February Valentines 2012 - We have our first Valentines!

[Jokerette]

You are so right and it's scarey to think of any of us being told we are higher risk. I read that the way it works is that if you are higher risk they give you a 1 in X chance. Say X=400. Now that number does not mean that you have a 1in 400 chance if having a baby with downs out of ALL the babies born. It means that of all the babies with that SAME testing results there is only a 1 in 400 chance.

I agree with you... It can cause a lot of undue stress. My mom adviced me against it for the same reasons... She knew someone who was "higher risk" who had a perfectly healthy baby.

I think it all depends on how a person could handle the results. It's scary though and I hope we all get the healthy babies we all deserve!!

 

[Guppy051708]

im not sure how its done in the UK but here the "nucal testing" (which is called the "Quad test", that is one that checks for DOWNS, right? ) if it is, here its done simply by blood work! They just take blood how you would any other time you get bloodwork done to check for health issues. Now, there is something called an "amniocintesis" (sp?) and that is where they insert a very long needle into the abdomen and pull out some fetal cell tissue to do a more invasive DOWNS test amongst other things. Here is is VERY rare to have this recommend as it has an increased risk of MC. Most women will never ever have to get the amniocintesis done. Thank God! but i wasn't sure if you all knew the difference or not.

When i had the Quad test done, it was bloodwork and it came back like your baby has a 1 in 3,056,890 chance of having DOWNS and same for the other 3 things they test for. Like most of you i am keeping this baby no matter what. We love this baby so the test wont really make a difference for us! I think the only time it would is if it came back saying there was a great chance of one of the 4 problems that way we could make sure the appropriate healthcare was available to the baby at the birth. With that said, being deemed "high risk" would be a major stress! Also just wanted to point out, these tests dont say EXACTLY one way or another if your baby will have an issue. Just the CHANCE. So it could say your baby is fine, when really s/he is not. Or it could say your baby has an issue, when s/he is actually fine and dandy! thats the "con" for the testing. But generally i think there are other ways to confirm (like if they thought DOWNS then they would offer an amniocintesis...which personally i would decline, but you catch my drift.) I also think the 20 week scan would pick up on irregular body measurements (like head size and other characteristics of the disabilities).

 

[MrsMM24]

to you HUGS!

JENNY - I totally know the feeling. I have been having a pinkish tinted to "Tan" discharge since yesterday afternoon. It has subsided quite a bit. It is only when I wipe and I have been wearing panty liners since my discharge has been heavy. The liners are not finling and look like the very last last day of a period. I have basically been spotting.... Just trying to remain calm.

 

[Jokerette]

im not sure how its done in the UK but here the "nucal testing" (which is called the "Quad test", that is one that checks for DOWNS, right? ) if it is, here its done simply by blood work! They just take blood how you would any other time you get bloodwork done to check for health issues. Now, there is something called an "amniocintesis" (sp?) and that is where they insert a very long needle into the abdomen and pull out some fetal cell tissue to do a more invasive DOWNS test amongst other things. Here is is VERY rare to have this recommend as it has an increased risk of MC. Most women will never ever have to get the amniocintesis done. Thank God! but i wasn't sure if you all knew the difference or not.

When i had the Quad test done, it was bloodwork and it came back like your baby has a 1 in 3,056,890 chance of having DOWNS and same for the other 3 things they test for. Like most of you i am keeping this baby no matter what. We love this baby so the test wont really make a difference for us! I think the only time it would is if it came back saying there was a great chance of one of the 4 problems that way we could make sure the appropriate healthcare was available to the baby at the birth. With that said, being deemed "high risk" would be a major stress! Also just wanted to point out, these tests dont say EXACTLY one way or another if your baby will have an issue. Just the CHANCE. So it could say your baby is fine, when really s/he is not. Or it could say your baby has an issue, when s/he is actually fine and dandy! thats the "con" for the testing. But generally i think there are other ways to confirm (like if they thought DOWNS then they would offer an amniocintesis...which personally i would decline, but you catch my drift.) I also think the 20 week scan would pick up on irregular body measurements (like head size and other characteristics of the disabilities).

Nuchal testing is done during weeks 11-14 (combo ultrasound/blood), and Quad test (blood only) is done further along. Both of the tests combined can give a more accurate risk assessment than one alone.

