Opinions on Amnio

E.,

I had an amnio with my last pregnancy. I was 16 weeks along and got some bad test results and the dr. suggested an amnio. It was actually very easy and painless. The drs. are very nice and very helpful. I felt fine after the amnio and my husband and I went to see a movie and then I came home and rested! Went to work the next day!

Good luck! It is worth it to know what to expect!
~J.
P.S. Everything was fine with my son!

Hi E.,

I was given option to do amnio when I was pregnant with my son( he is 3.5 years old now).
I was only 28 years old then, but the option was given as the doctors suspected some anomaly while we got the 1st ultrasound done.I went ahead and got the amnio, as myself and my husband preferred to know in advance, if at all there is any issue with the pregnancy.

The amnio was not painful as I initially thought and I am glad that I went ahead with that. I could remain peaceful for the rest of my pregnancy that my son did not have any abnormalities.

Best Wishes,
M.

Only if you have concerns about genetic issues in family... I did 2 of those and did not help in any way, but if you would feel better doing it then go ahead!!! But it has been showen that too many ultrasounds can affect the child by heating up their brains!!! So I would suggest the less intervention the better!!! Love, G.. :0)

I had two amnios done at Sacramento Maternal Fetal and had great experiences each time. No problems what so ever. I had my first at age 39 and the second at age 40.

Good luck in your decision!
K.

Hi E.,
I'm not sure what kind of opinion you're looking for, but I had an amnio with my older boy, and it was fine-- didn't hurt, if the tech (over at Stanford) had been more relaxed, so would I. All in all it was fine, and knowing my baby was fine too was a HUGE load off my mind-- I hadn't realized how much I was worrying till I didn't have to anymore-- I say, 'Go for it!' it'll make the next 30 weeks much easier.

Before doing an amnio, you can do a nuchal translucency ultrasound, in combination with blood tests for AFP and couple of other things. The NT plus blood work is an early screen for things like Down's Syndrome, etc. Or, if you miss the window for the NT ultrasound, you can just do bloodwork. Depending on the results of those screens, you can determine if it is worth the risk to you to proceed with amnio (or with chorionic villus sampling, which can be done sooner than amnio). I am 39, will be 40 soon after my baby is born (due in 6 days). I did the NT ultrasound, and based on the completely normal results (as well as my gut feeling), decided not to proceed with any further testing.

FYI, I was also horrifically sick until week 18. Not fun. I feel for ya, and hope your sickness passes sooner than mine did.

I was 39 when I got pregnant with my first child, and 40 when I delivered. I was considered "high risk" from Day 1. My OB didn't really ask if I wanted an amnio, he TOLD me I was getting one. His wife was also older when she got pregnant, so he had me on the same care she had been on. As older parents, my husband and I knew that we would not be able to care for a special needs child. The amnio was the right thing to do for us.

I was extremely nervous since a friend of mine had recently had her amnio and subsequently miscarried a few weeks afterwards. Not sure if it was related or not, but it worried me nonetheless. I scheduled mine for a Friday and spent the whole weekend on the couch and in bed, just to be cautious. Everything turned out fine and we have a healthy, happy, rambunctious 5 1/2 year old son that we thank God for every day. I had two miscarriages afterward and did fertility treatments for two years, so we feel very blessed to have our son.

You and your husband need to decide if that's what you need to do and talk to the specialists. Only you can make the right decision.

Good luck and my prayers are with you.

It's such a very personal decision, so my best advice is to go with your gut and what makes sense to you personally.

We opted not to have one done. I was 36 when DD was born, but I just felt that the risk of miscarriage -- however slight -- wasn't worth it. We wanted her even if she had birth defects and felt we could still access the care we needed even if it was a surprise. The odds are still so low even in your 30s of problems, so I felt good with our decision.

I have had friends who had amnios with no problems and no regrets. Again, I'd really just go with what you and your husband feel is right for you.

M.

