sort of off topic... but curious... would you have an amniocentesis when pregnant?

I know this is a personal question for some... but i'm just curious. (my SIL is pregnant and we were talking about this).

Would you have an amnio test? Some say no because there is a 1% chance it can cause a miscarriage. Some say yes because it can determine if there is a birth defect (Downs, etc) in the early stages of your 1st trimester.

my mom had one when she was pregnant with my twin sisters, the doctors advised her to.

but, she was 35.. if under the age of35, u are fine and don't have to!

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Posted by angnick

my mom had one when she was pregnant with my twin sisters, the doctors advised her to.

but, she was 35.. if under the age of35, u are fine and don't have to!

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I know that if you're under 35 you don't have to... but some people still choose to. I was just curious where most people stand.

Im on my second pregnancy and there is a small chance of miscarriage from an amnio. I know the doctors dont just do them if you want one, you usually have to have a reason... like genetic problems in your family or because of your age.

I havent had one with either one and I wont. :)

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Posted by Shannondon

I would have to have one, I am over 35.

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same here

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Posted by N.Y.bride

Im on my second pregnancy and there is a small chance of miscarriage from an amnio. I know the doctors dont just do them if you want one, you usually have to have a reason... like genetic problems in your family or because of your age.

I havent had one with either one and I wont. :)

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Well i think you can choose to have one if you want. My SIL who is pregnant is only 31 yrs old and there is no family history of birth defects and her doctor asked her if she wanted one.

Maybe b/c shes over 30? I wasnt offered one by either of my doctors and Im also on a parenting site for 4 years and I know they are very rare over there.

Why would you need one? It increases the risk of miscarriage and they can find out so much from all the other safe tests they do.

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Posted by N.Y.bride

Maybe b/c shes over 30? I wasnt offered one by either of my doctors and Im also on a parenting site for 4 years and I know they are very rare over there.

Why would you need one? It increases the risk of miscarriage and they can find out so much from all the other safe tests they do.

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Yeah i don't know either. We were trying to figure that out too.

By the way... the increased risk of miscarriage is 1%

Enough for me. Why chance it?

You can tell
babys sex and many other things from u/s
If the baby has downs or other abnormalities etc from blood tests

Heres what I found for you :)

The procedure isn't offered routinely to all pregnant women because it carries a small risk of miscarriage. It's usually only offered to those found to have a somewhat increased risk of having a baby with a chromosomal or genetic defect. You may be in this category if:

• You'll be 35 years old or older on your due date. The risk of having a child with a chromosomal defect rises as a woman ages. The chance that you're carrying a baby with Down syndrome, for instance, is about one in 270 when you're 35 years old ? compared to 1 in 1,250 when you're 25.

• You've had another test, such as a multiple marker screen, a nuchal fold scan, or a 'combined screening,' that indicated your baby is at a higher risk for a problem. If this is the case, you may first have a detailed ultrasound scan to look for physical signs of Down syndrome and other defects. If the ultrasound shows that there's still cause for concern, you may want to have an amniocentesis for a definitive diagnosis.

• You've previously been pregnant with a child with a birth defect.

• You or your partner has a chromosomal abnormality or genetic disorder or a family history that puts your child at increased risk for genetic problems. Or you and your spouse are both carriers of a recessive genetic disorder such as cystic fibrosis or sickle cell disease.


I just wouldnt do it, but thats just me :)

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Posted by N.Y.bride

Enough for me. Why chance it?

You can tell
babys sex and many other things from u/s
If the baby has downs or other abnormalities etc from blood tests

Heres what I found for you :)

The procedure isn't offered routinely to all pregnant women because it carries a small risk of miscarriage. It's usually only offered to those found to have a somewhat increased risk of having a baby with a chromosomal or genetic defect. You may be in this category if:

• You'll be 35 years old or older on your due date. The risk of having a child with a chromosomal defect rises as a woman ages. The chance that you're carrying a baby with Down syndrome, for instance, is about one in 270 when you're 35 years old ? compared to 1 in 1,250 when you're 25.

• You've had another test, such as a multiple marker screen, a nuchal fold scan, or a 'combined screening,' that indicated your baby is at a higher risk for a problem. If this is the case, you may first have a detailed ultrasound scan to look for physical signs of Down syndrome and other defects. If the ultrasound shows that there's still cause for concern, you may want to have an amniocentesis for a definitive diagnosis.

• You've previously been pregnant with a child with a birth defect.

• You or your partner has a chromosomal abnormality or genetic disorder or a family history that puts your child at increased risk for genetic problems. Or you and your spouse are both carriers of a recessive genetic disorder such as cystic fibrosis or sickle cell disease.


I just wouldnt do it, but thats just me :)

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I understand and i understand you're point of view. I was just curious where most people stand since my FSIL and i were talking about it last night (the pros vs. cons). I wonder why her doctor asked her if she wanted one? All her tests have come back and they've been fine.

Well, being pregnant, I can answer this from a pregos point of view. My answer is no. As far as I'm concerned, the risk factors involved are so not worth it. AND all the tests you take before you would have to go for an amnio have a high chance for getting false positives for birth defects. I would just take my chances. At that point in pregnancy, I would not have terminated if there were birth defects, anyway, so what would be the point of having an amnio?

ETA: I will add that BEFORE I got pregnant, I always thought I would get one if needed, but after becoming pregnant and researching, etc, and knowing that for 20 weeks I had carried this child, there was no risk that was worth taking to me.

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Posted by prncssrachel

Well, being pregnant, I can answer this from a pregos point of view. My answer is no. As far as I'm concerned, the risk factors involved are so not worth it. AND all the tests you take before you would have to go for an amnio have a high chance for getting false positives for birth defects. I would just take my chances. At that point in pregnancy, I would not have terminated if there were birth defects, anyway, so what would be the point of having an amnio?

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Playing devils advocate here... the amnio's are typically done in the 1st trimester so that if the tests come back positive, there is time to terminate if one wants to.

I don't know where i stand on the issue or what i would do when that time comes, but i do have friends who have children with birth defects & Downs... so i know the risks of what could happen if one didn't have an amnio. Many woman would choose to risk it, like yourself (and that's totally fine and your choice). But... well i should stop myself here before this turns into a debate, which i'm not looking for. Like i said, i was just curious. Thanks for being honest.

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Posted by prncssrachel

ETA: I will add that BEFORE I got pregnant, I always thought I would get one if needed, but after becoming pregnant and researching, etc, and knowing that for 20 weeks I had carried this child, there was no risk that was worth taking to me.

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I understand that and like i said... i have no idea what i would do when that time comes. I'm sure once you are pregnant and you have that little person inside of you... things might change or your decisions might change because it's more real.

Congrats on being pregnant by the way!

are you sure an amnio can detect autism?? i thought autism didn't develop until the child was around the age of 2...(yes i realize it can be earlier...i actually personally know many children on the spectrum and have taught some)

eta: i forgot to answer the question! based on my nedical history, i have no need for one and wouldn't put the baby at risk. if i'm over 35 when i have a child, i'll think about it then based on how the pregnancy goes and if the doctors think there's a problem. it's just not worth the risk