/S, they thought they saw an echogenic bowel, which could be a marker of Downs, CF or other issues. So then, I definitely wanted some answers and had a follow-up U/S, CF testing, and the MaterniT21 type testing. Even though I would not terminate and would love my lil' guy no matter what, I hated not really knowing if there was something atypical going on, as the A/S may have shown.
Happily, the doctor saw absolutely nothing abnormal with the bowel or otherwise on the followup U/S, so he strongly predicts that the testing all comes back fine
This!
Exactly this. The VAST majority of women that get the testing do not do so because they would terminate if something came up, or because they would love their child less. We do it so that we can feel better prepared and more at ease. I totally understand that some people feel like they would worry too much about false positives and "high" odds, not all of us feel the same.
We have no history of genetic abnormalities but chose to have all the screenings done. We found out at 15 weeks that our baby has Down's Syndrome. We wanted to know before birth if we needed to plan for any ICU time or immediate surgical needs. #2 reason for having it done is I'd rather know now and go through the emotions of shock/OMG/sadness/grief/etc now, rather than experiencing those feelings when they place my baby in my arms. I feel truly blessed that we know now and will be getting tons of screenings to ensure we are prepared to meet her needed level of care at birth. We've also been able to prepare our families as well and get in touch with support communities.
Obviously this is a very personal decision and I truly understand not getting the tests. Just wanted to share what our decision/experience has been.
I agree that it is a personal thing & have nothing against those who choose to have testing done. I don't think those who said that they didn't test because it wouldn't change the love they have for their child meant that those who do test love their child any less, at least that's not how I took it to mean.
I don't think that by not testing that I'm irresponsible however. Just as you said, its a personal choice & while the tests are wonderful for some, I just don't want to take the chance that they tell me there is something wrong with my baby, & I worry the rest of the pregnancy, then everything turns out to be fine. To each their own though, I don't believe either way is wrong, just a personal choice!
We decided to forego any of the genetic testing as well. While I am older and considered AMA we both decided to opt out for several reasons.
1. It took us several years to get pregnant and did not feel the end result would change how we felt about the baby.
2. After this one we do not plan on having any more since I have a 14yr old from a previous marriage and as I get older I don't plan on having any more after this one.
3. If this baby would have any genetic defects I still would keep it. I have personal religious views that are against this. I do not have any hard feeling against any one who has or will ever make that decision, this is just how I feel what's right for me.
Are you RH negative, and baby is RH positive? I think the concern is when mom is RH neg, not positive
Yes, I corrected myself in a later post but forgot about that one! I had them confused, oops! I'm RH negative.
This- I opted not to have any of the genetic testing done, I am not in any of the risk categories and nothing showed on any of our scheduled ultrasounds to suggest the need. What every individual chooses for herself and her family is her own decision. It doesn't mean she loves her child any less than the next mother. Any implication otherwise is very short sighted. Lurking on all of these boards, especially on the Loss, TTCAL, and PGAL boards there are a lot of stories of the heartbreak women have gone through having to make the toughest decisions of their lives, especially when their LO's are experiencing pain and suffering in the womb. It's not a black and white subject, be thankful that you don't have to deal with some of these situations, it isn't always about loving a child with a disability.
What jteneback said exactly please don't imply that those of us who DO test will love our baby any less because of it.
Choosing to be prepared, educated and aware of any abnormalities does not mean I will love my child less or choose to terminate because of it. I would just want to know and prepare so I'm not clueless and incapable of caring for my child if any thing perhaps were to be "wrong"
With that said I did opt out of invasive (Amnio/CVS) tests because I felt the risks outweighed the benefits. And I took every test result with the understanding that it is all a matter of chance. And I would NEVER chose to terminate no matter what each test result was.
We did no genetic testing, because under no terms were we terminating. Also the false positives are so common, there is no need for that unnecessary stress.
I was tested for STDs, immunities, etc. I wasn't actually aware I could opt out, but having never been tested for any of it, I'm pretty glad we did that testing.
We both give blood at the Red Cross, so we know our Rh factors already. (DH and I actually have the same exact blood type, which I contribute to us being so good together
)
This.
Both of these exactly.
This.
I did testing so I could be prepared if there was a possibility that my child could have something wrong. This way I could be proactive and have a jump start on what my child could need to help her. I had no intention of termination if something did show up. I don't understand why people also associate testing with termination. I did the testing out of LOVE for my child so she could have the best start at life from day one no matter what situation she was facing. A false positive is a possibility but regardless it is better to be prepared and have nothing wrong then not prepared at all.
Mother to DD, born sleeping on 9/28/11, and DS, born 3/12/13, 5lbs 13oz, 19in