Hi E.,

I had an amnio with my first pregnancy to determine if my baby had down syndrome (thankfully, he did not). It was a lot easier and less painful than I could have imagined. The doctors that took care of me were very experienced and wonderful. Be sure to ask for their track record - you want to be sure that they don't have a history of problematic amnio's or miscarriages as a result. I think that the risk of having an amnio is small compared to the peace of mind that it gives you. If you're planning on keeping the child no matter what, talk to your doctor about what to do. S/he might recommend against the amnio.

Good luck!

With my last pregnancy I had an amnio, It was not painful. After it was done I just layed down and rested for rest of the day and had my husband drive me home. Everything turned out great. At this time right now I am 26 weeks pregnant again and I opted to do the Nuchal Tranlucency Exam. It has to be done between 11 and 14 weeks I beleive and what it is they take some blood from your fingertip and then about a week later the do a specialized ultra sound that concentrates on the fluid on the spine of the neck of the baby. I don't know if your doctor is offering the procedure, but you might want to look into it and see if it fits your needs.

I was 36 when I was pregnant and opted to do the amnio. It was a huge relief to receive the results (which were normal). I had no cramping and no negative side effects from having the procedure. I would recommend having it because, for me, I can deal with issues as long as I know what they are in advance. It is the not knowing and all of the worrying and "what if's" that make me crazy! Good luck - and congratualtions!

I have a freind that's a nurse and she said many people who have been told (from the feedback of amnio) that there are problems with the fetus give birth to babies that are ok. I would not put so much trust in the medical community. put your trust in God.

I had one with my son. i had a complication with my pregnancy with my dauhter. She was a twin lost the boy at 5 months. My daughter I carried till 40 weeks had her on my due date. She only survived by being in 2 amio sacks. Then another twin pregnancy 2 years after lost those 2 at 14 weeks. So I got pregnant with my son 2 months later don't ask me how it just happened. I had a amio with him and he was born 5 weeks early. Complications with his stomach he was born early so he could have emergency stomach surgery. He did and was fine. he had a under developed stomach muscle that cause him to have a major hernea that required emergency repair. It took only about 15 minutes to do. Amio was fast and I had to take a bus home so I came home and rested the rest of the day under doctors orders. I hope this helps. M. Petersen

Hi E.
Congratulations on your new husband and new baby! The reason that amnio is recommended to mothers over 35 is because that is the age where the risk of miscarriage from the amnio and the risk of Downs syndrome meet at 1 in 200. You should always go with your gut and do what feels right for your family. I will mention however, that the disorders discovered with amnio aren't generally the ones that require immediate medical intervention at birth. A high level diagnostic ultrasound will be much more helpful in determining the physical well-being of the baby. Nothing is guaranteed, major anomalies have been missed by the best diagnostic tests, and problems have been discovered only to find at birth that nothing was wrong after all. If you are planning a homebirth or birth center birth you have a different set of issues than if you are planning a hospital birth-- in the hospital the medical staff is already present and will treat the baby aggressivly right from the start, at home you will need to transport in. With most issues the peaceful birth and close bonding time are an added benefit that doesn't take away from the baby's recovery and the time needed to transport doesn't negatively impact the medical situation. Again, only you can decide what is the best decision for your family. There are more considerations that just the baby-- your decision impacts your comfort and ability to relax and enjoy the pregnancy, your husband and his peace of mind, even your 8 year old will have feelings around a new baby. You are the only people who know what the right decision is. Trust your instincts and don't allow others fear to guide you.
For your nausea, mostly time will help, you should be feeling much better in 2-4 weeks! See if discontinuing your prenatal vitamin helps, eat every couple of hours in small quantities. Don't let yourself get hungry or full. Only eat things that appeal to you, you don't need to worry too much about nutrition yet. Honey sticks can help bring up your blood sugar and give some relief especially after vomiting. AFTER 12 weeks when the baby is not as vulnerable you could try a Unisom tablet and B6 at night. Nutrition starts being a much bigger issue and many women find a tremendous amount of relief from that regimen.
Sorry to be so longwinded! Have a wonderful enjoyable pregancy and try not to worry so much. You are perfect and wonderful and so is your baby, however that manifests for that individual.

