The 2nd trimester blood work that they do is a screening (not a diagnostic test). They screen for Down's Syndrome and spina bifida.
According to my test results, I have a 1 in 200 chance of having a Down's baby, which is a "positive" result. If I had 1 in 201 chance, it would have been negative. So I am right on the border.
I went online and read about the 16-week test that they did, and was mildly encouraged to find this:
The triple test does not give a definite result, but provides purely an estimation of risk. So although a 'good' result (say 1 in 400) can be encouraging, it does not guarantee your baby is normal.
Similarly a bad result (say 1 in 15) may cause the mother acute anxiety when there is no guarantee that the baby will be born with an abnormality. Where the risk is high, your doctor will usually recommend you consider an amniocentesis test.
I went back in today to get another test, this one called the MaterniT21 test. It will basically scan for the Chromosome 21 disorder (which causes Down's). My doctor said she is fairly certain that my first result was a false positive. The MaterniT21 test will allow them to factor in my age, which will change the results. The closer you are to 35, the higher your risk. This test is nearly 100% accurate.
The test, if it comes back positive, will lead to an amniocentesis--which I will opt out of. At that point, I don't really need to know any more. It's not as if I am going to abort my little one, no matter what I find out about it. And the test itself is a risk, one I am not willing to take.
What sobers me is that there are many women who WILL choose to go that route, just because they find out their baby isn't 100% "normal".
I encourage you to read my friend Christy's sister Brittany's blog. She recently had a beautiful baby girl in her life for about 10 hours. Though the doctors recommended terminating the pregnancy, they trusted God with His plans--their story is amazing, and a blessing to pray over. It really made me stop and think about what I would do in a similar situation--and now that I am facing the possibility, I know, without a doubt, that I would choose the same path as Brittany and JB. http://waitingforselah.blogspot.com/
Kelly and I are praying for you and Nick. God be the Glory in all of this - you are an encouragement to us all! I love you.
ReplyDeleteIs this our christy? I never got any of the 16 week screenings so I can't speak from experience. You are doing great though and there is a reason. God is good.
ReplyDeleteNope, not me - but wow, what faith! I didn't get the screenings either. Will be praying for healthy baby genes :) Love you!
ReplyDeleteNo screenings for me either but have friends who went through same thing and opted out of amnio as well. Glad God gave you a godly model to follow in this journey. And can I just say that when it comes to babies I just hate the terminology normal and abnormal...
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