Anyone else skip the tests for birth defects

Chelsey68 · December 2011

I honestly didn't skip them on purpose i moved when i was about 10 weeks and it took me 6 weeks to get into a new doctor. The new doctor didn't offer them to me and i didnt ask for them.

I feel as though i would keep the baby no matter what, but now i just read the results down below and kind of wonder if i made a mistake not getting them?

Did anyone else not get the tests done?

MrandMrsHull · December 2011

We did. No NT, no quad screen. We have no risk factors and frankly we wouldn't change anything if we got bad news. We decided it was unnecessary.

noycela · December 2011

This exactly for us. We figured it would only create unnecessary worry.

lyndsey774 · December 2011

We did not have any testing done. We both just decided it was the right decision for us....

stemms8810 · December 2011

I am pretty sure there are women on here who opted out. The tests are used to prepare moms in case there may be a problem so it's not necessarily to determine if one would keep their baby or not. For me personally, I would rather be prepared and understand exactly what the issues are if there are any and that's why I opted to have them. But it's okay either way, to have them or not to have them.

Edited for spelling.

Recene · December 2011

I didn't get the tests done. First, we're going to keep the baby no matter what, second, the chances of something being wrong are slim and I have a tendency to worry too much, so I don't want to put that stress on myself (and my baby). Finally, I've been preying for this baby since day one, it's a miracle that I even got pregnant, so I've had faith that he'd be just fine.

We had our a/s this Tuesday and the baby is perfect. Try not to worry about it. If you would keep the baby no matter what, then getting these tests done makes no difference.

P.S. My midwife didn't offer them either. Looking back, I'm glad she didn't bring it up so I that I was forced to make a decision. I didn't bother asking.

preggocraigo · December 2011

We skipped them too. We would keep the baby no matter what. I wouldnt want to "throw away" a perfectly lovable baby.

bennysmommy717 · December 2011

This is the exact reason we did not get the testing done. We also opted out of the testing with our first baby.

bridekimmie · December 2011

We opted out of all the testing. We didn't because even though I'm over 35 and risk for bd increase, we thought it best to skip because of the increased stress and anxiety it would cause to me. I discussed my reasoning with the dr and they were in agreement. Stress not good for my sweet potato or me. So we decided not to do it.

joshandpanda · December 2011

same for us... I asked my OB and she said since they do an u/s at every appointment, that if they see something abnormal then they would offer the testing

jpcvet · December 2011

I didn't get them. It was a combination of 1) I was told that most things could be detected at the a / s anyway 2) We wouldn't change anything 3) Like all of us, I am really busy, and didn't want to have to go to the doctor extra times. (Please don't flame me for #3... it really was the combo of all 3 things, just being busy alone wouldn't have stopped me.)

MsVolley02 · December 2011

We skipped them. We are both pretty young with good family histories and just decided it was the right decision for us.

SometimesRunner · December 2011

You're definitely not alone. We didn't do the NT scan but we did do the quad screen. Our doctor said that she likes everyone to do the screen because then she knows who to keep a closer eye on.

There really is no "right" decision. For us, if something were wrong with our baby, I would want to be able to research it and prepare myself before the birth. (and potentially have specialists on hand at delivery)

redheadinlove · December 2011

I didn't. Completely by choice. the NT scan only gives you percentages and that's not fair to our paranoia. And the amnio is too invasive for me.

We know that we'll love this baby and keep it no matter what, we want to provide a healthy pregnancy with as little stress and I know those scans would cause me too much stress.

sealexander · December 2011

We are skipping them because my doctor said that with twins, doing things like markers can be tricky. Also, the risk for miscarriage goes up with an amnio and/or CVS when you've got multiples, so we opted out of it. We're going to rely on the anatomy scan to detect anything that might be amiss. I just have a gut feeling that everything is okay...it doesn't stop me from worrying, but I just feel like they're going to be fine.

T&BMay142005 · December 2011

We didn't do any testing with this baby or with DD. I don't feel bad about it. It was the right decision for us.

lnh2008 · December 2011

We skipped them. I don't regret it. I didn't get the tests with my other pregnancies as well.

jami1006 · December 2011

We skipped them. It would have just caused unnecessary stress.

mrs+harlow · December 2011

Well, I want to pipe in be ause THANK GOD I did them all - NT, Sequential, Quad! Everyone is getting their Level II, right? Well sometimes soft markers show up on the Level II...mine did... Choroid plexus cysts...soft marker for Trisomy 18. But with my NT, Quad and Sequential results the doctors weren't a lick of concerned! Having these tests also has nothing to do with pregnancy termination.