Hi E.,

I also had a pregnancy at 36 years old, and elected to have amnio done at the suggestion of my doctor. I was happy to feel confident that all was well and it did not hurt at all!
I went along knowing that my baby was happy and healthy and that made it a much more pleasant pregnancy!
You will get much more tired but will have tons of patience with your new little one!!

Hi E.,

I totally understand your concerns. I had my second child at 38. I had a miscarriage between, so I was very concerned about the amnio. My doctor is part of the Mt. Diablo, John Muir medical group, and the doctor they referred me to for the amnio was absolutely wonderful. She was extremely experienced, and everything went just fine. It wasn't really painful, just a lot of pressure, and the recovery was nothing. I did take it super easy just because of my own fear.

If you decide to do it, I would recommend that you get the background on the doctor that will be performing yours. Make sure that it's a doctor with a lot of experience. Talk to your OB and let her/him know about your concerns and I'm sure they can refer you to a competent doctor.

Hi E.,

I had an amnio last year at 35. My doctor assured me that it was safe and also had me read studies. She sent us to the best clinic that had zero cases of something going wrong. I don't remember the name of the clinic, but it was in San Jose/Los Gatos area. Ask your doctor to send you to the best. It didn't hurt and it was really neat to learn all of the healthy information about the baby. I will get an amnio when we get pregnant again. Good luck!!

I had an amnio at about the same age with no ill effects. It was wonderful to know to expect a healthy girl and not spend the whole pregnancy wondering if our ages were causing an unhealthy baby.

If you have concerns for religious or ethical reasons, I'm sure you'll get lots of advice related to that, and you'll weigh it carefully.

My experience was fine. I don't like medical stuff much, so I didn't like the actual procedure, but it didn't really hurt and I was so happy to have the result.

Best luck to you, your family, and the new little one on the way!

Hi E.

Last year I had my first child at 36. I did the same test that Michelle is talking about--blood test with high powered ultra sound. The test showed a very low risk of DS and a few other issues, so I did not do the an amnio. Happily, I now have a very healthy 1 yr old boy.

The magic number 35 is partially an arbitrary number. Yes, your risks for certain conditions are higher but not by very much. A 24 year old has a very similar risk of having a baby with DS.

This is a very personal choice. You might want to consider the less invasive tests first, see if you have anything to worry about, and then move forward.

Take care and good luck.

Hi Erica,
I had amnio 3 times, at the ages of 37, 39, and 42. I did it for the same reasons you are considering it. I have no regrets. They eased my mind about the genetic health of my babies, and I loved finding out the sex so early in my pregnancies. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't hesitate to have the amnios done again.
K.

Hi E..

I was 35 when I got pregnant with my 2nd child (now 4 1/2 months). Since 35 is the magic number for what Drs consider "High Risk" I was also advised to have the amnio. I instead chose to do another test (Can't remember what it was called), but you have to do it before 14 weeks. It is a high powered ultra sound with a blood test. I did it at Dr Hershey's office is Sac. The test will determine your odds of have a child with problems. If your odds are high then you might want to do an amnio after this test. My risk was very low, so I opted not to do the amnio.

I'm sure you'll receive a lot of opinions. I just wanted to share something my doctor said to me when I asked some questions about amnio. (I'll be delivering in about 2 weeks with my second child and I'm 35--that magic age!) I asked if there were false positives (in other words, can they say something is wrong when it's not...) She said that while all the tests leading up to amnio have a varying degree of false positives, amnio is fairly conclusive. (This is, by the way, why I decided against all the other testing. Why worry about something that may not happen when It's not going to change my decision to carry this baby?) She did say, however, that amnio also is the most risky--to you for bleeding and to your baby for premature labor or death. I then asked, "Would knowing something from the amnio make it so you could change the outcome for the baby somehow? (i.e. operate in utero) She said, "no, we'd just prepare for the delivery."
I am delivering at a hospital that has a NICU if needed and so I feel comfortable with the staff at this hospital who will be available if something goes wrong at the delivery.
I don't know if this helps at all.
Sorry about your rough pregnancy. May your baby be a precious gift from God when he/she is born.

