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2nd Trimester
genetic screening =/= terminating a pregnancy
I'm not directing this at anyone in particular, so no getting up in arms at me.
I dislike the argument that "We're not doing ___ test we won't terminate" or "We're not doing ___ test because we still will love our baby."
It seems to imply that people accepting screening tests do so because they plan to terminate and/or reject their child if something turns up.
That's not the point of people's choice to screen. Some people like reassurance and/or to be prepared for possibilities.
ETA: Some of you are responding that you don't want the stress of skeery test results. I understand. They found something skeery at my 20 week ultrasound. I lived with the stress for months. Ultrasounds are screening tests too.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: genetic screening =/= terminating a pregnancy
I agree with this entirely.
I think for some people when they respond about the termination, is because that may be what they are afraid of. If something WERE to come up on that scan as a near definite possibility, they may consider termination, and they would obviously not what to think of themselves that way.
I totally agree, I wanted to be prepared for anything. I think knowledge is power.
I think there are arguements for both sides of the fence on this one. I chose not to screen only because if there was a possibility of something being wrong, I didn't want to have to worry over it.
I have no problem with people who choose to screen just so they can prepare themselves or even if they choose to terminate the pregnancy. It is everyones choice to make for themselves.
We didnt get the screening because I wouldnt continue with further testing if they found something wrong with the inital test and the fact that during my whole pregnancy I would just stress and get upset over something that I could not change.
While i see where you are coming from, I don't think it is meant to come across like that. Many of our doctors say "if it will not affect your decision then the test is not needed". My doctor told me just that. While i chose not to do the NT scan for that reason, it does not mean im saying the women who get it done , will decide to terminate. It's hard when you don't see it from our point of view.
Edit: That and I refuse to get the amnio... to scary!!!! But again, I totally see where you are coming from.
I wouldn't call it my argument but it was part of my reasoning to not get the testing done. I didn't want to stress the entire length of my pregnancy if there was something wrong, and even my doctor said that so many of the tests have decent-sized margins of error, so it could all be worrying for nothing.
This is my first pregnancy and I wanted to it to be full of joy and excitement. I'm not trying to say that it would be horrible and depressing and awful if we were to find something out, but it would make me anxious and upset for baby, and worried about future obstacles, when that can be done later after the baby is born. My anatomy scan is tomorrow and if it looks like there are some issues we should examine further through additional tests then we will but if we don't, I'm not going to stress myself out unnecessarily. We'll take whatever comes our way but there's no reason to stress about it beforehand.
I don't believe that all people who get screened would choose termination. That's not our thinking, but we didn't want to get certain tests done because since we wouldn't terminate the pregnancy, we didn't want to take the risk of doing those tests.
Slightly different logic.
IF we were comfortable with the idea of termination, then we might have considered more testing.
Hope I explained that the way I meant it.
I guess my point is, I wouldn't assume that's what we're all thinking.
I too see both sides --- we didn't test, and it was because IF the NT scan came up with anything, I wasn't willing to keep going to get the Amnio, etc to see if anything was truely wrong, or to find out the exact odds.
But I can also see why people would do the NT testing, because they want to prepare, and they are willing to keep moving forward with the testing.
It's a very personal decision.
Totally agree.
Evelyn (3.24.10), Graham (5.30.13) & Miles (8.28.16)
I really would not terminate even if I had genetic testing. I didn't like risks cited to me and my doctor pretty much said, "you are such low risk for certain things that the risk of complications associated with testing are a lot higher. Unless it is important for you to know and it would determine things for you, I wouldn't recommend it."
So we didn't do it. I know that some people genuinely want to have information up front about their child's health, but I have seen a lot of people question whether or not they should terminate due to test results. And I believe doctors have seen this trend too as my OB specifically said that unless I would abort the baby, it probably wasn't something he would recommend.
Ditto.
Let me answer this:
When we thought Jack would have Down Syndrome, we found a pediatrician who had experience with the health needs of DS kids, researched surgeons that specialize in correcting health problems associated with DS, found local DS playgroups, found online support groups, and learned about what we might expect.
It brought back a sense of control to us when we were scared.
It was a lot easier for us to do it in pregnancy than when we were overwhelmed and sleep-deprived with a newborn-- hence now versus later.
My blog: Midwest Chaos
Not everyone is ready to deal with it unless it HAS to be dealt with. There is NOT a right way to go about this.
boston, there are things that can't be seen/tested for at the big u/s, just fyi.
Absolutely! I just wanted to answer her "question" about not understanding the difference between dealing with it now or later-- why and how someone might want to deal with it before birth.
