This is a bit of an essay, but this is my first pregnancy, so I am slightly in shock but also curious weather it's a norm to be expected or maybe I'm simply oversensitive to some things.
I recently visited UCLH after getting a high risk diagnosis for Down Syndrome, 1:121, which I know is not extremely high. As such we received two leaflets in an email containing some information and statistics regarding both NIPT and CVS screenings and after a day of very careful consideration and going back and forth, we decided (just barely) to go for CVS test, and got an appointment in UCLH the next day.
When we got admitted to the Fetal Medicine Unit, I was surprised that instead of the procedure we had another ultrasound with no needles in sight, but assumed it was normal to check things up beforehand, it's my first pregnancy and I know nothing.
But then the obstetrician started talking about the baby. Everything from how cutely it was waving it's hand, to showing me it's fingers, to hearing the heartbeat. It feels weird to me for medical professionals to even call it a baby in this situation, being extremely pro-choice and knowing I might have to make difficult decision if the screening is positive, but I understand it's me trying to be extra careful. What I didn't understand was why knowing we are about to have invasive, risky screening done, I have to sit through a whole session of 'what a lovely baby' comments.
The ultrasound was then stopped, I was told to get up and we were asked if we understand every option. When we confirmed and said what we came for, we were further asked why we wanted CVS and not NIPT screening, convinced it's not the right thing to do as the baby looks healthy ('even though I can't see the chromosomes' being a direct quote) and told how our chances of false negative with NIPT are 1:10000. After which the obstetrician asked us to go to a private room to discuss it again, for us to make a decision (again).
We talked for 15 minutes which test to chose, completely unsure what to do now. During that time a midwife joined us for a bit and suggested doing NIPT instead of CVS, quoting a 99.9% certainty (which is not an accurate statistic). When I corrected her and told her this 0.9% is important difference she said she can't really talk to me, she told us we should discuss it amongst ourselves again and I was told it's our baby and how much we want to risk the miscarriage is up to us.
After hearing all this and talking some more we decided to change the screening to NIPT. It was probably the right choice, though at this point I have really no way of knowing.
But are they allowed to advice which route to go? Especially after we made a choice already, are they allowed to change the screening we were booked to have? And why were we offered the CVS one in the first place if it was so wrong? I do feel like my decision was very much influenced.
As an immigrant coming from a far more conservative country where everything is under control of religious zealots and women's choices are virtually non-existent, I have never expected so much emotional manipulation from the medical staff in England. It definitely reminded me of southern states where you hear women are made to listen to the heartbeat before they make a choice. If worse comes to worst , and I already decided I will make a choice to terminate the pregnancy, I really do not want to have a similar experience again. Is that something I should expect?