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HELP! Big decision to make ...

Am now hitting 16 wks pregnant and its time for the nuchal fold test or whatever it is!

Been told by a midwife am going to be higher risk because of my age (38) so will be 1:250 or whatever it is! Havent really looked into this because I already love my baby and now am worried. Was going to avoid the test because of what midwife told me and really dont want to risk baby with amnio test.

I really dont know what to do - should I worry myself with this test which I know will show higher chance or should I just leave it. I know I will still love my baby whatever but is avoiding the issue the best way?

Has anyone else been told their risk of downs is higher and what have you done? Am really confused and dont quite know what to do.

Thanks for any advice ladies,
Love Lee xxx
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Replies

  • Hiya lee, Im only young so wont be having the test, but if it isnt going to affect how you feel about your pregnancy i wouldnt have it. You will only worry yourself even more for the next 24 weeks if it shows higher. But it is your decision to make and you shouldnt really let anyone on here influence your decision. Personnaly i wouldnt have the test however old i was. What does your partner think about it? Your best talking it through with him xx

    Good luck whatever you decide x

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  • I chose not to have the tests. I'm 19 so a lower risk but I still didn't want them as a high-risk result can happen to anyone and if I had come out high risk I wouldn't have the amnio anyway and would have spent the whole pregnancy worrying and just not enjoying it.

    Did you know though that they look for indicators of Down's at the 20 week scan? It's not 100% accurate but then neither are the blood tests. It's only the amnio that is accurate and if you wouldn't have it, and would keep the baby anyway, then I dont really see the point.

    I can see why you'd want to be prepared for having a child with a disability but I also think in some ways u can never be prepared so might as well enjoy the pregnancy! xxx
  • My friend had the blood test that came back and said she was a higher risk. The hospital gave her the night to think aboutif she wanted the amnio. She rang everyone and worried and cried and then went ahead with it. She was worried about the risk of miscarriage but it came back fine. She had a lovely little girl just before xmas. And she wasn't an 'older' mum she was only 27. My mum was 36 when she had me and then 38 with my sister and she choose not to have the blood tests either time.

    Louise.
  • Hi, ive been thinking about these tests myself and I spoke to a friend of mine at work. She said one of her friends got told her baby had downs and she gave birth to a baby without downs! So they can also be wrong sometimes. Im not going to have the tests.
    Lisa xx
  • I had a private one done at 12wks (I am 30) and it really put my mind at ease as the risk factor went down loads and the nuchal fold was measured as well. But, don't know what would have done if risk was high. Probably would have had the amnio (think risk of miscarriage is 1% or less) as then if a definite no then would have been relieved. Having said that if was a positive would have had to really tiknk about what to do....but 12wks perhaps a little easier than 16? I think if you have no intention of abortion at all whatever the results then perhaps no point..but if you are going to worry surely it's better to know now and be prepared then go another 6 months not knowing?
    We can all give advice but it has to be something you and partneer discuss and go with what heart tells you. Good luck x
  • I chose not to have it, as I would have had the baby anyway. Luckily my baby is perfect. It depends how much of a worrier you are-would you worry if it came back with a high probability, and then about the risk of miscarriage with amnio? Will you spend the rest of your pregnancy worrying if you don't have it? My husband wanted it (the test) but I didn't, as I've grown up with a disabled/special needs brother, and knew I'd be able to cope with a downs baby. It sounds to me like the result will make no difference to your decision to have the baby, so I'd leave it and save a lot of worry for probably nothing x
  • My opinion is not to bother having it. Again I have a story of a friend who was told she was high risk blah blah blah and the stress caused by having tests and the results was terrible. Why bother putting yourself through all the worry and your baby through all the emotional stress it will be picking up from you?
    I chose not to bother as it wouldn't have changed anything for me anyway so I'd have to say avoid the issue!!
    Tracey
    xxx
  • Hi, I agree with Joanne if nothing will alter your decision then i would strongly recommend not bothering with the blood tests.
    I had the blood tests at 16+4 and looking back now i regret it for the worry it caused!! Im 26 (25 when had tests) and had the tests done not completely realising the impact it would have. With my age i assumed i would come back low-risk but the opposite occured....i came back high-risk and then had the decision of whether to have an amnio the following week. I can't explain how i felt but it knocked the stuffing out of me and i cried and cried. We decided not to have amnio as we would not terminate pregnancy whatever the result was DS or not.
    We saw a consultant who was amazed the hospital had even carried out tests on me considering my age. He also explained in detail what results meant and basically it can go either way....you could be young and come back high risk or older and come back low risk.
    I would say leave it if your pregnancy would not alter and just enjoy and relax.
    Del (31+4) x
  • Hi,
    I am 37 I had the nuchal fold scan and bloods at 12 weeks. I already had an increased risk based on age 1:165 chance of a baby with Down's without the test. The reults came back as an even more increased risk 1:66. We were devastated by this news. After much agonosing we opted to have an amnio. Not that it would have changed anything, but as this was our first baby we wanted to be prepared so we could give our lo the best chances in life For us the amnio reults came back normal. We got a provisional report the 3 days after the test and for us we found out we were having a girl.
    Good luck with whatever you and your Oh decide. I know frm the heart how hard this decision is, hugs,
    Mary & Twinkle xx 29 weeks
  • I was pregant at age 31 and the blood tests indicated I had a 1 in 29 chance of having a baby with Down's. I got the amnio centisis and it was no problem at all, hardly sore at all, just like getting an injection, and my husband was able to reassure me that the needle didn't go anywhere near the baby as he was watching the scan monitor all the time. The results came back clear and I therefore didn't need to worry about it again for the rest of the pregnancy and my baby was fine.

