Did You Do Prenatal Screening?

[tl5953]

Hi ladies! I'm only 5+1 and I had an appointment today to confirm. I got a big stack of information that is useful to expecting parents, and with that came the info regarding optional screening (Downs, trisomy 18, neural tube defects). The doctor wants my decision almost immediately and I'm struggling with it. What are your thoughts?

 

[alisha_t]

The outcome would not change my thoughts on baby, so I skipped it with all of my children. My first is special needs, so I do not feel that I need a warning to do research or anything.

With that said, however, I do know some women who needed to find out so that they could be prepared to meet the needs of a special child and also to be prepared emotionally. I think it would be easier to come to grips with this sort of thing if you were prepared ahead of time than to find out at the delivery. It might help to have the emotional aspect sorted out so that you can enjoy the childbirth and first moments with the baby instead of being upset and worried about the baby's condition.

All in all, it is a very personal choice. Since DH and I are prepared to face special needs again without any emotional problems, we didn't do the screening. I can totally see where many would, though.

 

[Amberyll23]

Prenatal testing and screening is absolutely a very personal choice. As an older mom, I knew that my risks of having a child with disabilities were higher, so I opted for the initial screens with both of my DDs. I did this so I could be prepared should one of them show up with special needs. Since both of my early screens came back well within normal range, I was not faced with the difficult decision whether or not to go forward with an amnio/cvs, and I am still not sure I would opt for those more invasive tests due to the m/c risk.

 

[Moomette]

I had the 12-14 week bloods and scans with both my pregnancies and they came back with a very low chance both times. Whatever the outcome had been wouldn't have changed my mind about the babies, but I did feel I would have wanted the chance to prepare myself and do some research had there been high odds of something. Also, if the tests had come back with high risk, I wouldn't have wanted the amnio test as felt that would've been more invasive and risky, but that's just me and I'm happy with the choices I made.

 

[Dollybird]

My mw told me the best way to decide is to base it on what you would do if the results came back high risk.. If you wouldn't have amnio/cvs, and would wish to continue your pregnancy as normal there would seem little point in being screened. As others have said sometimes people choose the testing so they can be prepared, but my mw pointed out that sometimes that knowledge can actually cause a lot of worry and stress during your pregnancy. For that reason I decided against screening. But it is absolutely a personal decision that really only you can make xxx

 

[tl5953]

Awesome answer dolly ... Thank you!

 

[waitingfor]

I chose not to be screened both times. If I had come back as high risk I still wouldn't have wanted to risk an amino so, for me, the screening was pointless. Also my DHs cousin tested as high risk for Down's syndrome and she worried for the entire pregnancy. She didn't want an amino because of the miscarriage risk. Her son was perfectly healthy when he was born so she had been worried over nothing.

Like dolly bird said, it's best to base your decision on whether you would do the amnio if your results were high risk.

 

[optimistic1]

I chose to do it because if there were a problem (even though it wouldnt change my feelings about my baby and id love her no matter what) i would like to know ahead of time what im in for because having a baby with ANY kind of issues is going to need more practice than a baby without any..It would take extra time, money, and knowledge. It would change any plans i had for after the baby is born. I couldnt be a working mom with a child of disability i would want to be at home at all times working with my child and learning more and more about there disability and ways i can help and make there life as happy and as comfortable as humanly possible..i would need to put deep thought into how i would handle situations and problems in school..what school i'd put my daughter in etc etc. Alot goes into it if the results came out positive for anything so yes i got the tests done and yes i am VERY glad i did.

 

[sue_88]

I did. Having a baby potentially with a severe disability that may have needed immediate care at birth was enough for me to make my decision.

Luckily, she's perfect.

 

[Mum2BKW]

We did, and would have had further tests had they come back high risk. What we would have done from there depends on the severity of any disability found, but in all honesty there is a chance we would have chosen to terminate in some circumstances. It's a totally personal choice. Being our first baby we felt we wanted to have all the information early so if there was bad news we could choose how best for us to proceed. It would have been the hardest thing in the world to face, and thankfully so far baby has been perfect.