For women of advanced maternal age getting an amniocentesis is often recommended. My doctor recommended that I have one but I refused after I found out some facts about this seemingly routine procedure. Having one is a personal choice but here are my reasons why I chose not to have the procedure.
Strike One. Amniocentesis is used to detect chromosomal and some biochemical and metabolic disorders. It is most often used to test for Down Syndrome. But amniocentesis does not detect every possible disorder. So I had to ask myself if I wanted to risk my pregnancy when I could still possibly have a child with a disorder that went undetected.
Strike Two. The procedure itself was enough to make me think twice. I hate needles and somehow the thought of having this large needle inserted into my belly to withdraw amniotic fluid for testing gave me nightmares. So again I had to ask myself did I want to risk my pregnancy with a procedure I didn’t feel comfortable going through? Nope.
Strike Three. Finally, when I was told that I had about a 1 in 400 chance of having a miscarriage, I definitely decided the risk was not worth it.
Add to these three strikes, the waiting game. Let’s say I decided to take the test and everything went fine, I would still have to wait as long as two weeks for the results. I felt I would be on pins and needles waiting that long to find out if everything was okay. So I opted not to have the procedure.
I admit I was nervous at first when my doctor explained that my numbers were kind of “shaky”. She explained that my numbers indicated my baby might have Down Syndrome but there was no way to know for sure without the amniocentesis. My chances of having a baby with Down Syndrome was about the same as having a miscarriage from the amniocentesis she told me. She was very comforting and assured me that everything was probably okay but I needed to make the decision and I needed to make it quick since time was of the essence. She asked if I wanted to go home and discuss it with my family and give her a call the next day. I told her there was no need– I would not take the test. There was no way I was going to risk having a miscarriage. I figured this was my only shot at motherhood. Besides, at that point I had already spent six years working with adults with developmental disabilities, including some with Down Syndrome. I figured I was certainly prepared to deal with being a parent of a disabled child. For many kids, a good early intervention program can make a world of difference in how much they are able to achieve and I was ready to make sure my little one was enrolled in the best programs available.
My son was born six weeks early and reached all his milestones without incident. He’s a normal, active child who actually seems to be leaning toward the gifted side of the coin. And that’s not just a proud mama talking. After his first day of kindergarten, his teacher informed me that she was recommending him for the PACE program, our county’s gifted program. And although I will certainly jump for joy if he turns out to be a little Einstein, I know without a doubt I would have been just as proud of him no matter what his IQ.