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level 2 ultrasounds and soft markers
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To: happynifer
Hello Happynifer!
I am one of those (I would now say so very lucky moms) who had a normal level two ultrasound and NT scan and had an Amnio only because of my age of 35, and learned quite by surprise that we were having a baby with Ds. I too have no family history on either side - so it was really a surprise. But I too, (both Dad and I) knew we wouldn't terminate, but as a person who needed to know, I knew I would be able to use that time to be able to prepare, learn and organize everything from medical exams, medical preparedness at birth and also organize "early intervention" which here in our location had an eight month waiting list.
I had my Amnio at 16 weeks and just a week and a half later, learned that I was the 1:385.
It is important for me to express, how "typical" our son has been. He was like any other baby after birth, care was the same but we did have appointments in the beginning, that dealt specifically with Down syndrome. Becasuse there are so many developments in the Interventions area, our son has benefited and has met his milestones. Most often, delays with gross motor skiss like walking or crawling are affected because of something called "Hypotonia" or low muscle tone.
Back to the Amniocentisis, it is completely a decision that is up to you, and no matter what you decide, be comfortable in the decision you make. Do not let anyone push or sway you in one direction or the other. Some will try and tell you, you mustn't do it, other will tell you you should. What I tell moms is, yes there are risks. The risk is an additional 0.5% of loss added to the normal loss percentage. You have to consider, are you at any additional loss risk for miscarriage? Does the benefit out weigh the risk? For me it did. The benefits for me were wonderful, and I am (to this day) extremely glad we did, and were able to prepare not only ourselves, but our family and friends - who love this little boy like he is their own! As well, I'd like to mention, there are other diagnostic tests which can help to assess whether there are more risks of having a baby with Ds. But, you have to remember, when it isn't a definitive type of test (like an Amnio) those results will be possibilities, not actualities. Some people are okay with that.
Some people who wait until birth to find out (who said that they would prepare and learn everything they could) still do go through the "grieving" process when they learn their baby has Ds. No matter when you learn about it, there is always that shock factor. The difference for people who get an amnio and find out, is that the shock factor occurs very early on, and there is time to adjust, grieve the loss of the "normal" child and then move on. While the same process happens without an amnio, the process of "grief" is longer, simply because you don't have the personal time to really grieve if you need to, because you have to think about your baby. Doing it for me before hand, gave me the time and "Individual" time to be sad, mad, happy and whatever I first felt, without feeling guilty that there was someone else to look after. It was "me" time. I counsel parents of Ds diagnosis before birth and after. And one thing I have learned is, (purely by experience and statistic) the parents who had prenatal diagnosis were much better able to deal with the result, and also were more comfortable in the end. The parents who learned at birth, never seemed to get the chance to express their feelings properly, or to get the comfort or support for themselves, because they now had their little one to take care of, and it seems to me, they never took care of their own selves or emotions.
This is a personal observation as well as a professional one that my friend in Early Intervention sees daily as well as the genetics counsellors tell me.
So there are a lot of reasons - for both sides why it is good to do it and not to. What I hope I have provided you with is the "real" and factual reasons of both sides.
If you are interested in seeing what it may be like to have a child with Down syndrome, I have a blog that I update nearly daily. I invite you to take the time to look at it. Please visit my profile or the Down syndrome Group to see the address.
http://welcometoourhouse-myjournal.blogspot.com/
In addition to anything I have mentioned, please keep in mind, that while I or others may have extensive knowledge in many areas, you should always seek professional medical advice from your own physician, as it pertains to medical conditions or concerns.
Good luck, and if you have any other questions that I can help you with, please feel free to message me directly.
Sincerely,
Sandi (Dragon1973)
MedHelp Genetics Community Leader;
Children - Special Needs Community Leader;
Down syndrome Community Leader & Ds Group Forum Founder/Moderator
I am one of those (I would now say so very lucky moms) who had a normal level two ultrasound and NT scan and had an Amnio only because of my age of 35, and learned quite by surprise that we were having a baby with Ds. I too have no family history on either side - so it was really a surprise. But I too, (both Dad and I) knew we wouldn't terminate, but as a person who needed to know, I knew I would be able to use that time to be able to prepare, learn and organize everything from medical exams, medical preparedness at birth and also organize "early intervention" which here in our location had an eight month waiting list.
I had my Amnio at 16 weeks and just a week and a half later, learned that I was the 1:385.
It is important for me to express, how "typical" our son has been. He was like any other baby after birth, care was the same but we did have appointments in the beginning, that dealt specifically with Down syndrome. Becasuse there are so many developments in the Interventions area, our son has benefited and has met his milestones. Most often, delays with gross motor skiss like walking or crawling are affected because of something called "Hypotonia" or low muscle tone.
Back to the Amniocentisis, it is completely a decision that is up to you, and no matter what you decide, be comfortable in the decision you make. Do not let anyone push or sway you in one direction or the other. Some will try and tell you, you mustn't do it, other will tell you you should. What I tell moms is, yes there are risks. The risk is an additional 0.5% of loss added to the normal loss percentage. You have to consider, are you at any additional loss risk for miscarriage? Does the benefit out weigh the risk? For me it did. The benefits for me were wonderful, and I am (to this day) extremely glad we did, and were able to prepare not only ourselves, but our family and friends - who love this little boy like he is their own! As well, I'd like to mention, there are other diagnostic tests which can help to assess whether there are more risks of having a baby with Ds. But, you have to remember, when it isn't a definitive type of test (like an Amnio) those results will be possibilities, not actualities. Some people are okay with that.
Some people who wait until birth to find out (who said that they would prepare and learn everything they could) still do go through the "grieving" process when they learn their baby has Ds. No matter when you learn about it, there is always that shock factor. The difference for people who get an amnio and find out, is that the shock factor occurs very early on, and there is time to adjust, grieve the loss of the "normal" child and then move on. While the same process happens without an amnio, the process of "grief" is longer, simply because you don't have the personal time to really grieve if you need to, because you have to think about your baby. Doing it for me before hand, gave me the time and "Individual" time to be sad, mad, happy and whatever I first felt, without feeling guilty that there was someone else to look after. It was "me" time. I counsel parents of Ds diagnosis before birth and after. And one thing I have learned is, (purely by experience and statistic) the parents who had prenatal diagnosis were much better able to deal with the result, and also were more comfortable in the end. The parents who learned at birth, never seemed to get the chance to express their feelings properly, or to get the comfort or support for themselves, because they now had their little one to take care of, and it seems to me, they never took care of their own selves or emotions.
This is a personal observation as well as a professional one that my friend in Early Intervention sees daily as well as the genetics counsellors tell me.
So there are a lot of reasons - for both sides why it is good to do it and not to. What I hope I have provided you with is the "real" and factual reasons of both sides.
If you are interested in seeing what it may be like to have a child with Down syndrome, I have a blog that I update nearly daily. I invite you to take the time to look at it. Please visit my profile or the Down syndrome Group to see the address.
http://welcometoourhouse-myjournal.blogspot.com/
In addition to anything I have mentioned, please keep in mind, that while I or others may have extensive knowledge in many areas, you should always seek professional medical advice from your own physician, as it pertains to medical conditions or concerns.
Good luck, and if you have any other questions that I can help you with, please feel free to message me directly.
Sincerely,
Sandi (Dragon1973)
MedHelp Genetics Community Leader;
Children - Special Needs Community Leader;
Down syndrome Community Leader & Ds Group Forum Founder/Moderator
To: happynifer
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