Blessings,
S. J.

Hi E., I think you should go with your gut on this one. For me, the worst part of the amnio was the wait for the results. The test itself was easy. There are other tests that can be done to predict the odds prior to an amnio (afp, nuchal scan) but they are not as accurate (amnio is 99% accurate). I have had many friends come back with a positive afp test only to find out that their baby is fine. Do go with a doctor with a lot of experience. I don't know where you are but Dr. Dyson in the south bay is highly recommended.

I had an amnio last year (I was 37) after reading and researching the procedure for weeks. What helped in my decision was the December 07 release of medical stats that updated the miscarriage risks; formerly, the risk was 1 in 250, and after the medical community was allowed to release their (15-20 year!) study, the risks went down to 1 in 1250 or so. Amazing! I also checked out referrals on doctors who perform the procedure, and found the best doctor for our area. Phone your doc's office and talk with the nurses, genetic counselors, ask about their miscarriage rate. Our experience was actually so much easier than I anticipated - in fact, the blood draw from my initial visit to our ob office was more painful than the amnio. Amnios do feel strange, but I wouldn't say that it hurt. I breathed deeply, repeated a mantra and looked at my husband the entire time (I wasn't interested in watching the needle). We also had a thorough ultrasound, which was wonderful because the tech was able to walk us through our baby's organ system. It was not only encouraging, but after the results came back we were able to relax and enjoy the rest of the pregnancy. Best wishes to you and your family!

Hello E.-

My sister had a scare when she was 18 weeks pregnant. She was advised to have the amnio by her Doc. Her blood results came back higher than average for NTD. I went with her and witnessed everything. But, even she says that it wasnt as painfull or as scarry as it was crack up to be. Her test came back negative......thank god! They do an extensive ultrasound that was so interesting. They checked out all the bones and explained everything to us in detail. And one good thing is you get to find out 100% the sex of the baby :)

"Neural Tubal" is the name of the test that others have reffered to. It has to be done inbetween 13 and 15 weeks.I had one with my current pregnancy. I am 34. The plan was that if that test came back looking suspicious, then we would proceed, perhaps with an amnio. Mine came back really good, so we didn't do any further testing.

I have always heard pretty good stories about amnios. I know that some others might not feel this way, but my husband and I always want to know as much as they can tell us about the baby. I do not like "surprises" and finding out that there is something wrong with your baby on the day you deliver sounds terrible.

I would wnat to know before delivery if my baby might need to go to the NICU or have a surgery or something. I say out your mind at ease and be prepared an have whatever tests they can offer.

I recently read a story about a baby who had a huge tumor that they discovered in an ultrasound. The tumor was taking too much blood from the baby and she wasn't going to make it. They were able to do surgery on the baby and then put her back in the womb and she was born healthy 10 weeks later! It is amaizing what they can do!

Good luck!

I had 2 amnios and they were fine. There are risks but due to my age (40 for my first and 41 for my second) - the risks of not doing one outweighed the risks of doing one. I'm curious as to what sort of complications you're expecting that will necessitate medical staff during delivery? I would suspect the blood work and ultrasounds would provide enough information for your needs. I would also suspect the amnio would be the provider of some information that would not necessitate special medical staff, but would still be indicative of a problem. If you are going to deliver regardless of the outcome of your amnio - then I'd suggest talking to your pediatrician to see what sort of complications could not be detected in blood work and ultrasounds that might necessitate additional medical staff upon delivery - and then make your decision. Best of luck!

I had amnios with both my daughters now 3 and 16 months. I was 38 when I had my 3 year old. The procedure is fast and surprisingly painless. If anything it is anxiety beforehand that is painful. I was told when I had my first amnio that the worries of amnios gone bad have gone down significantly in the last 5-8 years since technology continues to get better. The sonogram machines give the doctors a view like never before where to draw fluid. After my first experience, I had no anxiety or doubt when #2 was on the way and they asked me if I wanted to have the test done. Peace of mind was my reward and it will be yours too. All the best to you.

