amnio

my doc thinks i should do an amnio b/c of the 'soft' markers of an enlarged head as well as fluid in the kidneys. then he said something about the bones but i couldn't even listen to what he was saying.
im freaked out by the fact of doing the amnio but cant deal with this for 4 more months of not knowing.
im so upset and just dont know what to do.

 

I'm sorry momma. :hug: :hug: I don't anyone but you and your husband {with the help of your doctor} can help you make this decision. What did the doctor say about percentages. My two had two markers for DS at one point during my pregnancy, but the doctor actually suggested we don't get it because it was less then 1% chance there was anything wrong. I will most definately keep you in my thoughts. :hug:

 

I will tell you when my cousin was pregnant with her DS 3years ago, he had 3 soft markers for DS. She declined the amnio and her OB told her to prepare herself for him to have DS. But he was born just fine, no DS. She was very glad she did not do the amnio. I personally would not do the amnio, but that is me. I'm sorry you are worrying about this. :hug:

 

i defintiely do not want to do the amnio. im just so nervous that everytime i go to the doc for a sono i'll be waiting for bad news.
sorry to vent.

 

I'm sorry hun that's a hard decision to make.

For me,the risks of the amnio are too high and I would personally never do it. But I can't make that decision for you, you have to decide what you are comfortable with! :hug:

 

QUOTE(newtothis @ Feb 9 2009, 05:50 PM) [snapback]1183350[/snapback]
sorry to vent.

Don't be sorry! That's what we are hear for. :hug:

 

QUOTE(newtothis @ Feb 9 2009, 05:50 PM) [snapback]1183350[/snapback]
sorry to vent.


:hug: Please don't be sorry. :hug: That is what we are here for, plus it's never easy being worried. We all know how hard this all can be for you and your husband, so please vent away. Especially if it makes things a little easier for you. :grouphug:

 

Maybe you should spend some time with the doc who would do the amnio. They are SO much better at them now ... and if you find a doc that has done tons of them, it's such low risk.

Personally, if it were me, I would do the amnio. I'm a need to know type of person. Maybe you could just make an appt with the peri who would do it, and just ask a billion questions and get all your info and maybe it will help you make your decision.

Good luck!

 

I think I would probably be getting an amnio done too, but like others have said, that is only a choice you and your family can make. Best of luck.

 

I had a similar experience with soft markers and did the amnio. Everything turned out fine. Amnio's are not nearly as risky as they used to be and it's really not that bad of an experience. It is a completely personal decision and you should do what is best for you. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

I completly understand how you feel. I have been having PTL symptoms since 23 weeks. They suggested an amino and I said no. Just the fact that if there was an infection the babies would have to come out right away. Last week I was admitted to the hospital with more problems and again they wanted an amino. My husband and I discussed it and we did it. It wasn't bad and everything was fine. I also am on nerves very time I go to the doctor. I haven't had one good appointment yet. I actually started crying at my last appointment when the nurse came in. I have another appointment today in just a few hours. Not looking forward to it.

 

Hi there. I'm sorry you are having to go through this. Did you do any of the screenings (nuchal translucency and/or quad/triple screen) that could help determine odds? I can definitely relate to your situation. After our first trimester screening we were given one in nine odds that Baby B has Down syndrome. We were also told that amnios with twins carries an additional risk because there are two of them, so the risk doubles. We decided against the amnio and I really did freak out for about a week, but have been amazed at the peace that eventually overcame us both. We knew we would never terminate and know that we'll eventually find out, so we just weren't comfortable wtih the risk. I'm 31 weeks right now and on bed rest because of preterm labor a week and a half ago, and we still don't know if our baby boy has Down syndrome or not. That said, the decision of whether or not to have an amnio is such a personal one and I have faith that whatever decision you make will be the right one for your family. Has your doctor told you how serious those markers are? That might help in your decision making too. Let me know if you'd like to talk more.

Elizabeth

 

QUOTE(jwadowsky @ Feb 10 2009, 11:51 AM) [snapback]1184344[/snapback]
I completly understand how you feel. I have been having PTL symptoms since 23 weeks. They suggested an amino and I said no. Just the fact that if there was an infection the babies would have to come out right away. Last week I was admitted to the hospital with more problems and again they wanted an amino. My husband and I discussed it and we did it. It wasn't bad and everything was fine. I also am on nerves very time I go to the doctor. I haven't had one good appointment yet. I actually started crying at my last appointment when the nurse came in. I have another appointment today in just a few hours. Not looking forward to it.


hugs to you. i hope your appt goes well.

i spoke with my doc and he really didn't seem to care i didnt feel. he was like - wellll do the amnio and thats that. they are soft markers but its good to do. ok? and like that was it. i was upset and he didn't really seem to care i dont think.

 

(((hugs)))

I sympathize greatly with you and it doesn't sound like your dr's are helping your cause any...certainly not your fears!!!

The fact is that, as already mentioned, an amino WON'T CHANGE ANYTHING, positive or negative. So it's NOT critical (or even necessary!) that you have it. I agree that no one should be pressuring you into anything.

I had my bloodwork come back w/ markers. My OB called me at home to discuss the situation. I consider her a rational, compassionate dr. who doesn't "over-doctor." Here's how she put this to me... If you are someone that NEEDS to plan, than go ahead w/ the next round of screenings, meaning the "NASA" ultrasound (how she refers to it) and perhaps an amnio. But it won't change anything. She also commented on specific cases she's had that have worked both ways - lots of prenatal markers that produced perfectly healthy babies and clean prenatal stats that produced a surprise Downs baby. So nothing is for sure for ANY of us. She also felt pretty certain that more flags would arise during subsequent u/s's that might indicate whether our baby(ies) were in fact DS or not. She also said that should I want to know more before they are born, I can opt for an amnio when the babies are more viable. That way, if there is a complication, they have better chances of coming out ok.

Needless to say, I opted out of the next round of tests and 2 hr consult w/ a peri...even the "NASA" u/s. I KNEW that I would come out of that consultation freaked out and would worry through the rest of my pregnancy. I do believe they present you with the worst case scenario and I don't need that. The peri's office is across the hall from my OB, and I never figured out until now why the pregnant women who walk out that door are NEVER smiling. Now I know...they're scared out of their wits. My ob has state-of-the-art u/s equipment and they do a thorough u/s at each appt. I presume they look extra carefully considering my previous markers. So far so good. I decided that doing an amnio could very well risk the well-being of two potentially HEALTHY babies just to "know." Yes, the odds are slim, but I'm not willing to risk it just for my personal desire to know. Ironically, just like a pp mentioned, I found great peace in this decision after I got over the initial shock of the whole situation. Being under great - and ongoing - stress isn't good for the babies (or us) either. I managed to get back to my "happy place" and focus positive energy into growing lovely little people. Whether they have DS (or any disability) or not, they are mine. I love them today and I won't love them any less if they have medical issues. So they already are what they are going to be and they've been given to me. If there is a need to educate myself further on in my pregnancy on any particular disabilities, then so be it. But for now, I'm living every moment enjoying what will be my last pregnancy.

I hope you can find some peace for yourself somehow. It's such a hard thing to go thru, and not really understandable by a lot of people who haven't been there. Do what YOU (and your family) need to do. No doctor, no poster here, no one can tell you how to handle this. Follow your heart and your instincts and just know that you have the support, prayers, and well wishes of lots of people.

Please keep us posted!

Eve