Bad 12 week screening results just need to talk it through with somone whose been there......

[feelingbadtoday]

I'm 38 wen't for my 12 week screening test today (nuchal fold+bloods) and was given a 1:2 results - I've been put down for CVS hopefully in the next week. I'm blessed that I have DS but this came as a such a shock - I fully expected my results to show a higher risk factor than when I had my son three years ago - I was even mentally prepared (I think!!) for a risk factor that might havve put me in the bracket for being offered CVS but not a 1:2. I just feel in shock at the moment - this preganancy has already been difficult in that I have mentally had probelms getting my head round it (It was planned but when I found out I was pregagnt it bought back lots of bad memories of a difficult birth with DS and a diffult few post natal months) - I can't stop crying and just feel a bit of a mess...Has anyone been there how do you get a grip/get it in perspective - I'm sorry if this isn't very coherent and well written its not been the best of days....thanks to anyone who responds.

woohoo very pleased all is well x

oh I'm so pleased for you Elkiedee.

That's absolutely wonderful news.

I have my CVS at 10:45 tomorrow.

Wish me luck everybody.

Good news, elkie!
Good luck for tomorrow, mslucy.
Hope you're OK, fbt.

Thinking of you FBT

yeah good luck FBT.

keeping everything crossed (and I mean everything)

Very pleased for you Elkie.

Wishing Lucy and FBT all the best. The actual CVS is over very quickly and they're not half so scary as they sound. The killer is actually waiting for the results, obviously.

Elkie - great news!! I am really pleased for you. Mslucy - glad you have an appointment tomorrow all the best with it.

Had the CVS this am - it wasn't too bad - they took the sample through my stomach as opposed to the vagina and it was definitely uncomfortable rather than painful - the staff at the Royal Devon and Exeter were lovely and spent ages answering our questions and just gave us plenty of time ( a very different experience from the stressful scan we had at our local hospital). The doctor looked at the nuchal fold again at the same time - it is still enlarged but possibly not as large as first measured. She also checked this time for a nasal bone and the heart (for two chambers) and she said she could see both - it doesn't change the stats a lot as the bloods are not great but she would put it now as more a 1:4 - so perhaps the balance has moved slightly in our favour. We should get the results later on Wed or Thursday.
DH and I went and had lunch together afterwards and started to think through our options if the results isn't good - though we won't make any decisions until we know - if anything good is comming out of this whole horrible experience is that I think DH feel a bit stronger as a couple and its made us thankful for all the postives in our lives.
Will be thinking of you tomorrow MsLucy.

FBT - Great to hear you're receiving the info and support you need, and that you're feeling more positive - will be thinking of you on results day too.

oh fbt I'm glad you're feeling a little bit better. DH has been very good to me as well - the optimist to my raging pessimist.
Have chatted to friends and they have been great as well.

I went into a church before work and said a prayer this morning - and I am the least religious person alive (in the conventional sense anyway).

I shall have to say one for you tomorrow!

Feeling bad - great that you've had the test! Waiting is difficult, but it's only a few days!

I've had amnio twice and both times, we went away to keep our minds off it!

Thanks all - will keep youu posted on how we get on. MsLucy its strange isn't I long since stopped going to church regularly and have quiet a few athiest tendencies - but I found myself having a pray this morning and digging out the cross the parents gave me years ago and stuck it my pocket and took it to the test.

Will be thinking of you both and looking out for news.

hey God doesn't mind you turning to him in times of need

FBT, you realise that your chances of a healthy baby have just doubled? I know one in four sounds horribly scary and I am not sure what I would do in your shoes about from scream, but it is a glimmer of hope.

Personally I have never had any tests as termination is no option for me and dh, but I wish you all the best in discussing the matter with your dp and deciding what needs to be done. And don't let anyone judge you. I certainly won't whatever you decide.

Hi FBT, just read through this thread, and wanted to send my support for what sounds like a terrifying situation for you.
I haven't been thru anything like this, but was given a 1:90 chance of DD3 having DS. I chose no further testing and she does indeed have DS. I know that you are thinking of other more worrying conditions, and what your options should be. But I just wanted to let you know that if your baby does have DS, that life, whilst different, will be fine. My daughter is a beautiful, happy child who brings us all such joy. She makes me laugh like no one else I know. I love her just as I love her 2 big sisters, they are my girls and I would not change them. Check out my photos.
You are having an obviously stressful time, and no one would judge you for any choice you make when the results arrive. But I feel my life with my girls is positive, and I wanted you to know that. Wishing you all the very best, whatever the outcome of your tests xx

oh headgirl, your dd3 is absolutely gorgeous. In fact she is quite the spitting image of my goddaughter, who interestingly does not have downs. You must be so proud.

Mslucy sending you good wishes for today.

thanks for all your support.
feeling a bit shaky, but hopefully it will all be over by lunch time.

The plan is to spend the afternoon in bed - as long as it's not too bloody hot!

I have been thinking how best to deal with the test and am going to use the self hypnosis techniques I learnt earlier to deal with the joy of the turkey baster (this baby was conceived through IUI).

