My OB Called me at home today.

Crystalina wrote: He wants me to know that my blood test (I think it was called ABP) came back higher then it should have been. Him and I talked about the posibilities of being checked (amnio and/or high tech u/s) to see whether the baby has Down Syndrome. I said I did not want the amnio at all and there was no sense having the u/s if I wasn't going to abort. He agreed and said it would just give me more to worry about and stress over if I plan on continuing the pregnancy. This was all before the test came back. Now I don't know what to do. I know I still don't want the amnio but I'm wondering if I should do the u/s. He said he will give me a regular u/s at 20 weeks and he may be able to see any obvious problems but the u/s in Akron will show the entire picture. My sister says I should do it for piece of mind (but I'm not sure it would be piece of mind) and if nothing is wrong she said I'll at least get some really good u/s pics.
I'm really freaking about this. Do I find out there is a problem and chance changing my mind and aborting (which I couldn't see myself doing) or do I not and there is a problem and then I'm taking away from my other kids to take care of one that needs constant care?
I don't know what to do.

kit_kats_mom replied: What a bummer.
If it were me, I'd probably have the u/s to find if there were any problems. Hopefully it's just a false positive, but if not, at least you'd be able to prepare yourself (reading, support groups etc) and the OB would be prepared at delivery.

Sam & Abby's Mom replied: I'm sorry.

I'd have the ultrasound done.
What would it hurt ? I agree with your sister.

kit_kats_mom replied: I wanted to add a couple of things.
1. there are often false positives.
2. even though a special needs child (I'm guessing you mean downs) would take some time away from the kids, the lessons they would learn from having a sibling with special needs are enormous. The children I've known with downs are the sweetest, most lovable spirts I've ever met.

PrairieMom replied: First of all, those tests are notorious for having a high level of false positives. I wouldn't worry to much.
If it were me, I would opt out of the amnio, they are high risk and really, you wouldn't do anything about the results, so why put baby in harms way?
I would do the high level US tho, because they may be able to see something, and if its negative, then you will have piece of mind, and if it shows something, then you can prepare yourself and your family ahead of time, so you don't have a big shocker in the delivery room.

Its gonna be fine.

lovemy2 replied: I never did that blood test - even though I was over 35 (well 35 when I GOT pregnant and 36 when I delivered) - I didn't do it because I KNEW there was a high chance of a false positive and because I was very scared of an amnio - I did my 20 week ultrasound with the understanding with my OB that IF something looked as though it could indicate a problem we would then decide from there what to do next - which included a possible amnio - because I WANTED to know for sure one way or the other so I could prepare myself and my family as best I could....

Listen to your heart and your DH - see where you BOTH stand on it - but remember - it could very well be a false positive - it happens more than you know according to my OB.....

Crystalina replied:
I don't doubt all of us would learn something from a special needs child. DH and I have always said that we would never terminate a pregnancy due to any problems the baby may have. What I'm worried about is finding there is a problem and then thinking about terminating. I'm worried about the thoughts I will have. I'm scared to even have a thought of terminating. I say "never" but if the facts are in front of me who's to say I won't change my mind. I guess it's a struggle within myself that I'm scared to have.

Crystalina replied:
I'm only 34 now but will be 35 in August and the baby isn't due till Nov.

I asked my doc how many calls he has to make like this a year and he said about 10 calls and maybe one out of the 10 actually has a complication. That made me fell a bit better. I'm sure the phone call was just protocal for him. But to be one call out of only 10 is a bit scary.

Kirstenmumof3 replied: Just wanted to offer you my support! I agree with what everyone has said, go and have the ultrasound done. Either way you can prepare yourself for the delivery!

Danalana replied: I didn't have the test because of what Tara said. I have heard of so many coming back like yours and the parents agonizing over nothing. I think the u/s would be a good idea. I know it's hard not to worry, but I believe it will be fine!

Our Lil' Family replied: I think I'd do the u/s for either the piece of mind or to prepare for a high needs child. If it ends up being okay, you get an early u/s out of it. If not, then I really think you'll need that time to prepare yourself and family.

GL with your decision.

luvmykids replied:
ITA, you either get piece of mind, or time to prepare, neither of which is a bad thing. I'm sure it's very common to struggle with this kind of decision, and with the possible results and I wouldn't want to be in your shoes But we're all here to support you in this

I'm sorry, I know nobody ever wants that phone call

Bamamom replied: I want to second that about the notoriously high level of false positives - but I would do the high level U/S anyway. A friend of mine got a false positive and had the HL U/S and they discovered another problem with her son - I can't remember exactly what it was now (he's a completely healthy and normal 4 year old so it wasn't anything unfixable) - but without the HL U/S they wouldn't have known about the other problem. Sometimes God works like that ya know?

boyohboyohboy replied: I was 35 when andrew was born. and my tests were high, but i was told also that most of the time they do come back with a false pos.
i have never had those other blood tests.

i think i would have the ultrasound done, only because it would give you time to better prepare for a child that might need some extra help and then you are more equipt to handle it, and also i think they would want to have special precautions in the delivery room.

i know its going to be hard not to worry yourself to death, and think of all the negatives. but i do believe in the power of positive thinking and pos. vibes..
please dont let this ruin the rest of your time being preg. enjoy yourself and enjoy that baby inside you...

