amniocentesis

[joat35]

i am 35 and have two children and another on the way. I just found out that i have a higher risk of having a down's syndrome baby than normal ( 1 in 122). I now have to decide whether to have an amniocentesis. Has anybody else been through this procedure as i have heard there are risks to having the amnio done?

[wales12]

Hi, from my nuchal translucency test at 11 wks pregnant, I was very high risk for Down's. I decided not to have an amnio because my baby was too precious to risk losing ( I had lost my baby boy at 29wks, 10 mths earlier). I was pressured and frightened by the Drs in to having the test so eventually had one at 28wks. Leaving it so late meant it was a more painful procedure but gave my baby a chance if I did go into premature labour. It was good to rule out what the Drs were fearing could have been wrong with my baby, and as I always knew in my heart that my daughter had Down's it gave me valuable time to prepare for her arrival. It's a difficult choice to make and if I was in that position again, I think I would make the same decision and wait til a safer time for the baby. This is only fine if someone is sure they  want to continue with the pregnancy. Good luck

[BabyG4ErTls]

There are screening tests that can be done prior to amnio. Risks vary from what I hear and can depend on health of mother (ie overweight can make procedure difficult).  My friend who is also 42 and at 36 wks had amnio for peace of mind and she is an ER ultrasound tech and has assisted on amnios.

[mrscass]

your risk is something like 0.75%, seems crazy that that is deemed high risk! Keep us posted on your decision, good luck

[Helen72]

I suggest you do NT scan first and see if you are at high risk pof having DS baby.  If you classified as low risk I would not do amnio.
I had only NT dpone when I was 35 and NT scan+blood test basically ruled out trisomy 21 and 18. This time around I am 39 and having twins so I did amnio.  It was a safe and easy test; I am glad I did it this time around.  NT scan is not very accurate with twins though so we had few options.

[lisas9]

My friend had one done and lost her baby who was healthy. I would think long and hard about getting it done. Plenty of women have one with no problems but the risks are there. I guess it depends on your reasons for having it done. If you think that you can cope with having a child with a disability and possible health problems then I wouldn't get it done. I also have a couple of friends with downs and although they have had health problems they lead completely happy independent lives and are wonderful people. It is your decision though and a tough call to make. I wish you all the luck in whatever you decide.