Any Advice from Mom's Who Had the Amnio Procedure Done?

Hi C. - Congratulations in advance! I am a mom of 4. One daughter is 20, one son is 16, one son is 11 and our youngest daughter just turned one a few weeks ago. I had her when I was 38, 10 days before my 39th birthday. I did not have the amnio done despite all the things that the doctors said. They gave me the whole work-up of genetic counseling, giving me the percentages of the likelihood of having a baby with down syndrome, etc. My husband and I decided that no matter what, we would love this baby and that we would not risk the health of our unborn baby by having a test done that could potentially harm her. It wouldn't have mattered if she came out with down syndrome, so why would we have a test to confirm if she did or didn't? I was going to go through with the pregnancy no matter what. She was born healthy, with no birth defects. So my advice to you is to ask yourself if taking this test would make a difference in carrying this baby to term or not. And if it is born with down syndrome, would you love it any less? If it doesn't make a difference, then don't have the test.

Good luck!

I had an amnio and was very glad I did - everything was normal. If it weren't, and the baby was going to need extra help, I would have wanted to know that, too. There is a low risk of miscarriage, so that may be a factor for you. Talk to your ob-gyn. Even though your mom had healthy eggs at age 43, you have probably been exposed to different environmental factors, and who knows whether that might affect the health of a baby you conceive at 38?

p.s. I had my little girl at 38, and she's absolutely great. Since I'd had a couple of pregnancy losses, the amnio really helped me relax and enjoy the pregnancy (for the most part!)

best of luck and health to you and your growing family!
sincerely
A.

Hi C.!

Well to set your mind at ease...I am 35 and pregnant with my first. I had the amnio done 6 weeks ago and it was well worth it. I am glad I went ahead and did it. I know the sex of my little girl 100% and I sleep better at night knowing there isn't much to worry about. She tested very healthy, no Downs, etc. MY OB is amazing and she did a great job. I couldn't be any happier. It is a strange feeling and my fiance felt very protective of so much fluid being extracted from the sack however my doctor reassured me the baby replenishes the fluid within a few days. I was also worried about her puncturing the sack and how that'd heel, well I can tell you she informed me the sack repaired itself by the end of that day and to just rest. I came to work the next day for about 6 hours went home and stayed home the next 2 days just to be safe. All is totally ok now and I once again couldn't be happier to have that reassurance.

I have another girlfriend who had 2 children...one at 35 and one at 38 and chose to opt OUT for the amnio and both her children were born very healthy without the amnio and no need to be concerned.

I chose to do it because I am a worry wart and that just reassured me things would be ok for now.

I hope all goes well and you make the right choice for you.

Good points below -- I had it with my last child at 36, and I don't remember that it was a big deal, but of course you know the risks associated with it.

You can also have a Nuchal Translucency test. It's non-envasive but has to be done between 11-14 weeks. Also ask your doctor about genetic counseling. They are very informative and just give you the facts they don't try to sway your decision. It is covered by most insurance.

I am 38 and 16 weeks pregnant. This time I had the NT screen. My first pregnancy I was 36 and only had the AFP. Just do whatever feels right to you.

Here is a little info on the Nuchal Translucency screen if you'r interested.
http://www.babycenter.com/0_nuchal-translucency-screening...

Hi C.,

I've never had the amnio done personally, but here are my thoughts on it. Amnios are generally offered routinely to any woman over the age of 35 because of the increased risk of Down's syndrome with increasing age. That being said, the probability of having a normal baby still out-surpasses the probability of having one with Down's syndrome. Women decide to get or not get amnios for different reasons. Some women want to get it because if the amnio shows that the baby is "abnormal," they want to get an abortion. Other women get the amnio so that if it is "abnormal," they can prepare themselves ahead of the birth. Some women decide to get the AFP (aka triple marker screen) first and then decide to do an amnio if that is abnormal. So, every woman is different. Also, remember that the amnio procedure carries it's own inherent risks as well. So that's something to take into consideration.

Hope this helps!

J. :)

Hi C.,

I know its a hard decision, but ask yourself if you had the amnio and you knew that your baby had abnormalities, would you end your pregnancy? If you wouldn't, then don't have the amnio. My suggestion is if you feel that your baby is fine and you wouldn't change anything regardless of the results, then why put yourself and your baby through an un -needed procedure. I personally chose not to have an amnio and my pregnancy was high-risk. Good luck with whatever decision you choose.

Molly

I had my first child at 39, and my second at 41, and was very strongly urged to have the amnio.
But I knew several friends who had had miscarriges due to the procedure, and was leery. They said, at the hospital, that the risk was very low, and that my risk for having a child with Downs syndrome was much higher. Hmmm...
Some research turned out that any miscarrige occuring more than a week out from the amnio, does not "count" in the statistics, even if the cause clearly was that procedure.
With many bad outcomes not represented in the statistics, who knows what the real risk procent is?
Also, I found out that in S.F. Kaiser, 35 was the cut-off for older moms to be recommended to have amnio, while in Sweden(I'm Swedish) it's 39.
In the end I had two first class babies & no amnio.