Now that I am on the other side of it with the best possible outcome, yes, I am very glad I had it done. Fortunately it hasn't tainted the pregnancy for me...if anything I feel more secure because this baby has been given a far more comprehensive clean bill of health than I ever had with DS or DD. However, I cannot deny that as soon as she is born I will be very anxious to get the paediatrician to check her over.
When I said they talk about the prognosis for the baby if something is wrong, you may find yourself in the position of having to decide whether to carry the baby until you naturally miscarry...some syndromes mean that the baby will most likely die in utero or only survive for a few days afterwards. Then there are other scenarios where the baby will most likely survive but with disabilities and you have to decide if you are prepared to deal with that.
For us there was no question that we would have the test done. We simply had to know what was going on.
You do have the option of requesting another ultrasound with a specialist and then deciding to go ahead with an amnio if any red flags are raised then...but you won't get your definitive YES/NO answer unless you do have the amnio. A friend of mine is in this position right now and she has decided to go for the extra ultrasound first before committing to the amnio.
For me, such a high nuchal measurement was a huge worry and I had to know as soon as possible. I could not go through the rest of the pregnancy without knowing. I would not have been able to handle the stress of not knowing. Even those few weeks it badly affected my parenting and I thought I was being quite good until after I got my results back and got the all clear, I could then see how stressed I had been. Poor DS had no idea why Mummy would burst into tears for seemingly no reason.
The wait is dreadful, I can't sugarcoat it. I do highly recommend not thinking about the worst case scenario though unless you have to...it won't ease the pain, in fact it may prolong your agony unnecessarily. Trying to stay positive is the best way of coping.
I also recommend you be selective as to who you tell. Everyone will have an opinion or judgement as to what you should do and if they don't agree with you things could get very awkward.
Sorry, very long, but I hope you find some of this helpful.
Thank you all so much for being supportive. You must all be such lovely mums, and Curly, after reading your very informative post, I've decided to go through with the amnio and am booked in in 2 weeks time. I identified so strongly with what you said and feel that even though I don't plan to terminate, I cannot function for the next 6 months without knowing. I cannot be a good mum to my DD or a good wife, friend, sister etc. I need to prepare if the test is positive and relax and enjoy the pregnancy if negative
Thank you guys again for your support and encouragement. I will let you know the outcome.
Just remember that getting the amnio does not automatically mean it is a question of whether to terminate or not if something is wrong. It would also mean that you would be able to be prepared and, if necessary, have medical support on standby if your baby needs it at birth.
This thread puts it far more eloquently...and I think it will also be of help to you:
Just wanted to follow up with my results. I know that when I got the bad results from the nuchal, I trawled the net looking for other people's experiences and found them so inspiring and settling so hopefully someone else going through the anguish such a result brings will find this thread and gain some hope.
Went for the amnio on Thurs, lovely to see bub and see he's a boy!! Cemented our decision to have him and love him no matter what. Very quick & easy procedure, not at all painful and the doctor and sono were very professional.
Got the prelim results this arvo! All clear! Prayers answered and oceans of relief washed over me. So thank you God and thank you to everyone who sent me support and understanding! I am now going to enjoy this pregnancy with every ounce of my being and NEVER complain about lack of sleep again! WHO CARES?!?! If you have a healthy baby ~ you have EVERYTHING!
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