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Antenatal tests

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Original poster

Downs screening

26 replies

chezziejo · 29/05/2012 07:49

I'm sorry as I'm sure this has been done many times but the midwife came into see me with the downs result yesterday which was 1.140. She was very lovely and very supportive and n have to go to hospital today to discuss options. I think it's too late for cvs as I'm 15 week on Friday and the thought of amniocentesis scares me daft. At the 12 week scan the nuchal fold was 1.4 and everything totally normal. I know this dosnt rule everything out but should I take comfort from it? Does amniocentesis hurt ? I've had a mmc before so that worries me as well. My age could be a factor I suppose I'm 32.

So many questions and ramblings but thanks for reading and some positive stories would be lovely.

OP posts:

OhNoMyFanjo · 29/05/2012 08:09

My result was 1:15, I had an amnio and tbh was shit scared. It was not as bad as I had feared (I really didn't think I would be able to lay there and have it done). I was able to pay for a 24 hr turn around result as the wait for tge result would have been horrible. Tge result came back clear of anything.

Ds is now 9 months and still trouble

Best wishes x

OhNoMyFanjo · 29/05/2012 08:19

Oh and if you do decide to have tge amnio, focus on relaxing your stomach do not tense up. I know tgat sounds hard, but tge more relaxed you are tge more likely a good sample can be taken and it will be over quicker. Just find a spot, breathe and focus.

Original poster

chezziejo · 29/05/2012 09:16

Thanks for that. Love the name by the way. They will need a bloody long needle to get through ds baby weight and my stomach muscles have long since shot it. Ah well best see what they say first I suppose.

OP posts:

OhNoMyFanjo · 29/05/2012 10:32

I had to have mine tge same day because of how far along I was but you might not have too.

It's alot to take in and there is a tgread around somewhere to support those going through testing and beyond, they were a great help.

Original poster

chezziejo · 29/05/2012 11:28

Thanks il have a look. I'm caught between a rock and a hard place. Like everyone in this situation really. I'm only just in the recall bracket apparently which is 1.50 and I'm 1.40. I'm also more at risk of miscarrying from amniocentesis than having a downs he said. They want to wait 3 weeks until I'm 18 weeks anyway. I just dunno :(

OP posts:

Sparklingwithahintoflemon · 29/05/2012 11:32

I don't understand why people get so hung up on downs syndrome testing. There are millions of other illnesses that could happen before, during or after birth. My DD has SN but we didn't find out until 2 years AFTER she was born. Why worry yourself stupid over a statistical possibility which could turn out to be nothing?

yakbutter · 29/05/2012 11:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Overreactionoftheweek · 29/05/2012 11:45

sparkling because when you're told by a medical professional that there is a possibility, no matter how small, that something could be wrong with your baby, it's all you can focus on.

I was 1.56 after a very high nuchal fold measurement of 6.1mm - and like fanjo, my baby did not have downs syndrome after all. I had cvs...didn't feel a thing, had to wait 2 days for the results, which I found very tough. Personally I chose to have the test and face the risks because I'd have driven myself mad with worry otherwise. Good luck with whatever you choose - the odds are on your side

havingabath · 29/05/2012 11:52

Great that your scan was good, I don't know if this helps but The London fetal medical centre with prof nicholaides will do a cvs (their mc rate is 1 in 400) up to 16 weeks so you might not be too late. It would however cost and may be miles from you. The prof is there wednesdays only.

Sparklingwithahintoflemon · 29/05/2012 11:53

Ok, I still don't get it. If you're not going to have a "perfect" baby, terminate it?

EMS23 · 29/05/2012 12:03

I don't think the OP asked for a moral debate. Sparkling - I think you should take yourself away from this thread.

OP - I had a 1:20, had the amnio and all was fine. Good luck whatever you decide.

5madthings · 29/05/2012 12:04

its not about not having a perfect baby its about knowing your options nad being able to prepre yourself, we had the nuchal scan with babies 3, 4 and 5, we had decided taht IF it came back high risk we would the cvs so that we could then make an informed choice. yes there are always risks with every pregnancy, downs and some other genetic disorders are ones that you can test for, so as the option was there i took it, not because i would necessarily have terminated but because i would want to know if i could and then weigh up my options.

you cant rule out risk you can find out more and prepare yourself whether that be emotionally, mentally or physically by making a choice to terminate or not.