Don't worry about it. Promise. CPC's are the LEAST marker of all.
To test or not to test is a completely personal and private decision. In America we are so quick to judge others who may feel differently than us. So many of us feel that it is either our way or no way, but what's right for me may not be the right decision for anyone else.
I choose not to test extensively because of the margin of error and the risk to my baby. It also would not change my decision about my pregnancy. But I do also feel that most people who do test do so NOT to terminate the pregnancy, but to be prepared for any possible situation. Being a parent isn't something that should be taken lightly and should be as planned as the situation allows, so WE cannot judge or chastise anyone for wanting to prepare themselves as much as possible.
Thank you for saying something on this issue. Having prenatal tests done was not about whether or not I loved my baby, but being prepared once he got here. My husband and I have a deep faith in God and a deep love for our child. We truly believed that he was our little miracle and it didn't matter if he had cystic fibrosis or not. Children with this disease are born with healthy lungs and being prepared from before his birth would have helped us form a plan of action to keep him healthy. For children with cystic fibrosis healthy childhoods mean longer lives.
Genetic testing was no a means to an ends for us. It was a starting point. I sincerely hope that comments made about genetic testing and termination don't make people on the fence about this issue shy away from testing because they fear that they are being judged. Prenatal testing not only helped this baby, but my future children as well. When the testing came back that he was healthy I was overjoyed. I felt blessed and very lucky. But healthy or not our decision to test was never based on termination being an option.
I love my son. I have loved him from the moment I knew he exsisted. I was meant to be his mommy and it didn't matter to me that he might be sick. God chose me to care for him and for me that meant being prepared and doing everything in my power to keep him healthy.
My Blog
Right, but saying that as the ONLY reason is saying that its the only reason to get the test (to terminate if the results are bad). Thats the point of this post: there are other reasons.
No I totally agree with you! I didn't mean to suggest that I didn't. I WOULD want to find out for many reason asap, especially with something like trisomy where they might only live a few hours, I wouldn't want my familly coming 3 days after birth thinking they were going to meet us home when we get there with the baby, I would want them there at the hospital. Although I think it IS everyone's choice, I think if you deal with it during preg or after delivery you still have to deal with, so why not at least be prepared. I hope this is more clear.
I just feel like this is one of those issues where a person cannot say something without it offending SOME one. Unless a person says "you suck for getting testing because it suggests you would terminate if there were something wrong and I judge you negatively for that," then there's no reason to assume that.
Well said.
We did the NT Scan simply because we wanted an ultrasound. If something had been found, we could have used the additional time to mentally prepare ourselves.
I don't think it's meant to reflect on anyone's decision except the person who says it; no one is claiming to know the rationale of others, but only explaining their own rationale in deciding not to. That was the case for DH and I - we opted to not get the tests because it wouldn't change how we proceeded, but would only create stress for the months to come...I'm speaking for myself and my DH, no one else. Someone else could certainly decide to get the test to better prepare themselves, etc etc and that would be perfectly fine too; it's a personal decision -- an important one -- and everyone gets there in their own way.
This reminds me of a post from a week or two ago, where someone took personally the claim that people don't care what gender the baby is, 'as long as he or she is healthy,' saying it sounded as if they would not love the baby if he or she had health issues. Not AT ALL so.. It's putting words in people's mouths. (I'm not saying you meant to do this, but just wanted to draw the comparison).
Anyway, we all have our reasons .. and they're all valid.
We chose not to do it because we did not want undue worry. My friend had the tests done, and she was told there was a good chance her DD could have Down Syndrome. The whole rest of her pg, she was worried. In the end, DD was born healthy with no Downs.
If the tests could reveal something was wrong with our LO and we could do something to fix it, then I would certainly get the test. But since the results are just that- results- with no way of fixing whatever's wrong with LO, I would find it hard to live with that knowledge for the whole rest of my pregnancy.
O13 March Siggy Contest: AnArChY (I do what I want- & I want FOUR GIFS!)
So true. All of it, but especially this.
Nope. Less about being offended, more about having a reason that doesn't quite add up logically.
I completely understand where you're coming from Heather--we've had this convo before!
The best thing my OB did for me concerning the decision to get the bloodwork done was ask me this question:
If your results show that you are at an elevated risk for certain chromosal abnormalities, are you willing to do an amnio? Because if you're not, this test is absolutely pointless. It will cause you needless worry in many instances.
So, since I would not do an amnio, we aren't doing the tests and didn't with DS#1. I think the question is really more about what you will do concerning further testing than a termination issue (the decision to terminate or not would come after the amnio, of course).