    It really is a personal decision but just to let you know I found the procedure fine and I decided the 1 per cent risk of miscarriage was worth the risk.

    Mairi
  • hi we decided against even the nuchal fold test because we would love the baby no matter what, plus our midwife told us that even if you are told you have ahigher risk it doesnt really mean the baby has anything wrong, and if you get a low risk the baby could still have something wrong, so she suggested it was best not to find out anything if we would keep/love the baby anyway which you say is also the case for you too.some would like to be prepared and so go ahead with the test, but as the mdwofe ssaid it doesnt really mean anything, and would only really be a thing for people who who not keep the baby if there could be something worng. it is a very hard decision,and i am only 26 so it is nyabe a harder thig for you. take care and try not to worry about it too much, if you would love the baby anyway id say dont find out anything...our midwofe told us not too, that it would just spoil our pregnancy if high risk came up and it may not even mean anything x


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  • I same age as you and I had nuchal and the triple blood test. This is my 5th and I needed to know if any problems were present. Not totally sure what i would have done if they had been. My results before testing due to age were 1:250 but after they were 1:1475. I felt relieived. IF they had been high I would have had an amnio I am sure of that. At this stage I would say I would serioulsy considered not keeping the baby depending on what was wrong. Sorry if i offend anyone but I had 4 other kids to think about and we live abroad so no family support at all. Also, were we live you just dont see any DS kids...they locals keep them indoors...sad but true. Westerners who have DS kids are usually back home before baby born or just after as not really any facilities here. I worked with DS kids for many years and they are just normal, fun loving kids but when they hit about 8 or 9 they become hard work and I do know what I am talking about. i am not sure we could have coped with that without the other 4 suffering. My OH works away for sometimes weeks on end and I am in a foreign country! Saying all this though NO ONE can say what they would do till the situation arises.
    It think if you feel you would def keep baby then maybe dont test, However if you want to know then get it done. Even coming back high risk does not mean baby is DEF DS as fairymary and del told you!
    take care and good luck
    d xx
  • Hi
    My midwife and I talked about it, but she advised due to my age (36.5) and been 22 weeks pregnant when I had it confirmed that the risk to the baby was higher. Also since I had tried so hard for so long to become pregnant I chose not to have the test. My 22 week scan showed everything was alright, they were slightly more througher with the scan as I had not been seen before and due to me asking for the test.
  • hi im 28 and 33 wks pregnant. i decided not to have the nts test as i decided after 1 ectopic and 1 msc that id love my baby no matter what and nothing that could be wrong would change the love i have for her x x x x
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