Amniocentesi

[meus]

Hi, we got blood tests results + NT test and we got an stadistic of low risk. Doctor has no recommend it as it;s low risk, but I'm 38 and I can't top thinking about doing the amnio to be sure about any posible anormality. Has anyone been in the same situation?

 

[Sucellia]

Hi, meus

I am 37 and had my baby boy when I was 36.
I know quite few people who is older than me and had their babies (2 of them are their 40's.)

The most of them did not take amnio test.
The reason they told me was they will keep their babies not matter what. Test result will not change their minds so there was no point for them to take the test. (They said they will accept their babies as they are.)

I know one person took it for sure.
She said she took the test because she cannot accept any handicapped baby. She said she cannot love baby if the baby has any abnormality (even very minor one). She even said she will abort the baby right away if any of the tests come back not-so-normal (even slightly out of normal range). (She took so many tests. Whatever is available, she took it.) She was talking about it like talking about business......She has two children and she took the tests for both time.

For me, I did not take the test. I was like you. I was so worried.
My blood test came back 1/700. I talked to other mums and their numbers were much much much better than mine (ie: 1/3000, 1/ 12000 and so on).

I talked to some of mum friends and asked them how they made decision. They said "Have you talk to your husband? Are you going to accept and love your baby as he is born?"

I talked to my husband and we were ready to accept our baby as he is. There is a chance of miscarriage due to amnio test. We could not think about taking a chance/risk of losing him. (I mean if we take a test and result comes back normal but if we lose a baby due to the test, we will not be able to forgive ourself and will regret rest of our life.)

So we decided not to take one.

I suggest you to talk to your husband about this.
There is no right and wrong answer for this so just chose the one you (and your husband) do not regret.

Sucellia

 

[sherwes]

Hi, I was 37 when I had my baby. I was low risk on the blood test and NT. I didn't consider an amnio because of the small risk of miscarriage and also because I would have continued with the pregnancy regardless of the results of the amnio.

 

[DB_mum]

Hi Meus
I was pregnant when I was 36; i got a "low" statistical risk (1/550) from the blood test, but i was really obsessed with a possible anormality (just like you seem to be). I decided to do the amniocentesis, whose result indicated everything was normal.
I had discussed with my OBGYN about my decision to do the amniocentesis and she told me that since I was thinking so much about anormality and was so stressed about it, i was right to have the amnio. I was ready to take the risk of miscarriage.
I started to enjoy pregnancy only after the amnio result.
It is really a personal choice, but the key question is, as mentioned sherwes, is whether you would continue the pregnancy regardless of the result of the amnio; if the answer is yes, then what is the point of taking the risk of a miscarriage.