FYI age and your genetic history don't necessarily have anything to do with the Trisomy defects or Down's. Younger mothers actually have a higher rate of having babies SI Down's because there are more babies being born to this age group.

aknearem · December 2011

We didn't get any of the test for birth defects. I had always said I wanted to until it came right down to it and I got reading about them and read how many false positives there is and I didn't know if I could go through with the amniosentesis if we had gotten a positive because of the chance of miscarrage and I knew the stress and worry would do me in before I could find out for myself if the test was right or not. So we opted not to get them. We said that we would keep the baby either way so the tests didn't matter to us. Sorry about the spelling my brain has like quit working these days.

PotomacSt · December 2011

I didn't do the NT because I didn't want to worry over not-so-great results for no reason. I wouldn't have gotten an amnio because of the results.

I did do the Quad screen because I needed to go for a blood draw anyway (I have a platelet disorder) and I knew I wouldn't get the results until after my anatomy scan. If something was visibly wrong with the baby they were concerned about, I'd rather hear about it then while my husband and I were together.

Nothing would have changed the outcome for me so I didn't see the point.

blams05 · December 2011

We got in too late for the NT but we are getting the quad done with our a/s b/c my husband has mild spinabifida occulta so we want to see if it got passed down to our LO or not. My DH did not find out he had it until he broke his back in highschool because of it. That way we can be a little prepared with precautions.

DrRx · December 2011

We didn't do the NT scan or First Trimester screening, but we did do the Quad screen. I'm glad that we did, because at our a/s they found 1 soft marker for DS, an EIF (a small calcification in the heart). However, since we had the quad screen, which showed the risk for DS for me as 1 in 9994, this soft marker only changed our risk to 1 in 5552 , which is still REALLY small (0.00010% vs. 0.00018%).

If we didn't have the quad screen, the risk assessment would have been different since just given my age, my risk of DS would have been 1 in 952 and with the soft marker 1 in 558.

For us, it was the right decision. We want to know what we're dealing with so that if a specialist is needed at birth, etc, we are prepared. I like having the information, but I can understand how it can cause a lot of stress for other people.

We are also having a fetal echocardiogram in about 4 weeks because 1. The EIF (which in it of itself is not really a big deal) and 2. We are IVF with ICSI. There is a slightly higher incidence of heart defects in babies with IVF with ICSI, so they do some more intensive imaging of the heart. If they find something, at least it might be something that we can take care of in utero or immediately after birth. The perinatologist told us that they were able to rule out about 70% of heart defects with our a/s and that they'll be able to rule out 90 to 95% of heart defects after our fetal echocardiogram.

GL with whatever you decide, and know that whatever you decide will be the right choice for you.

christinaa722 · December 2011

Same for us. I don't need the stress of worrying about results I can't change. I didn't want that to affect the way I love or expect my baby.

Koala312 · December 2011

We didn't do them for all the reasons people have mentioned below. Mainly I didn't want the added stress on me, my boyfriend, and the developing baby.

chibun1 · December 2011

This is exactly how we felt. My OB also said if anything looks not quite right at the A/S, it won't be too late to add the quad scan on at that time. I know, however, that things can happen. I'm ready to welcome a baby of any shape, size or ability into my life... otherwise I would never have tried to get pregnant.

altachica · December 2011

We decided the same thing. We've also had many friends that have gotten less than great results only to have everything be okay, but they were wrecks in the meantime.

chellsii · December 2011

This to a T. I have never done any screenings with any of my pregnancies.

elviebird · December 2011

Seriously? I'm sure the poster who just found her baby has Trisomy 13 is just going to "throw away" her baby. Don's assume people take those results lightly or that you know what you would do in that situation.

bishigurlwcu · December 2011

We decided to skip it as well

just a personal decision

cbee817 · December 2011

We skipped them for DD and she's perfect, so we skipped them with this one as well.

DrRx · December 2011

I agree elviebird. Preggocraigo, just because you get screenings done does NOT mean that you are willing to throw babies away. For me, it is important to know if I need to prepare myself and my family mentally with whatever the news is. Screenings may help you get counseling ahead of time to deal with a difficult situation. I find your comment completely offensive. Indifferent

winter-shock · December 2011

Nope I got nothing. i didn't have any screening done last time either. I get the basic bloodwork (no betas at the beginning either) and one ultrasound at 20 weeks.

Nocalwife · December 2011

We did all of the screening, better to be safe then sorry for us. Although I don't base my opinion on anyone else but we didn't want to bring a baby into this world that would have certain troubles. Its all a personal decision though.

anmile · December 2011

This exactly for myself and DH.

sept2may · December 2011

Us too.

Chelsey68 · December 2011

Well i am glad i didnt get them, I had a cousin who got bad results and her baby turned out to be fine. They even tried to talk her into terminating. Lots of unnecessary stress.

I will just be optimistic my baby is just fine and if for some reason he or she wasnt then i would love the baby just as i love my son.

Thank you for all your imput im just happy to see i wasnt in alone in this.

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