Waiting for IONA test results - need some support

[hoppyfarmer]

Hello, I have a daughter who is almost 3 and last week it was a year since my son was stillborn at 37 weeks.
The hospital called me with my quad test results for my current pregnancy and told me that I have a 1:20 risk of Down's in this pregnancy. (The sonographer couldn't get a nuchal measurement at 12 weeks so I waited and had the quad test at 17 weeks.) I went into the hospital on Thursday and paid for an IONA test. I know that 1:20 means there's a 95% chance that this baby is healthy, and that the quad test is known to throw false positives and cause a lot of worry for no reason, but I am still struggling with the wait for the results. My husband and I haven't told anyone about this because hopefully things will come back low risk and we can just carry on as before. Does anyone have similar experience or anything they can say that might ease my worry? I wish we had paid for the test at 10 weeks... I am 19 weeks today.
Thank you xx

I don't know if this will ease your worry or not but my DC with Down's (post-natal diagnosis) is the best thing that ever happened to me. Sure we do some things differently, but he's a bright and popular little thing who goes to mainstream school and we have a lot of fun together. It baffles me why people are scared of it - maybe only because the medical culture is that we should be?

Hi hoppyfarmer, I was in the same situation as you last week so I know exactly how long and excruciating the wait can be - I was on a holiday abroad when I got the result from the combined test (1:25) and had to wait a week to have the IONA done. I've never looked forward to the end of a holiday so desperately and impatiently before! I had the test on 21/8 and although I was told not to wait for the results before the bank holiday they phoned me on Friday with some amazing news - I'm now very low risk (1:50000!). I was so emotionally and mentally exhausted by that point that it took the whole weekend to destress and I'm only just starting to enjoy my first pregnancy again but so grateful the midwife at my hospital recommended the IONA. Please keep thinking of the 95% chances all is OK and have faith! Do cry if you feel like it, it did help me, but always remember there is a much much greater chance you will receive good news rather than the opposite. I'll keep my fingers and toes crossed for you! Take care xx

Thank you so much for replying SbinghyPop. I am at my wits end waiting for the phone call. I'm glad everything came back ok for you. It's a week today since my blood was taken but with bank holiday I am not sure when I'll get the call. They said 7-10 working days so could be a while still.
After last year's tragedy, which was a year ago last week, we could really do with things going well this time. I know some children are relatively unaffected by syndromes but I have a friend with a very disabled boy and sadly the tests don't show the scale of the disability. Life is tough sometimes! X

That's true, tests don't show the extent of the learning disability (and I guess that's what you mean given that the vast majority of potential physical issues are fixable). Basically it's a bell curve. A few at the top end are very able. A few at the lower end are significantly impaired. Most, like my son, are about in the middle which means they are able to do just fine with all the therapies available now which are light years ahead of what was available 20 years ago. I know that the correct response on the board is 'don't worry, it won't be you' and the club I'm in is probably one you don't want to join. And yes, you probably won't have to. I support and respect anyone's choice about their pregnancy but I think it's fair to mention that when there is an extra 21st chromosome you will still get a happy ending.

I wish you peace whatever happens.

Thank you