5madthings · 29/05/2012 12:07

i mean you could question why anyone has even the 20wk scan, thats to look for abnormalities and check on the health of the fetus, but we dont question that, so why question a cvs or amnio, its all personal choice.

op whatever you decide there are lots of lovely people on mnet who will support you and some who have been through the same thing, its an awful decision to make. had you thought about the possibility before ie before i had my nuchal scan i decided that if it was high risk then i would have the cvs and i think i would have stuck to that decision.

its a scary situation to be in, you can only arm yourself with the facts, talk it over with people on here and i think there is an organisation whcih gives info on testing pregnancy but i forget the name (sure some other mnetter will know it tho!) they are meant to be very good :)

good luck xx

yakbutter · 29/05/2012 12:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

OhNoMyFanjo · 29/05/2012 12:24

Op ignore Sparklingwithahintoflemon she's nothing to do with your life or your choices.

Sparklingwithahintoflemon I do understand where you are. Owning from. Ut being so cruel when someone is in this position is just nasty.

Being in the ops position made me realise how little preparation/thought we give to tge results of tge tests when we take them.

havingabath · 29/05/2012 12:40

That's fine sparkling you don't get it. Having had a cvs recently I wanted to know what was coming to my family so we could prepare. Downs was the most likely but not what what really worried me. There are conditions where the baby is destined to die in utero or shortly after.

How people and families decide to manage their risks for downs and other chromosonsl abnormalities is intensely personal. There is no one right answer.

Sparklingwithahintoflemon · 29/05/2012 12:41

I'm sorry. I'm not trying to be controversial. I just find it sad that people spend their time and resources worrying about something that might not even happen. Yes, there are tests for genetic conditions and they may help you to be better prepared... BUT I had a textbook pregnancy - I'm young, healthy, no history of genetic conditions in the family - yet I now have a DD with CP. Would knowing this when I was pregnant have changed anything? No.

havingabath · 29/05/2012 12:42

Oh and arc, antenatal results and choices come up on Google and are a fabulous support.

5madthings · 29/05/2012 12:45

yes arc thats it :) i knew someone would remember it.

no one is saying that knowing things may change anthing but for me personally knowledge meant preparation emotionally, but then i spent a lot of time researching various things, ie going overdue,i always do so spent a lot of time finding out my options and choices etc. for some people having information helps, for others it doesnt.

5madthings · 29/05/2012 12:47

i do agree that there should be MORE info given before doing any tests event he nuchal etc, as people dont fully understand and then are left with a choice to make when they may have preferred never to have had the nuchal in the first place. i made an informed choice to pay for a nuchal, having already decided that i would then have further tests if it came back high risk.

but if you dont know the information, risks etc then it makes the process more fraught with worry. for me it was about making an informed choice right from the word go if that makes sense?

Original poster

chezziejo · 29/05/2012 13:00

Thanks for all your replies I appreciate it. I am a worry pot anyway and thats just me, but no I didn't even think for one moment that I would be in this position. We had screening with ds and all was low risk. I had dating scan this time and as everything was it should be ie nuchal fold being 1.4 it didn't even cross my mind. Anyway we are here now and even if baby is downs it will be loved like and cherished as any baby would be. Dp would like to wait until 20 week scan and if that's ok we will carry on. If it shows another genetic abnormality we willcross that bridge when we get to it. It's been quite a mentally draining day and as I said the consultant himself even said the risk of losing a healthy baby is higher than the risk of having a downs baby, so we have based decision on that. I have not used dr google as from experience it can frighten the crap out of you.

I think I posted in a blind panic originally and I will still worry as like I said that's me and it's a precious cargo onboard :)

I really appreciate your posts and support xx

OP posts:

havingabath · 29/05/2012 14:08

Glad you know what you want to do, I felt very much the same but with a 1 in 13 risk. Dh wanted every test going, we compromised with the cvs. Once I knew that scans showed up the most damaging conditions I felt ok with it. I think a good initial scan is really reassuring... as a percentage your result looks brilliant.

Hope your 20 week scan goes well.

mummytoh1 · 29/05/2012 15:34

Good luck with whatever you decide to do Chezziejo. We were dealt a 1:15 and had a CVS - all came back clear, but I do remember the upset and turmoil that bit of news left with us. x

OhNoMyFanjo · 29/05/2012 17:31

Sparklingwithahintoflemon everyone is different, having a certain result doesn't mean everyone would end a pregnancy either.

Opglad you and your dp have made a decision. Don't forget the amnio can be done quite late too, tgat means if tge worse were to happen it would be a cause of premature rather than mc.

MrsFatty · 30/05/2012 13:55

I'm 36 and I just got my test result back - 1 in 100,000. Does anyone else wish that the test was conclusive, despite it being an extremely low risk?

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