Previous Downs Pregnacy

My friend's first child has downs. She had six more that were all fine. She was just 19 when the first was first was born.

A. ~
I don't know how long it takes, but...since your first baby was Down's, didn't your doctor send you and your husband for genetic counseling? Most doctors would do that. They can look at things and tell you exactly what your risks are for Down's and other possible genetic problems. If he/she hasn't sent you yet, I would suggest asking to be sent. It would put your mind at ease having the knowledge genetic counseling can give you.
By the way...how was your alfa fetal protein level (or quad screen)? It's an indicator, but is often not accurate just due to incorrect gestational age.
The ultrasound can look at several things, most commonly they look at the nuchal translucency (the fat pad at the back of the neck). They can measure it's size and compare it with other ultrasounds you've had. They also look at the heart, kidneys and bowel.
I believe that your risk of having a second Down's baby is small, but could not tell you the exact risk.
Good luck!
D.

I can't answer the part about the Down's, but I had 2 amnio's with 2 pregnancies and the results came back fairly quick. I think the first one was within a day or so. The 2nd one we were checking for lung development to determine if they could go ahead with the c-section the next morning, and it was scheduled for earlier in the morning and was back that afternoon.

HTH-
J.

I've had 3 amnios. The ones to check for lung function are different and come back in hours. The one for the genetic testing takes longer b/c they actually grow the cells. I don't remember exactly but I think it was a week or so.

Good luck and prayers!

Hi A.,
The other time responses you got were very accurate, however I would like to add that depending on the willingness of your O.B. He/she might be willing to put a rush on it for you in which case you could have results back the same day! My girlfriend had almost your exact situation and when she had her amnio with baby #2 she told her doc that she was having tons of anxiety about the wait and he rushed it for her, he gave her the results( which came back great) the next morning!. Good luck and it always pays off to ask :)

I'm sorry for your loss and all that you've been through. I'm sure it's very scary and I can't imagine. I do know 3 couples that have had a down syndrome baby, and 2 of the couples went on to have healthy babies as well. The other never had more kids. So it is possible. I'm sure once you get the amnio results you will be reassured of this baby's good health. Who knows why that has to happen though. Just be praying for your pregnancy, your baby, and both of your health. God Bless you!

Hi I felt my heart go out to you upon reading your message. My cousins had a baby born with Downs who just reached her 40th birthday in June. They also have another child that was born completely healthy two years later. They feel very lucky with both. My prayers are with you. Good luck and God Bless
P.

First thing to remember there are false positives to this test, i know several people that have had them. The next thing is i have 2 beautiful healthy little girls both with Down syndrome and i would not change a thing in my life with them. They have brought me great joy and lead me in some awesome directions my life would never have taken, so if the test does come back positive it is not the end of the world. I do know of also parents who had children then had a child with Down syndrome and then other children without all with the same partners. I just happened to be blessed with the 2 girl I have and that is really how I feel. If it is positive please email me or messege me i would love to talk to you or get you some support. God Bless you and your family, K. ____@____.com

Sorry for the stress you're feeling right now. My cousins had a downs baby first and then 3 perfectly healthy children afterwards. So there is certainly reason to believe that there's hope for a normal child!

the results take 10 days to 3 weeks. it is agonizing to wait.

but have them measure the back of the babies neck.. the measurement is a good marker for downs syndrome.

It meight be too late for the measuerment I had that done and it was at 12 weeks or so..

good luck.

Hi A.,

I don't know how you must have felt losing your child. That must have been very traumatic and I pray that you will be given peace and a healthy prenancy.
All children are a blessing for as long as we have them. I just wanted to try to comfort and encourage you. I'm sure you love this baby no matter how his/her genetics look like.
Try to take your mind off of waiting for the test. It might even help to look up information about downs so that you are familiar with it. That might take some fear away for you. I will pray for you and your precious little one.

Hi A.,

I had a baby who died in uetero at 17 weeks and turned out to be trisomy 22 - Downs is trisomy 21. I was told they had several similarities but that tri 22 was almost always fatal. That said - I had an amnio done with this current pregnancy and it was back in 10 days. And we came back a-ok and are expecting a baby girl in about 8 weeks.

I was very nervous about trying again but we did. I did a lot of research and from everything I could find the chance of a repeating chromosome disorder is pretty low.

Good luck and hang in there. I know how hard it is.

Haven't had a downs baby. Miscarriages, yes. Three times. And you just can't predict why it happens or if there's some abnormality that somehow causes it.
But You really shouldn't be concerned too much with an amnio. I had one with my youngest son. It was, as they described, an uncomfortable pressure you feel. Results might be available right away. Technology changes so much. I can't even remember how soon I got my results. I remembered feeling down because I really wanted a girl, but it was another boy. And he's just about my most valued of all three. He's such a great kid! 19 years old, Air Force, 2nd degree black belt,...just about everything a mom could want!
You're not alone. Don't worry about the amnio. It's a procedure. And it tells you things you might want or need to know.
Good luck.,

I had a son with Down Syndrome when I was 26. He's now 6 years old. You think when you're that young it only happens to older moms but the reality is 80% of babies with Down Syndrome are born to women under 35.

Reading your request practically put me in tears remembering the agony of not knowing if we were having a healthy baby when we got pregnant again. It's just excrutiating. You want everything to be ok so bad. Unfortunately, our second baby miscarried - a totally unrelated, also chromosomal abnormality. We went for genetic testing and our karyotype tests came back just fine. We were told we had a 1 in 100 chance for Down Syndrome (which is what your odds are after you have already had one baby with DS - unless the Down Syndrome was hereditary type called a translocation then I think it's 1 in 4 but that type is very rare). Those odds seem high but it's really only a 1% chance. Our third pregnancy was a VERY HEALTHY boy.

I can't tell you how long the wait was for an amnio because I decided not to have one. Didn't want the risk to the baby.

Don't give up!! You CAN have a healthy baby! Hang in there :)

K.