I'm sorry to hear some girls are having spotting there are lots of lots of ladies of have pinkish or tanish spotting and they are fine and have healthy pregnancies. Try to think positive!! I'll be sending good vibes your way.

How was everyone's weekend?

 

[tiger]

in not getting the downs testing done. i didnt with jesse either. im quite young so the risk is extremely low, and if it turns out my baby does have Downs syndrome, it will just be another hurdle we overcome as a family

 

[Guppy051708]

Amen!

 

[kbkb]

kbkb, thanks for your encouragement on ms. I kept everything down yesterday, but today has not been quite as good. Some days are better, some are worse, but as long as Baby is OK then I'm OK too!


Hugs3409, so sorry about your loss. What a tough experience. May love surround you during this time.

babyclements, on the nuchal scan and all the other screening we aren't doing it. We've chosen to keep Baby as long as we're given him or her no matter what and have decided that we don't feel the need to prepare in advance for Downs or any of the other possible chromosomal abnormalities. I fully support those who want to know, but it's just not for us.

Ahhh, trust me honey, you'll get better.....Mine went like literally overnight, I was in the dog house last week...but i love your attitude, as long as baby's ok , I am ok!!! that rocks!

I'm getting my nuchal scan at 12 weeks..which is roughly 28 July. I think I do want to know would put my mind to rest. Most doctors recommend it
sorry to Jenny and MM24 -hope the spotting is only benign (it sounds like)...keep well!

 

[Robertsgirl]

Hello I was here a while ago..I'm back!

 

[Nathyrra]

Hey girls,

I just want to add that having a child with down syndrome does not mean they aren't healthy. It's one extra chromesome. Sometimes health problems can come with ds (as with any baby), and sometimes it doesn't. My son is fortunate that he is completely healthy. He's also amazing! Also, people with down syndrome virtually never get heart attacks/thickening of arteries and apart from blood cancer almost never get all the other cancers either cos they are born without the cancer gene. I think that's pretty awesome Sorry to toot my own sons horn I just like to point out that 'worst case scenerio' doesn't have to be a bad scenario at all!

This time around I have to have the screenings, I was 26 when my son was conceived and I'm 28 now but still I feel like I absolutely must prepare myself this time because lasttime was a huge shock and I felt if I'd known before his birth, I would have delt with it then and been less concerned and distracted when he was a newborn (which I barely remember I was in such a haze!)

I've spotted on and off too, for me it's normal in this pregnancy. It seems to happen every 4 weeks so I reckon my period hormone is getting a bit confused lol.

I'm approaching 10 weeks and the MS is getting a million times worse @.@ anyone else getting bad MS the further along you get?

 

[amandad192]

Hey girls,

I just want to add that having a child with down syndrome does not mean they aren't healthy. It's one extra chromesome. Sometimes health problems can come with ds (as with any baby), and sometimes it doesn't. My son is fortunate that he is completely healthy. He's also amazing! Also, people with down syndrome virtually never get heart attacks/thickening of arteries and apart from blood cancer almost never get all the other cancers either cos they are born without the cancer gene. I think that's pretty awesome Sorry to toot my own sons horn I just like to point out that 'worst case scenerio' doesn't have to be a bad scenario at all!

This time around I have to have the screenings, I was 26 when my son was conceived and I'm 28 now but still I feel like I absolutely must prepare myself this time because lasttime was a huge shock and I felt if I'd known before his birth, I would have delt with it then and been less concerned and distracted when he was a newborn (which I barely remember I was in such a haze!)

I've spotted on and off too, for me it's normal in this pregnancy. It seems to happen every 4 weeks so I reckon my period hormone is getting a bit confused lol.

I'm approaching 10 weeks and the MS is getting a million times worse @.@ anyone else getting bad MS the further along you get?

I'm sorry, I'm assuming you took that from one of my posts. I hope I didn't offend you.
I put worst in "'s because to me it wouldn't be the "worst" outcome. It may make things a bit more difficult but to me as long as my child is born with a healthy heartbeat then I would have the best possible outcome, regardless of any disabilities.