Everyone is different, so it depends on what you are hoping to accomplish. I had an amnio with my 4th child because the doctor saw signs of Down's Syndrome (nuchal fold thickness, heart issues, etc...) I wanted the amnio because for me personally, I wanted to be prepared if there was a problem. I have friends who would prefer not to know. It turned out that everything was fine. If I hadn't had the amnio, I would have worried the whole rest of the pregnancy. If you don't have any signs of problems, I am not sure that it is necessary. Just my thoughts!

I had an amnio done last summer at age 35, 1st pregnancy. My husband and I attended the genetics class my doc referred us to at Kaiser. There was only 1 other couple attending and the instructor waited 4 several others 2 show before starting. They never came. I guess people blow this stuff off. The instructor provided good info, but did not advise us what 2 do. We decided 2 have the amnio after educating ourselves of the risks - very minute. Day of I was surprised at how many technicians were in the room - the more the better I guess! Everything went smoothly. I had heard they were painful. I felt a very small prick - less than say a shot. On the pain scale less than a 1 out of 10. I was very tense and they kept telling me to relax. It was kinda cool b/c it gave me another peek at my baby and at 1 point it looked like he was waving at us. Everyone laughed in the room. By the way, I had a healthy boy in Jan. At the time of the amnio, I did not know the sex. I don't know if the techs somehow hid his parts or an untrained eye really can't tell. To sum up, if we are blessed with another baby I will do an amnio again due to my age. The procedure itself was not a big deal nor scary to me. Good luck!

I just had my first baby at 37. I did not do the amnio because all my other tests came back normal. (The AFP and ultrasound) I would have considered it if there was an abnormality. If I would of had the amnio it was scheduled at 17 weeks. I had a little morning sickness during my 1st and last trimesters but no other complications. My son is three months old and healthy. I think it is a personal choice and every situation is different. I would speak with your doctor about the pro and cons. Godd luck and congratulations

OK, I am about response #39 or so & not sure if anyone had the same response I'm giving or if you'll even read this soooo....I was 38 w/our second son. Kaiser wasn't pushing the amnio but offered it up. We decided against it for a few reaons: 1) no one on either side of our families has any genetic/medical issues or developmental disabilites, 2) our first son, born when I was 34, was fine, 3) there are teens & younger moms having babies having kids w/Down's & other disabilites so age isn't really an accurate stat in whether or not a baby is born w/problems, 4) no problems w/the AFP during first pregnancy so we decided to do the expanded AFP & only an amnio if that came up w/any concerns but ultimatley.....nothing woulda changed for us. Regardless of any problems, we'd have the baby but just be better prepared for any problems. My sister had my nephews (frateranl twins boys now 8 yrs) when she was 38 & was nervous about an amnio so she had an intensive ultrasound done by a specialist in this area (a big long 'ologist' title that I can't remember exactly now) & it could show her pretty much all that an amnio could. So, ask your OB about other options if you're unsure. Hope this helps & good luck!

Hi E.,

I'm 44 and I had my son at 41 at home. When I had a phone call saying we should see a geneticien because we parents are over 40. I thought, I'll do this but I won't have an amnio.
Well, afer we had this whole talk about the risks about down syndrome, the following week I've seen down syndrome people every where around me, on the street, in the news- papers and even on TV. It was clear that I was projecting my own fears. And I thought, whatever happens, whoever is my future baby, I need to be prepared, so I can make the right decisions. I didn't know how I would react if I knew that my baby was going to be "abnormal", but I knew I needed to know.
So we took an appointment and I had the amnio, that went really well. The geneticien had said, afterwards I could go back to work and just be carefull not pushing or pulling anything heavy, but the nurse who was there recommeneded to go back home and rest for the whole day. We've decided to listen to her, who's dealing with patients all the time and not to the " theoreticien". I took the whole day off and layed down untill the day after.
The results were not worrisome, and my son Liam is now a beautiful, strong , healthy boy with a 44 years old mother and a 54 years old athletic father.
Every body is different, but I'll be glad if my story can help you out with your decision and taking care of yourself.

