very worried

lmed17 · March 2013

I had my 2 kids in my early 20th.. Now I'm in mid 30th and find myself pregnant again.. The doctor says I will need tons of additional tests done to make sure the baby is ok.. I'm freaking out... I heard amnio is very dangerous. He said there also are multiple blood tests which can pin point the problems.. Did you ladies had any done? At how many weeks? What about amnio?

*sparky* · March 2013

First of all, your doctor should be giving you more information than "you will need tons of additional tests". There are very simple blood tests you can have done early in your PG that will tell you whether there seem to be any chromosomal issues, which are a higher risk once you are in your mid-thirties. Also, yes there are some risks with amnio but I would not say it is "very dangerous". There is some risk of miscarriage, but if you get the blood tests frist and there is no sign of any chromosomal issues then you can probably forgo the amnio.

I had a CVS, which has a slightly higher risk than amnio, and I had no issues whatsoever. But I went to a doctor that has done thousands of them, at a very reputable hospital, and followed all of the instructions afterward. If you have any sort of tests like these done, I would be very selective about who does them.

It is not all doom and gloom. I would ask your doctor to give you more information to put your mind at ease.

ShellBear+ · March 2013

I agree with the pp. There is a DNA blood test that you can do that is extremely accurate to look for chromosomal abnormalities if you want. Also you don't have to do any testing that you don't want to do. I think most of us here didn't do cvs or amnio. I only did the NT scan and quad screen (both non invasive). Sorry your doctor freaked you out but your risk of issues is not much higher in mid thirties.

siempreyo · March 2013

I just want to echo to what other posters have said. In my opinion, your doctor doesn't sound like he is taking the right approach to supporting you through this, I am 35 in my first pregnancy. One of my first questions to my doc was "how much should I be worried/concerned that I am older?" She was very supportive to say, "35 is a little riskier than 34 which is a little riskier than 33, etc. but lots of women your age and older are having very healthy pregnancies, we'll just talk through tests that are more highly recommended for your age than someone in their 20's."

This put me at ease because she helped me see it from the positive. She highly recommended the NT scan (non-invasive), which I took as a bonus because I got to see my little girl much earlier than if I had only done the 19 week ultrasound. Other than that, my pregnancy has been "typical" of any other age I think (never done this before so I don't know for sure).

Congratulations! This is a wonderful time!

trevinosnm · March 2013

*sparky*:

*Sparky*, I love your siggy! Is that your dog and is it a German Short haired Pointer? We have this same breed of dog and we absolutely love her. Ours is a roan too.

Sorry I kind of hijacked this post.

danuli8 · March 2013

lmed17:
I had my 2 kids in my early 20th.. Now I'm in mid 30th and find myself pregnant again.. The doctor says I will need tons of additional tests done to make sure the baby is ok.. I'm freaking out... I heard amnio is very dangerous. He said there also are multiple blood tests which can pin point the problems.. Did you ladies had any done? At how many weeks? What about amnio?

I'm sorry to be so blunt, but your doctor is a total wanker. I would find a new one immediately if I were you. You DO NOT need tons of additional tests, that is complete BS. Amnio is not very dangerous (if an experienced provider does it, your chance of miscarriage is only about 1 in 1000), but there are newer non-invasive tests that could eliminate the need to have an amnio. I did not have an amnio. I had the MaterniT21 blood test instead to check for the major stuff like Down syndrome. I also had the first-tri screen, which is an ultrasound + bloodwork, at 12 weeks. I have had a very easy, normal, and comfortable first pregnancy and I just turned 42, for God's sake. Seriously, people like your doctor just make me want to punch him (and somehow I just know it is a him) in the nuts. Being pregnant over 35, if you are reasonably healthy going in, is just NOT that big a deal for the vast majority of people.

smrtalec33 · March 2013

I'm 36, pregnant with my first, and I had an amnio. The statistics that came back from my nuchal translucency (which is an ultrasound combined with a simple blood test) were within the normal range for my age, but not super encouraging. So we went with the amnio, and I'm so glad we did. The peace of mind that comes with knowing there are no chromosomal abnormalities is invaluable.