I will shut my eyes, breathe very deeply and have as many positive thoughts as I can.

just come to this thread. i've got a good idea what many of you are going through.

i'm a firm believer in crossing each bridge as you come to it and not before.

I'm now 17 weeks pregnant, and will be 38 tomorrow. Fourth pregnancy: one healthy DS and 2 losses. Where i live you don't get a nuchal fold scan, and the blood test comes at 15ish weeks. i found out 10 days ago that my Down's risk was 1 in 12, which seeemed terrifyingly high to me at the time. You also don't get CVS here but an amnio (which actually sounds less traumatic) - mine was last tuesday and was fine - scarcely felt it, over in a second.

My DH was pretty sure that we should have a termination if it came back positive, but i've been through that before (at 20 weeks with no 2 because the waters went spontaneously) and i wasn't sure i could do it again. i found i couldn't get my head round making a decsion until i KNEW the result was positive. which was just as well, because the result came back after 2 days as all clear for Downs, Edwards and Pattaus. The amnio caused a bleed, though, which gave us a few anxious moments when i thought that i was going to lose a completely healthy baby because i'd chosen to have an amnio, but it seems that is quite common, and so far it seems to have settled down.

someone said above that this pregnancy business is not easy - i agree! i also agree that looking on the internet is the best way to make your stress levels go through the roof.

so... i'm thinking of all of you yet to have your tests and still to get your results. don't make any decisions until you need to. you have plenty of time and the staff won't (shouldn't) rush you.

good luck everyone.

RozzieR thank you for your post - yes you are very right about taking each step as you go - thats the worse part at the moment working out every possible outcome in your head continually (and you know its not doing you any good!). I'm glad your results came out well (and happy birthday for tomorrow).

Mslucy hope you are having a restful afternoon and that the test went well

Hi there fbt

Test went well today - no complications and no bleeding or anything scary so far.

I had the Professor of Fetal Medicine at UCH who was amazing.

Amy Winehouse was also in the hospital today (in A&E) so we had to make our way past loads of news crews on our way to the appointment!

They did another nuchal, which came in at 2.5 (down from 3.3 last week) which is now considered normal.

Not counting chickens obviously but feeling a bit less paranoid.

Have been sitting on sofa all day but had huge row with mother on phone. It was my dad's birthday today and he phoned me to thank me for some books I sent him.

I then told them about all the drama, which was a bit of a surprise as I had not told them about the pg (after my mother had sneered at me for having fertility treatment).

Mother ok initially but then turned into an attack.

I got very angry with her - thanks mum for all your support on what has possibly been one of the scariest days of my life.

It kind of reminded me why I have very little to do with her.

Oh well.

Just about to stuff face with curry!

Onwards and upwards.

Great stuff Ms Lucy. Was it Professor K? He is excellent. Have a nice rest and put all bad thoughts out of your mind. Keep us posted.

Professor Eric Jauniaux

Belgian and fantastic.

Going to go and watch some telly now.

Glad to hear the test went well MsLucy and that the nuchal results has gone down - thats great news!!.

I know what you mean about mothers - I was on the verge of telling my mum (who lives 120 miles away)I was pregnant until this drama unfolded and then rapidly decided against it - my mum cares but I don't think I can cope with her 'support' at the moment which would involve phoning me every five minutes, being sorry for me and probably crying - her not me! At the moment I can only deal with this and talking about it on terms I can deal with. If I told her know it would probably end up in a massive bust up!! - I know she means well but its pressure I can't deal with.

I am hoping we might get some results later today (providing the sample reached the lab run first thing yesterday)if not it will be tomorrow. If I haven't heard by about 3pm I will probably ring the hospital just to find out whether I am likely to hear anything today.

At the moment I'm swinging between wild optimisim arguing the slightly improved stats in my head and then being pessimistic when I remember that the nuchal though smaller in size is still enlarged and the bloods were poorish. RozzieR's words about cross each bridge as we get there helped last night and we had quite a pleasant evening (though I demanded we have chips - proper greasy chip shop chips - for tea as comfort food - rather than one of my usual brown rice veggie delights!!).

I've taken the day off work today - need the space and don't want to be there is we do get the results - so I'm going to try and keep busy - the house will probably be cleaned to death by lunch!!

All the best.

fbt, those chips sound good.
I had a curry last night which also fulfilled the grease quota. I usually eat lots of healthy stuff too.
good luck with your results. I really am keeping everything crossed.
I get mine on Fri. Feel better but obviously not totally out of the woods yet.

my mother and I have a terrible relationship. I was very close to her as a child but have fought tooth and nail with her since I was 18 (that's getting on for 20 years!). Every so often it sort of improves, then something happens which brings it back to sqaure one. Her behaviour after ds was born (3 years ago) was absolutely disgusting and I still haven't really forgiven her for it.

my husband doesn't really know why I have anything to do with her and I ask myself those questions quite frequently as well.

enough of her. good luck, good luck, good luck. might creep into that church again today and have a word with the man upstairs on your behalf.

Thanks MsLucy