HELP! Reg. Amniocentesis

[Tris]

Hi! Im 14wks pg...just got my prenatal blood test and got a result of 1/90 risk for Down Syn...Im 38 yrs. so had to do this test. Doc recommends now to do the Amniocentesis test where fluid surrounding the baby is drawn from inside the sac and analyzed....results are 99% more accurate is what they say. My nuchal translucency test was 2.6mm which is normal says doc...and they saw a nasal bone which was good too....so the us test showed everything OK and no down....however the blood told us to test more.....

I just dont know...sounds scary...is it safe? painful?? Has anyone ever done this test? How was it? Should I do it even if I would benefit knowing if there are any defects on our unborn? In all that Ive read, there is a small risk of an mc doing the test....1%....but my doc says it is very small and knowing your childs health should outweigh that....

Please any advise or experience will HELP!!! especially for those whove had the Amniocentesis test done and delivered healthy babies Thanks for taking time...

[Warren Dew]

My wife just had an amnio last week. She says it was painful but she got through it without mishap. We had about a 1/200 risk of Down's, but the amnio risk for miscarriage or complications at the practice where we did it was only 1/500.

She says it was painful, like a very incompetent blood draw. They didn't hit the baby, and she hasn't had a miscarriage, so it seems to have been safe for her. We don't have the results yet, though - they said it takes two weeks.

What would you do if you had a Down's fetus? My wife would choose not to carry it to term, because she'd rather start over and have a chance of bringing a healthy child into the world instead. Others may choose to carry it to term anyway. If you're absolutely sure you'd carry a Down's baby to term, you might not need the amnio, but with the amnio, you can make an informed choice.

[baylorbear33]

My best suggestion to you would be to get a level 2 ultrasound first before taking the step of getting an amnio. Perhaps even a second opinion if necessary. We got pushed into an amnio last year, and I went into pre-term labor at 19 weeks 48 hours after the amnio. You can't tell me this was not a cause and effect situation. We were that 1 in 200, so please, please keep in mind that this can happen. Of course, our amnio showed that the babies were perfectly fine, we just had a terrible doctor and we were too scared and uneducated about the risks to say no at the time.