Anyway, I'm not saying you should have an amnio, but I take issue with the "very dangerous" characterization. My doctor said that officially the chances that an amnio results in miscarriage are 1 in 500, but those numbers include amnios from all over the world, including places where they don't do an ultrasound simultaneous to the amnio, which is obviously riskier. She said the chances of miscarrying when there is a simultaneous ultrasound is even less than 1 in 500.

GermanShredders · March 2013

hijoi:
The first test would be to find a new doctor. Fearmongering is just inexcusable. I was high risk with both of my children, but not due to my age (34 for the first, 37 for the second). The only additional test I had done because of my age was the NT scan, which is a common test during pregnancy anyway. Ultrasound and blood. No amnio, and never even a discussion about one. Good luck to you!

THIS!!! If your doctor was such an idgit during your first appt, I don't have high hopes that his medical knowledge will increase as your pregnancy progresses.

ButtonsEberlin · March 2013

Hello. :-)

I know it is easier said than done, but try not to worry because there are less invasive and risky tests than amniocentesis and CVS.

I did all of the standard blood tests in conjunction with ultrasounds. Specifically, the first trimester screening test, and an anatomy scan of the fetus between 18 and 20 weeks. Then, for my own peace of mind, I asked to be referred to a specialist for genetics counseling and testing for any chromosomal/trisomy disorders. Due to being over 35, insurance covers this option, so I took advantage of it. Not only is it painful, but there is risk of miscarriage with amniocentesis and CVS; therefore, I was offered a blood test drawn from my arm that analyzes the fetus' DNA and is over 99% accurate. It is called MaterniT21...ask for this test in lieu of the re invasive screening tests.

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

mamajess68 · March 2013

there are some very wise ladies on this board! i know it's hard, but don't freak. there are TONS of women that have babies much later than mid-thirties and are absolutely fine. your chances of having a healthy baby are MUCH higher than the chances of something going wrong. I had my first at 29, 2nd at 32, 3rd at 40 and this LO will be born when I am 45!!! I had the NT scan but declined all advanced testing and feel totally at peace with that choice. This, however, is YOUR choice. Do not let a Dr. force you into anything you do not feel comfortable with. My Dr. told me when I went in for my 6 week check-up with this one, that he would recommend me having my tubes tied at delivery (this will be my 4th c-section). I laughed at him and said, "you know I won't do that". I'm Catholic and so is he!!!! God is good... congratulations!!!

danieleandwayne · March 2013

I agree with pps-- your doctor is an ass. If he were in front of me, I'd kick him in the shins and ask him what crack he's smoking. He probably still uses forceps and ether.

I'm 38, with a history of a previous loss, overweight, and just coming up on 28 weeks pregnant. I have a 2-vessel umbilical cord, and my OB said she considers me BARELY high-risk, and ONLY because of the 2 vessel umbilical cord. Not because of my age. I had the MaterniT21 blood test at 10 weeks which was as invasive as my regular blood draws (i.e. barely invasive at all) and returned a 99% accurate negative on my baby's genes so I know we don't have Down's Syndrome (as well as 2 other major abnormalities). I didn't have an amnio or a CVS, both tests which carry only a 2% maximum chance of miscarriage/adverse outcome.

Because of my 2 vessel umbilical cord, I DO get extra tests-- as in, an Ultrasound every month to check that my baby is growing at a good rate. That is all.

Your doctor is a big boob and he needs to retire if this is how he treats his patients. Congratulations on your pregnancy and welcome to the board! Big Smile

smrtalec33 · March 2013

danieleandwayne:

I didn't have an amnio or a CVS, both tests which carry only a 2% maximum chance of miscarriage/adverse outcome.

Just want to correct this one misstatement: the risk of miscarriage resulting from an amnio is actually only .2 percent, or 1 in 500, or 2 out of 1000. The 2% that PP stated is incorrect, and way inflated (2 percent is 2 in 100, obviously, whereas the actual risk is more like 2 in 1000). I'm not urging anyone to have an amnio, of course. I'm just trying to avoid the proliferation of misinformation. Amnios are not nearly as risky as Daniele suggests. The risk is .2 percent, not 2 percent.

OP, good luck, and I hope you find a doctor who is a better fit for you!

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