 

[Nathyrra]

Oh no not at all, I put myself through alot of unnesc. stress when my son was born because I didn't know certain things about DS, and I thought I would pass some of my new found knowledge on. I took no offence to anything anyone says and fully understand any type of tests or lack there of to help yourself through the pregnancy as stressfree as possible. x

 

[KellyC75]

Hello I was here a while ago..I'm back!

Im glad your back

How are you feeling? When is your 1st scan?

Hey girls,

I just want to add that having a child with down syndrome does not mean they aren't healthy. It's one extra chromesome. Sometimes health problems can come with ds (as with any baby), and sometimes it doesn't. My son is fortunate that he is completely healthy. He's also amazing! Also, people with down syndrome virtually never get heart attacks/thickening of arteries and apart from blood cancer almost never get all the other cancers either cos they are born without the cancer gene. I think that's pretty awesome Sorry to toot my own sons horn I just like to point out that 'worst case scenerio' doesn't have to be a bad scenario at all!

This time around I have to have the screenings, I was 26 when my son was conceived and I'm 28 now but still I feel like I absolutely must prepare myself this time because lasttime was a huge shock and I felt if I'd known before his birth, I would have delt with it then and been less concerned and distracted when he was a newborn (which I barely remember I was in such a haze!)

I've spotted on and off too, for me it's normal in this pregnancy. It seems to happen every 4 weeks so I reckon my period hormone is getting a bit confused lol.

I'm approaching 10 weeks and the MS is getting a million times worse @.@ anyone else getting bad MS the further along you get?

Thankyou for posting this positive story about your beautiful Son

My friends child was born with DS & she said that she wished she'd known before hand, just to prepare herself & to look into exactly what having a DS child would be like ~ As you say, just after birth your heads all over the place anyway

I'd rather know & prepare too

P.S Sorry your MS is getting worse, I am relived mine is getting better, as it did with DD ~ But I can totally sympathise, as I had it bad & for a long time with DS2

 

[VegtaBully]

My first appointment is today! Finally! It's been such a long wait.

 

[KellyC75]

My first appointment is today! Finally! It's been such a long wait.

Hope it all goes well

 

[mrsraggle]

hugs3409, so sorry to hear of your loss
rj84, welcome and congrats!

We're having the nuchal testing and blood work. Simply because if my result is high risk then I'd like to prepare myself. It was low risk last time so I'm hoping for a similar result.

 

[swanxxsong]

I've been away all weekend, so I'm REALLY behind. Catching up is basically impossible so to summarize:

welcome to all the new and returning from hiatus ladies!

if anyone's left us.

and I'm tired and my belly itches today. boo. lol. I swear, next tuesday cannot come fast enough. I need to hear the heartbeat to reassure myself. please and thank you.

hope everyone's having a good Monday! lack of sleep = cranky me. trying not to be too whiny. LOL.

 

[dsnshne23]

Thats nice to hear the nasea is wearing off! I hope that means mine will soon lol

Tomorrow is the dreaded 8+3 (when i MCed our first baby). I can't wait to be done with this week! Given all the MS ive been having, im sure this baby is fine, but just hate this particular week because of the MC!

Im still waiting on the call back from my MW about when my scan will be. I can't wait to find out if there is one (or more) in there!

Well, my friend's ob said, "The sicker you are, the stronger the baby." so feel happy!

By that theory my babies oughtta be champion weight lifters!

 

[TeQuiero]

I am happy for those ladies who are feeling better! I have been so sick a lot the last week, I have actually gotten sick about 4 times in the last week and I hadn't been sick before.
I am ready for it to be the 3rd already!

 

[Diana5241]

I've also written up my list for my hospital bag. I'm packing 4 bags. 1 for labour, 1 for straight after the birth, 1 for a possible hospital stay and 1 for going home stuff.
Last time I took a massive suitcase with everything in and it endedout just getting in the way. This time OH can take home stuff I'm finished with and bring us extra when needed.

Brilliant idea! I'll definitely be copying you here... although, since this is my first time through, I'm not 100% sure what I'll put in each bag haha but I can see how it will help to have smaller, organized bags than one big one.


Oh, and....
I'm wearing maternity pants at work and they're soooooooo comfy and I feel sooooo mischievous!

 

[Guppy051708]

My first appointment is today! Finally! It's been such a long wait.

How was your first appt. Hun?

My appt seems ages away. *sigh* it's not until aug 8th