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Pregnant after 35
amnio - seeking advice
Good morning Ladies!
truthfully - I have no idea whether or not i have introduced myself here or not! I have been stalking three boards for a few months and so cannot remember where i have contributed and where i have not. So, in case i am totally new to you all: I am 36, 17w pregnant, and living in europe.
Being over 35, we are considered "advanced maternal age" as you know. Due to mis-communication with the medical staff here (both cultural and language differences/difficulties) I have not had any of the non-invasive pre-screening tests. However, now my new OB-GYN is strongly suggesting the amnio and has gone as far as to book the test for next week. And so my dilemma - to have or not to have the test? DH and I have discussed this and had decided that we would not terminate the pregnancy regardless of the results, and so we will not have the test. But now that the test is booked... i am waffling.
Any opinions / advice out there? I often feel very isolated with my pregnancy over here in this "foreign" land, and thank you all in advance for your contributions, and for all the passive support i have received as a stalker over the past 2 months!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: amnio - seeking advice
We have decieded not to have the screening, CVS or Amnio. We will not terminate no matter what and even though the risk is small, there is some risk of miscarriage with the CVS and Amnio. We struggled to hard to become pregnant to do anything that might cause a miscarriage no matter how small the chance.
Some people, even though they have no plans to terminate, want to know so they can start planning for a special needs child etc... You have to make the best choice for you, do you want/need to know?
Honestly, this is really only something that you can answer. Are you a need-to-know type person? A worrier?
Also, not sure how common Amnios are in Europe, but in major metropolitan areas in the US they are done with great frequency so you can typically find a very experienced practitioner to perform it and take comfort knowing the test will be performed by someone who has done many of them.
Additionallly you could always request a more detailed u/s that would look for markers, although, I have to say that only about 50% of babies with DS have markers.
Good luck with whatever you decide. I know, its not easy.
We also decided against the amnio because I do not like invasive procedures (I wouldnt change anything and I already know multitudes about special needs). But they really have come very far with making them safe, and it is really a personal decision. Many women have them these days all safely. Ask if you can have a level 2 ultrasound first (If language does translate) they can check for soft markers and decide whether or not they think there will be a problem with the baby. This is the route we took. and we had soft markers with the first ultrasound at 17 weeks, but at our 23 week re-check everything was perfect. If you want to know then do it, if you dont want to know then don't. It has to be your decision :-)
I wish you the best of luck.
Where are you in Europe? They have far better prenatal ands statistics than the US. Lower infant mortality rates, lower maternal death rates, lower fetal death rates. In the US, the adjusted miscarriage rate for amnio done after 14w is 1:1600. Your risk of Down's is 1:165.
Now, that said, amnio tests for more than just Down Syndrome. It tests for all chromosomal abnormalities, most of which aren't compatible with life. It also tests for Spina Bifida. While I wouldn't have terminated for Down's. I really don't know what I would have done for Tri 18, Tri 13, or Spina Bifida.
It is a choice you have to make for yourself. Which ever one you choose will be the right one for you. I opted out of screenings and went straight for the amnio. But, I like KNOWING. I wanted to know my Alien was OK. With a soft marker for Down's, I was glad I did. Everything was fine. The procedure is uncomfortable, and a little nerve wracking. But, the relief I felt when I got that call that everything was ok made the whole thing worth it.
Good luck.
I would not have terminated my pregnancy for any reason, but having the amnio was important to me because I needed to know if my son had any problems I needed to prepare myself for -- I am one of those people that it was never a question of termination. We had soft markers for Down's from the NT scan and I had a high risk of 1:61 because I'm 41 yrs old. When the results came back that my boy was healthy and perfectly fine, it took a great weight off my shoulders.
Yes, the procedure was uncomfortable, but I'm glad that I did it. The stress of not knowing for sure was something I did not need. Now I am enjoying my pregnancy far more than I would have otherwise.
Having said all that, it is a VERY personal decision and you have to weigh your own pros and cons of having it done or not. My reasons may have nothing whatsoever to do with your own.
Thanks everyone for your input! I really appreciate it - it is sometimes quite difficult being so far away from my family. Fortunately i do have a strong support system in place here (my sometimes overbearing but always loving MIL).
To bridekimmie: for now, we will be staying here. I get nervous about raising a child in a culture that is foreign to my own, but there are many positive things here too. Some day i would like to come back to North America (i'm actually canadian), but at least for now we will stay here.
Will be re-hashing the issue again tonight with DH to make sure that we both agree, but will likely cancel next week's appointment and go the "no-testing" route...
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Me, too...I had a hard time relaxing and even getting excited about the baby. And frankly I'm not sure that my husband and I are prepared for a child with profound special needs. We were lucky to not have to make any of those hard decisions and are now happily preparing for early June. Best of luck to you, whatever you choose.
It is a very personal decision. My amnio is in two weeks, and I am going to the doctor that did an amnio for my OB's wife, which gives me some reassurance. I need to know. We had a good NT but wonky bloods and as I am over 35 (36) I am also concerned about ensuring that I preserve my fertility. Finding out sooner rather than later gives me a greater opportunity to do that.
One of the nice things about the public health systems (even the hybrid ones, like Germany) is that they have great data collection and great public health reporting. You should be able to get good data on treatment and risks to inform you further.
Thank you again for all the input.
UPDATE: we've decided against it. I called this morning to cancel next week's appointment - means waiting an extra week for another ultrasound! But I am feeling good about the decision.