ack bad call from doc

grr soooo i'll try and make this as short as possible.. i switched docs at 16weeks. last appt. with old doc they gave me a script to get the afp test done, i never went. new doc doesnt do AFP tests, they do an u/s at 13wks because they know the afp can come back with funky results when nothing is wrong, causing unneeded worry. so first appt with new doc, its too late to do that kind of u/s to check for things, so he sends me for an AFP test. he called today and said they came back as one of the babies having a possible neural tube defect but NOT to worry because he's rarely seen it be correct, and that theyre going to send me to a specialist (im guessing a peri??) to do an u/s to look at the babies and make sure everything is okay. SO im trying my best to NOT worry and be scared, and its SORTA working, but not really. my mom had a AFP test come back bad with 1 of her pregnancies, and gabrielle (lil sister) is just fine and is 15 now with no problems at all. so im hoping it came back funky cuz maybe i was too far along, or because theres 2 babies, or something. anything. ugh im so scared. positive side...i get to see the babies again! and im hoping its in 3D! lol. i go feb 6th to the doc, and he'll prolly give me the number to call for the specialist, feb 8th i go for the gender u/s, and then i guess i go to the specialist sometime very soon after that so they can make sure everything is okay.
btw- how long is the typical 18-20wk u/s? and what exactly are they looking at?

 

What a bummer. I am sorry that you are having to go through this. We opted not to have the test done due to the high amount of false positives with twins.

Mine "big" u/s's lasted about an hour. Have fun!!!

 

yeah i was told they normally dont do AFP tests with twins do to the high false negs. Good luck

 

My doc didn't do an AFP because there are so many false positives with multiples.

 

Ditto! I could have but chose not to because of the possible results with twins.

QUOTE(rubyturquoise @ Jan 30 2008, 04:42 PM) [snapback]597670[/snapback]
My doc didn't do an AFP because there are so many false positives with multiples.

 

I opted not to do it as well. The peri agreed with our decision. The results are usually wrong and the next step is a level II u/s anyways. I know so many women that had false positives and the u/s showed nothing wrong and they all had healthy babies. Try not to worry. I know it is hard not to. That's why I wouldn't do the test. Even though you know there is most likely nothing wrong, there's always going to be that question. Hopefully, you'll get in soon to get the u/s. My level II's aren't 3-D. Mine lasted for a while. Probably 2-2 1/2 hours. Then, I had to wait another 1/2 hour for the peri to come in and tell me everything looked good. Be prepared to be there a long time.

 

:hug99: Uugh! I chose not to have the test with any of my children. I figured it wasn't going to matter, just cause me undo worry. I'll pray yours is undo worry as well. As for the ultrasound, I think mine was a good 1 and 1/2. But it's lots of fun!

 

We chose not to have this test for this exact reason. We decided that since we wouldn't abort the baby or babies anyway there was no point in being more stressed out than necessary. My best friend had an u/s with her second child and they had found an abnormality in the brain. They had her all scared telling her the baby might have a tumor or polyp on her brain. They did another u/s a couple of weeks later and it was gone. They figured it was just something in the development process. Her DD is just fine, no problems. I hope that it all works out for you.

As far as the 18-20 wk u/s, mine was 2 hours. They spent an hour on each twin measuring bones and such and making sure they each had all of the organs and parts of the brain and chambers of the heart. It was great, you really get to see a lot of your babies interactions and their little faces. You will love it.
They are basically just checking growth and development.

 

biggg sigh of relief. i really dont have any risk factors for any possible problems. im young, healthy, no family history. its prolly just a false positive like you all said, but i'll take every chance i can get to see these little ones. i definatly would not abort if there was something wrong either, so i guess the test is a waste of time. its my first pregnancy though and im not sure of things, so if the doc gives me a script to get blood drawn, i go do it. at least now i know for next time and i CANT WAIT until the 8th! lol im giddy with excitement oh! another question...doc sent me for another set of bloodwork at the last appt, i looked up all the lab code thingys and its for my thyroid, toxoplasmosis (that thing cats can give you...i think), and then another sickness dogs have but humans can have it too...uhh, 5ths disease or something? have any of your docs every ordered such weird things?

 

I know that their is a bunch of lab work that the dr. orders. I just had a TSH done with my GCT test because there is a family history. I really don't know what the other blood draw was for. They test for all kinds of things to make sure you are not at risk and putting the babies at risk. I guess in this case I would say better safe than sorry especially if you own pets or work in a day care.

 

The AFP levels are usually false positives in twins because there are two babies- making the levels higher. I had the triple screen done- and on the AFP it was high, but it had an asterik next to it- and it took into account that there were twins... so it actually showed the test was fine! So relax...
My level 2 only took about 40 minutes, but the babies were cooperative and it wasn't done by a specialist- just at the OB office.

 

I have my 18-20 anatomy u/s on Monday. I heard it will take about two hours since they will be going through the anatomy of each baby. I will be 19ws when I go to the appointment.

QUOTE(cottoncandysky @ Jan 30 2008, 05:10 PM) [snapback]597623[/snapback]
grr soooo i'll try and make this as short as possible.. i switched docs at 16weeks. last appt. with old doc they gave me a script to get the afp test done, i never went. new doc doesnt do AFP tests, they do an u/s at 13wks because they know the afp can come back with funky results when nothing is wrong, causing unneeded worry. so first appt with new doc, its too late to do that kind of u/s to check for things, so he sends me for an AFP test. he called today and said they came back as one of the babies having a possible neural tube defect but NOT to worry because he's rarely seen it be correct, and that theyre going to send me to a specialist (im guessing a peri??) to do an u/s to look at the babies and make sure everything is okay. SO im trying my best to NOT worry and be scared, and its SORTA working, but not really. my mom had a AFP test come back bad with 1 of her pregnancies, and gabrielle (lil sister) is just fine and is 15 now with no problems at all. so im hoping it came back funky cuz maybe i was too far along, or because theres 2 babies, or something. anything. ugh im so scared. positive side...i get to see the babies again! and im hoping its in 3D! lol. i go feb 6th to the doc, and he'll prolly give me the number to call for the specialist, feb 8th i go for the gender u/s, and then i guess i go to the specialist sometime very soon after that so they can make sure everything is okay.
btw- how long is the typical 18-20wk u/s? and what exactly are they looking at?

 

We also choose not to have the AFP - we did the nucheal translucency(sp?) u/s done where they measure the necks of each baby to determine if there may be a problem w/ downs.

I had so many ultrasounds done - one at each visit to my OB and each visit to the peri too! the level II at the peri always took about an hour - whuch I enjoyed up until the time it made me feel hot, and like I was going to pass out when I had to lay back!! when I mentioned it to the tech - she told me to just remind her that I needed to sit up! it worked! but I had already had to endure 3 u/s feeling like I was going to either vomit or pass out or both!! so if you start to feel bad - it is the babies laying on one of your arteries - just ask them if they can sit you up a bit!!