Is anyone else in their late thirties and has chosen NOT to have any tests?

[Gateau]

Most people of my age (39) or similiar who I know are having the nuchal translucency and/or triple blood tests.
Dh and I have decided not to do any of them; WE feel it's opening a can of worms and we will accept whatever (worst case scenario)is thrown at us.
Anyone else think the same? I feel I am one of the few who is not going for them!!
This is my second pregnancy. We have a healthy, beautiful, two-year-old son.

I had the nuchal translucency and ultrasound scans because they were non-invasive but refused all other tests. I would always go for anything that poses no risk to the baby because I firmly believe knowledge is power! We are in the accept what comes camp too, but wanted to be able to prepare as much as we could.

I didn't do the amniocentesis (sp?) at age 36 as I also didn't know what I would be doing with the type of information it would provide.

My doctor tried to convince me saying that it would help him prepare for potential action at the birth if anything transpired, but I went to a hospital specialized in birthing/delivery, so I was sure that they were prepared anyway.

Same as seeker.

Would not have gone for amnio ourselves because we were going to take what we were given.

I was 37 when I gave birth to DS.

Gateau, I'm 36 (37 in June) and we are not having any tests except the 12 week (done yesterday) and 20 week scan. We have refused any further screening.

I work in SEN and know from personal experience that very few disabilities can be diagnosed ante-natally so we have decided to go with the flow.

However, I would want to know at the 20 week scan if my LO had any condition that was "incompatible with life" (awful phrase ) so we could make decisions then.

As far as I know, all my friends have had the tests regardless of age.

i'm a touch younger (35) but chose not to have any tests because it wouldn't have made any difference to our actions. tho may have been useful to prepare parents/family if dd had had downs syndrome. scan person (forget what they're called) was quite shocked i didn't want nuchal test, if i hadn't been so sure of myself, would've felt i was 'wrong'. tho should say i work with children with special needs so it's not an 'unknown' for me

I'm in mid thirties (34), pregnant with dc2. I've declined screening so far, other than the 20 week scan. I would like more children and have no plans to have screening in further pregnancies.

as spongebrain said, i had the 20 week scan in case a condition incompatible with life (can't improve on the phrase i'm afraid,) was shown, but on the basis that i wouldn't change the pregnancy whatever the tests showed, i opted not to have them.

I'm mid 30's too, also 34 only a few weeks to go!

This is my second successful pregnency (3 miscarriages). We decided in both pregnancies not to have any of the tests other than scans and regular bloods.

To me after losing babies, I just didn't want to do it. I wasn't prepared to take risks and lose another child.

Whatever will be will be.

I didn't have for my first 2 (I was 33 and 34) and now pregnant again aged 39 and won't be having anything but the scans. We decided we wouldn't risk an amnio, and didn't want to leave it at just being given a risk factor.

I've met plenty of people who haven't had the tests. Often there seems to be so much focus on Downs syndrome, which is not the worse thing that could happen, and your 20 week scan is likely to give you warning of a wider range of possible problems. If you know you wouldn't take any action, then there doesn't seem to be any reason not to wait for this.

i gave birth to my first DS at the age of 37
and DD at the age of 39 had no tests as living in ireland and they dont do them here
(maybe privatly) just had 20 wk scan,both healthy happy babies, even if offerd i dont think i would take the test was just delighted to be pregnant, and didnt want anything to go wrong if i did have the test,
Gateau and all other mums here expecting have a happy pregnancy
x x x x x

"Often there seems to be so much focus on Downs syndrome, which is not the worse thing that could happen"

That's exactly what my midwife said. And it's true.

Thank you Gilly. You too.

I was pregnant at 40 last year and refused most tests - even some of the blood tests. I did however, have a 20 week scan for a 'limb count' and to see if there were any of the soft markers for abnormalities. I think my general statistic for having a child with Downs syndrome because of my age had "shot up" to 1% ; I preferred to look at it as my chances of having a child without Downs was around 99% and as a previous poster said, Downs syndrome is not the worst thing that can happen anyway. There are far worse outcomes which cannot be tested for.

I'm 37 and have not had anything other than the scans. As we would not be willing to have the invasive scans there seemed no point in things that would only potentially let us know of a higher risk and worry us througout the pregnancy. None of the midwifes or Drs have tried to pressure us into anything different.

Hi there, I am expecting my 6th baby, I am 39. I have never had any testing apart from the regular scans - DH and I are in full agreement that we wouldn't have any invasive testing anyway due to the risk of losing a perfectly healthy baby so there seemed no point in having any bloods etc.

Hopefully all will be well, but if not, this is our baby and we'll love and cherish him/her regardless.