Hi E., I just went through this struggle for the first time myself. I am 38 and having baby #4. There are so many pre screening tests ahead of you that give you risk factors. I don't know if it's a good thing or not to get these numbers. My Numbers didn't come back good and I had weeks of worry. We did the level 2 ultra sound to see if the baby looked healthy but it still didn't tell us if it has D.S. But the baby looked beautiful and healthy and I couldn't bring myself to do the amnio.But I had to be at peace with my choice and truley let the worry go. So right then and there we chose to let the worry go . I don't think about it anymore. I can't wait to hold this baby in my arms and hopefully find out everything is fine with her. I don't know if I've helped at all ,I know it's a hard choice no matter what. I have yet to hear of anyone haveing complications from an amnio, maybe Dr's have almost perfected it these days. I'd say personally if you do have the other screenings and your #'s come back with very low risk for problems that might be enough for you. I'll just say I am glad this is my last baby due to the unpleasentness of all the testing for older moms. It's not fun. Best wishes to you and have have a wonderful pregnancy, R. p.s You could look on the message boards for my question posted here when I was going through this and get lots of helpful info from other moms. It really helped me. Mine was posted in May I think.

E.,

Congratulations on your new baby coming! I think that you should go with your gut. Whatever you feel would be beneficial. I opted not to, but if it would make you feel better and you have considered all the risks-then you should do it.

Molly

Hi E.,

I got pregnant for the first time at the age of 41 - so the amnio was highly recommended. I ended up having the CVS at 12 weeks. That's where they take tissue since there is still not enough amniotic fluid. I never thought of the amnio as playing God, but rather, like you, make sure there is enough medical staff ready or get enough information if there is an issue. The CVS hurt like hell, I had to have my husband and staff help me stay still, but it was quick. The results were normal and it was a huge relieve to be able to spend the rest of the pregnancy assured that my baby was okay. And, I found out I was having a girl - my dream come true - so that made it even better for me. Like you, I was so sick I took three months off of work - dry heaves - worst nausuea of my life - I'd get sick just driving by McDonalds! I did consider the risk of miscarriage but thought the percentages were small enough to go ahead - we could have a miscarriage without the amnio too! Good luck to you.

I had it done with my last baby at 36. The experience was a little nerve-racking, because of the risks, but it was simple and pretty painless.

with my first pregnancy we did do an amnio. our afp test came back with horrible numbers. and we weren't asked, we were told buy our midwife that we were doing one. everything turned out fine in the end. but i can't imagine, having the worry and not knowing. waiting for the results were the longest 3 days of our life and i couldn't imagine spending the rest of my pregnancy that way! but now i am pregnant with baby number 2, and our afp test came back normal, but because it is not difinitive, it doesn't make me feel any better. i still worry that although the results came back within the normal range that i still could be that 1 in 1000. i try not to think about it! but do whatever is best for you, and puts you at ease. if that is the amnio, then do it. having blood drawn is much more painful than that. and our percentage for something wrong was higher than the miscarrage rate of the amnio anyway, so, i just figured, what ever is meant to be is what will happen.

on a side note, i noticed that you say you are having terrible sickness. i had that too. here are a few tips that helped me. eating little and often. even wake up in the night for a banana. mint helped. so, mint tea, or sugar free gum or mints. and for some reason things with sour apple flavor, like jolly ranches or gummi rings. the sour apple only worked while it was in my mouth, but for those desperate times, like in the car, it was good.

congratulations and good luck!