My3LilMonkeys replied: I would recommend the high level u/s as well so that you can be more informed either way. But to warn you - you won't necessarily get better pictures from one. We had a high level u/s with this baby due to having a 2-vessel umbilical cord (instead of the normal 3 vessels) and the pics weren't bad, but they weren't any better than the ones from our normal u/s.

jcc64 replied: First of all, big to you and your dh. How stressful for you, but I want to reiterate what others have said- I can't begin to tell you how many people I know that have been traumatized by a false positive. I know even the faintest glimmer of "something being wrong" with your baby is too much, but try to keep a level head and hang on the positive experiences of others.
Having said that, knowledge is power. If your baby does end up having a syndrome like Downs, you should know that there are often related health problems that cannot be adequately serviced in many community hospitals. Even if you elect not to do the amnio, it's really best to be prepared with as much info as possible before the fact so your baby has the best chances at birth.
I didn't have an amnio either. But I would have taken advantage of that type of ultrasound, had it been available the last time I gave birth.
KUP and try to stay calm, hon.

my2monkeyboys replied: I agree with everyone else, about everything. My cousin's wife had a false positive, and when they did the US they found out everything was fine. It could very well be that. But on the off chance that it isn't, I think knowing would help you all prepare much better.
I would go with the US, myself.
Whatever you decide to do, we're all here for you.
I'll be praying for you and your family.

Crystalina replied: Thanks to all of you for your support! It means a lot. I think I will tell my doctor that I will do the u/s. I'll update when I get it. I'm not sure when it will be for.

mummy2girls replied: first of all try not o panic( i know easier said then done) BUT these tests come back as a high false positives. With both jordan and jennas pregnancies i tested positive for possible spina bifada with the test. I went in for teh u/s and then an amnio with jenna and it came back as both being fine... I know its scarey but try not to panic... it happened to me both times and it turned out to be a false positive!

MommyToAshley replied: You probably had the AFP test. More likely, the triple test which measures the hCG and AFP (and something esle) levels in your blood. First of all, I know they call it false positives, but it really is not a positive or negative... it's more like a percentage of a chance that the baby has a chromosonal disorder (Downs is the most common). The odds are different based on your age... for example I think the starting point is 1:350 for age 35 (I'm not exactly sure of the starting point, so don't quote me on that). The odds increase with age, and then it can go up or down based on your AFP test. So, if you score came back 1:300 then you may have been told you had a "positive", but in reality it is not really a positive. It's just increased odds based on your age group. The only way to KNOW 100% before birth is to have the amnio. However, with the triple test combined with a high level U/S can be a good indicator and there are certain markers they look for when they do the U/S. You should see if your hosptial does the nuchal translucency scanning (not where they actually take the fluid, but an U/S tech can measure on the U/S the fluid in the back of the neck). Not all hospitals offer this, but you should request to have your U/S done at a facility that does. If you are unsure what to do, I would call the hospital and ask to speak with the genetics counselor. The genetics counselor can get your test results, explain what everything means and help you make the decision on how to proceed. With all that said, I wouldn't worry... there are a lot of things that can affect your levels. The biggest one and most common being if your dates are off a little... that can cause the levels to be higher. (Twins can also cause this) The waiting is the hardest thing and if a U/S would give you a little peace of mind then I would do the U/S since there is no risk to the baby with an U/S. If you have any questions, please let me know, I have been through it all (including an amnio) and would be happy to talk to you about it.

DillsMommy replied: I know exactly how you are feeling right now. The same thing happened to me when I was pregnant with Peyton. My levels came back abnormal and it scared me to death. Turns out that it was because I wasn't as far along as I thought. Could your due date be off? I've heard that false positives are very common, I know that probably doesn't help --but try not to stress too much. I'm sure everything will be fine. If your levels are high--couldn't that mean twins? We are all here for support if you need us.

Edited because I somehow posted before I was finished....

amymom replied: DeeDee explained it very well. The high level us was not available to me when I was pregnant with MB. My test came back positive, and I had a history of a trisomy pregnancy. However.... All turned out perfectly well and Mary Beth is 11 now and no physical problems related to that test. I pray that you have a similar outcome.

I would do the U/S. Have some peace of mind.



And give your self some credit... All those thoughts are not abnormal or wrong. We can't choose not to go ahead with something without the internal struggle. You are very strong and will get through this.

Prayers are said for you and the entire family.

luvbug00 replied: I haven't been threw the baby thing for about 7 years so i have no idea what tests they do now, but iwanted to send

lisar replied: Just for your info I had FALSE positives with Lexi and so did my sister. It wouldnt have changed my mind weather to have the baby or not. But this is your life, if you want to know then do it, if not then dont worry about it. Its not like your not gona love all your children weather one has down syndrome or not. They will all be taken care of equally. If you want the piece of mind in knowing then do it. If not then dont do it. I am so sorry you are having to deal with this stress you dont need it on you.

mom21kid2dogs replied: The first thing to remember is this procedure, AFP, is NOT a test~it's a screening. It is far less reliable than a test and is more frequently wrong than right. Age also skews the results incorrectly and there is no adjustment for this in the screen.

I agree with the others. If your insurance will cover an upper level ultrasound or you can afford it, by all means have it done. You'll get an extra peek and your little one and peace of mind.

Every time I read one of these posts it makes me so glad I refused this test. It causes so much heartache.

HuskerMom replied: I don't have anything to add but just wanted to send

Mommy2BAK replied:
I don't know what I would do facing that situation, but I am sure you will make the right decision! I would probably jump at any chance to get an ultrasound of little sprout though.