[wanttobemommy]

Ok so I got convinced to do this test but the more I think about it the more I freak out. I mean I had dreams that the baby was born with major defects and that we had to move into a handicap apartment (there are barely any around here) I dont want to get into all the details of my worrying because I know most likely I am worrying over nothing but....

For those of you that had the test can you share with me information on false positives and how quickly you had the results. If you were offered a Level II or just an amnio.

There are some other factors that scare me but I want to get the basic info before putting too much more out there. Thanks!!

[LovingJesusinAZ]

A good friend of mine had a son born with (among other things) neural tube defects. She is 100% pro-life and would NEVER consider terminating her pregnancy for ANY reason. The Dr.'s told her when she was pregnant with her son (about 20 yrs ago) that he probably wouldn't survive pregnancy, nevermind life outside the womb. He lived until he was 5.

All of that being said, she is the biggest proponent I know of getting ALL pre-natal screening done (esp the AFP). In her opinion, even with the high rate of false positives, it's better to know in advance so you can "mourn" (for lack of a better word) a healthy child and get your mind where it needs to be to take care of a special needs child before birth. She said that by the time her son was born she was able to focus all of her energy into being the mom he needed instead of dealing with the emotional shock of not knowing in advance and still having her very special son to take care of. (This was her third pregnancy--her older children were born perfectly healthy and were perfectly "boring" pregnancies)

[MiracleBaby06]

I had it done and everything was fine and i will do it for every pregnancy i may have. Id rather have an idea something may be wrong than not know till the baby was born

[Tracey with 6]

I don't do the tests because itmakes no difference to me anyway I wouldn't abort!

[mollymae]

I had it done with my last 4 pregnancies because I wanted to know and would have gone on to have further testing.

Mine all came back 1 in 4000 or something so very low.

[jkl123]

I have to agree with LovingJesusInAr.... it is best to have the time to prepare. False positives are pretty common, but usually further testing is done so you are more certain... it is not like you have to go through the rest of your pregnancy wondering.

I got a false positive for neural tube defects, and I will say that was the longest 48 hours of my life! My DR scheduled a Level II US right away, although we had to drive into the city to have it done. (We did not do an amnio, BTW). The nurse did all her stuff, and then said she was going to get the DR. He came in a bit later and was quiet for a long time. Finally, he pointed out our son's brain formation, saying that it was absolutely perfect. It was an agonizing wait, but sooo much better to know then to be surprised at birth.

My DR thinks that because I am a diabetic, that automatically puts me in a higher bracket to test positive. I guess some medical conditions do that. I just also wanted to add that because of this test, i found out about my previa sooner than I would have.

BTW, there is no way we would have terminated had the test been correct - it was just about the peace of mind. I would've spent 9 months worrying if I did not do the test, instead of only 48 hours to know my test was a false positive.

[mommy2067]

I agree with Jessica..about being prepared...The testing I had done was 2 blood test and the u/s..and my doctor suggested I go for the amnio based only on the initial blood test and the u/s...didn't even have the whole picture yet...I decided to wait on all the results and was happy I did...my results were 1 in 5000 for DS and the other tests were all negative too, even given my age....I already had talked to DH too and wouldn't have gone for an amnio in any case...didn't want to due to the risk but that was my personal choice...in the end it was a mute point anyway...Was happy to follow the midwives advice!! HTH..

[mlcassid]

I have a genetic condition that puts me at risk for having a child with neural tube defects, spina bifida, club feet, etc. so I had the nuchal translucency done which came back a 1 in 249 for down syndrome (found out in a week). I went on to have the AFP done and the down syndrome risk was at 1 in 2000 or something like that. I found that out at my next appointment with them (3 weeks or so later). They haven't been concerned and no defects have shown up on ultrasound (but they DID do a Level 2 follow-up ultrasound for me to check for all the physcial signs of the defects and none were found. They asked if I wanted an amnio and I declined. The only thing they found during that Level 2 ultrasound was the umbilical cord has one vessel and 1 artery instead of 1 vessel and 2 arteries. So, they are just making sure she's growing properly by checking with several ultrasounds and I go twice per week for non-stress tests. I'm in my 33rd week and things seem ok! I think those tests are good to help you be prepared, but virtually everyone I know had a false positive result.

[wanttobemommy]

Thanks for your replies. I would not do an amnio and I would not terminate under any circumstances I am more worried about what my DH would want me to do since he is a planner and a worry wart