I had an amnio at age 36 with my son (all was and is fine)and just completed an amnio 2 weeks ago with my current pregnancy and I should get the results this week (I'm now 38). I feel that the amnio is better, more conclusive testing than the AFP and other testing out there. You can also know the sex 100% if you choose to know. In the unfortunate event that there is a problem, you can set up medical care and support services in advance, which is why I do it. I don't want to be caught by surprise at the time of birth and not know where to turn. Starting at age 35 you are considered advanced maternal age, but really the risks are still very low for any problems. The risks increase quite a bit at age 40, but of course many women still have sucessfull pregnancies in their early 40's. The amnio itself is a little uncomfortable but not really painful - bring something to put in your hands to squeeze. THe test doesn't take long at all. You will feel slightly crampy and feel like you want to hunch over the rest of the day but it's not very bad. You will need to take it easy the rest of the day and sometimes the next day. I mean sit around and watch movies resting, not just eliminating the gym and vacuuming from your schedule. That's all there is to it. Results typically come back in 2-3 weeks. Usually a very comprehensive ultrasound is done with this appointment as well and it is very cool. It is very detailed and they explain everything. They look very carefully on ultrasound for any abnormalities as well. I don't know where you are located, but Dr. Hershey at Prenatal Diagnosis in Sacramento is very experienced in this procedure if you are interested. Whatever you decide, good luck with your pregnancy and delivery!

I think you are really wise to plan for supportive care for the baby when it's born. Whatever your beliefs on amnio, that's the key--it's for the baby's benefit. What a good parent you are! I agree with the mom who suggested going to someone who does LOTS of them; the risk is quite small if they do them often.

Hey Erica, I have 3 children. A almost 8 year old boy, a 15 year old boy and soon to be 17 year old girl. I had my first child at 37 and my last at 46. Because of my age, it was highly recommended I have amnio and I did with each child. My recommendation is to get a Dr. who does a lot of them. With my first, the Dr. was a specialist in that area. He was one of the few who did them regularly. With my third my Doctor said he did not have a lot of experience doing amnios and he referred me out. I thought that was very honest and considerate of him to do that. I don't think you should be scared of it. I definitely reocmmend it but only with a Doctor who has done it many, many, many times. D.

Hi E.,
I was the same age as you when I got pregnant with my daughter. I had to convince my Dr. I did not want the amnio as abortion was not an option for my husband and I. I had a swab test instead and was told that based on my age there was a 30% chance of a birth defect. Our daughter is now 14 years old, an Honor Student and an All Star softball player. As
for the morning sickness that lasts all day - try soda crackers and flat cola - it helped me. Hope all works out well and congratulations on your baby.
Patti b.

Hi E.!

Congratulations on your new marriage, and new family. Yea, being an "older" mother is scary because we've heard so many terrible things. I must say though, the only "different & difficult" thing about having another baby when I was older, was Losing Weight afterward! Everything else was pretty much "the same".

As far as the Amnio goes, it is nice to know about EVERYTHING! I wasn't planning on having one, but I chose to have one after the Genetic Results. I just needed to know one-way or the other if my baby had a birth defect, and most of that info comes from all the blood work they do. I can't remember when they did the Genetics Test, but I think it was around 14-16 weeks. Anyway, I think you're "smart" to be considering the Amnio, however, I would wait until each test result comes back. They are professionals, they'll know when to tell you to have an Amnio, or at least consider one.

I wish you the best of luck through your pregnancy. I'm sure everything will be ok. :o)

I had my son when I was 36 and I had the amnio. It is a relatively minor procedure but it gave me a peace of mind that my baby is OK. The risks are low but the consequences of having something wrong can be life long. Chances are everything will be OK but at least to me, it was improtant to know that.

Hi E.,
I had an amnio. I was 37 years old and my doctor recommended it even though my Nucal Translucency numbers were very good. I was very torn and very scared, but honestly, the procedure is so quick and it did not hurt. I was second guessing it right up until the doctor came in. It was so fast that I really didn't have time to go back and forth with him about it. He was very good and told me everything he was doing. Have your husband come too for the support. I think for your piece of mind it is worth it. Stay off your feet for the rest of the day. They will tell you that too. I took it easy for a few days after as well.

Good luck!