12 week downs testing

[mummyzoe2012]

hiya all, ive opted out of the downs testing and was just wondering have any one else opted out of it or has everyone had the test?

[EggletinaClock]

I think you'll need to be clearer before people can answer you. Do you mean you've opted out of nuchal fold screening and blood tests, CVS or amniocentesis? A lot of people posting have lost babies to chromosomal disorders (not just Down Syndrome), including fatal ones like Edward's and Patau so would be cautious about opting not to test in future pregnancies.

[Marne]

I opted out too (with dd2, was not offered it with dd1), i had a scan at 8 weeks due to bleeding but had no test for downs, i didn't feel the need for the 12 weeks scan as i had already seen dd2 on the screen looking fine and it would have made no difference if she was high risk for DS (or any other chromosomal disorder).

[mummyzoe2012]

yes that is what i ment eggletina, marne i too had a scan at 7 weeks and was told everything was fine. i wold not terminate if baby had anything wrong with it so why find out.

[misty0]

So why ask?

[Marne]

Its ok to ask isn't it? thats what mn is for?

mummuzoe-do what you feel is best, people have very different views on this but if you feel that it would not make any difference if there was anything wrong with your baby then you dont have to have the scan. The tests only rule out a small number of conditions your child could be born with (your baby could get the all claer for ds but could still be born with special needs), both my lovely dd's have autism, theres no test before birth and i wouldn't change them for the world. When you decide to have children i think you consider the possibility that they could have something wrong but thats the risk you take, every child is a blessing and individual. Good luck with you pregnancy.

[EggletinaClock]

Why ask indeed?

I'm still not sure what you've opted out of, if anything you opt in to these tests.

All best wishes in any case.

[adriennemole]

It is perfectly fine to opt out of the tests many women do for lots of reasons including those you have mentioned.
It is also perfectly fine to ask for about people's experiences of testing including if they opted out if, like me, you find it reassuring and a chance to discuss reasons behind your choice should you need to that's what this area of mn is for.

The main thing is that as Marne said you do what's right to you. For what it's worth I'm currently ttc no 4 and will only be having scans this time round. Will opt out of the nuchal and bloods to much drama last time round and don't want to go through the hell of testing again.

[louzie]

It's absolutely right to do whatever feels right for you.

It's worth remembering though that what you think you might decide might not be the case if you are actually faced with a decision to make.

[EggletinaClock]

To say that you will only be having scans is somewhat misleading. Scans alone can pick up horrendous problems and can also be as ambiguous as nuchal fold and blood tests. Obviously, people can choose to just have scans but the notion that this is some sort of avoidance of the highlighting of potential problems that may or may not develop is a flawed one. I would suggest that if you really don't want any information about your baby before it is born you avoid scans too.

[louzie]

I was always pretty blase about scans and testing before I was the 'unlucky' one. It's funny how my views have changed now - and I would never have expected them to.

I understand completely what Egglet says - if you want to avoid knowing about any potential problems whatsoever then you would also have to avoid scans. My baby's fatal condition was picked up on scan - there were no other tests that could have led to her diagnosis.

[EggletinaClock]

Same here Louzie, although my baby's condition (Edward's Syndrome) could have been picked up by an amnio or CVS, but as I screened low risk I wasn't offered a test and wouldn't have chosen to have one then anyway. However, as you say, once you've been the unlucky one it changes you. Now, if I got pregnant again, I'd go straight for CVS as I would do anything to avoid a fatal condition not being detected until 20 weeks again.
The 20 week scan is to look for anomalies, not just to get a picture and find out the sex. So if you're really not interested in even fatal conditions being detected then make sure you opt out of that too. Of course, 99% of these scans will be fine, but once you've been in that 1% then you never want to go through that again. As I said earlier, many of us here have been desperately unlucky, so we are going to have very different attitudes towards testing and screening than the average person.

[adriennemole]

Yes I agree that scans are usually accurate at detecting the more serious and life threatening conditions and I would act on this information. It was the blood tests that highlighted the chances of my sons condition which otherwise would probably have remained undetected. I was the unlucky one and my experience has changed my opinion on testing and what I would choose for my next pregnancy. As you say it all depends on your own personal experience.

[rosielee1]

I was just as blase as mummy zoe, when my doctor asked me i wanted the 12 weeks tests I just looked and said "sure what can I do ayway". I live in Ireland and honestly thought I didnt need the tests and what are the chances of anything wrong. How ignorant and stupid I was. At 23 weeks I had a termination and every day I think to myself, why didnt I do those tests at 12 weeks. If i am lucky to get pregnant again I will take every test going because I would ever wish anyone to get to such a late stage and have to terminate.

[BlueCat83]

It's a individuals right to choose. My oppinion is that if you find out your baby has a problem the hospital can prepare any immediate treatment your baby might need after birth, that applies whether you terminate or not...

Also NT scan everyone assumes is a screening for downs or other chromosome abnormalities......In my case it detected a non-chromosome related but fatal condition involving my babies heart and positioning of other organs. I worry sometimes when CVS results come back clear and woman feel relieved....I had a high NT and would have had a clear CVs, once my baby got bigger however it was clear that his condition was alomst certainly fatal.

Just a thought x