Questions & Answers

I am pregnant with twins and will turn 35 before they are born. My doctor researched a test that screens for downs and the 2 trisomy tests. We opted to have the test done because it was non invasive, just a blood draw. NOT that we would ever terminate a pregnancy for ANY reason. But feel that the more info we have the better. An added perk they were able to tell us was, they did not find any Y chromosomes, which basically told us we are having 2 girls. They did not find any abnormalities either, which gives peace of mind. There are so many worries during pregnancy, especially with twins! Good Luck!

The best solution to your question is to get as much information as possible and go with your gut instinct. That mommy instinct has already kicked in and you know what is right for you. We had the NT test, saw our baby, got some measurements and I had one stick for a blood draw and we were done. We had this test done with our daughter and again with our son on the way. There are family reasons we decided to do the tests to prepare ourselves more for our little one. Yes, people do terminate based on this test, unfortunately. But if the percentages come back very low, they don't typically recommend any further testing and you can go about your business. It's not selfish to want to put your mind at ease and be able to prepare yourself and your family for any other outcomes. But like I said, go with your instinct on this. Most people on here have provided you with good information and links. Good luck with your decision.

mariedl- Thanks so much! This is great information!!

It sounds like you feel comfortable with a noninvasive test first, then if there is any indication that one or both of the babies may have something unexpected, you may consider invasive testing. This is certainly very common, and in fact most women who choose to do noninvasive testing have this strategy in mind. One thing I would suggest, however, is that you pursue this test:

http://www.sequenomcmm.com/Home/health-care-providers/Trisomy-21/About-the-Test

as opposed to the first trimester screen that only analyzes the proteins in your blood instead of the quantity of actual chromosomal material. Still do the NT (nothing can replace the information that provides), but consider this newer noninvasive testing called NIPT (noninvasive prenatal testing) through the company Sequenom; the test is called MaterniT21 (they are approved for twins). The false positive/negative result rates are MUCH lower so you can make a more informed decision than with traditional biochemical testing.

Luckymommy you may find them unnecessary for you but they are not in any way invasive or harmful. A blood draw and five minute sono are not going to cause any harm. For many they bring great joy. While further tests do carry some risk, it's between the doctor and patient to determine if they want to take on that risk and for what reasons.

I do agree that the blood tests would probably be inaccurate because your having twins, but an NT scan would not since that is done by taking measurements of the actual babies. And as for the morality aspect of choosing to test or not, I think the more info you have, the better. I can't imagine anyone not wanting to be as prepared as possible for their new babies, especially if you have been trying for a while to get pregnant in the first place. Regardless of some peoples opinions about the need for tests, including your own doctor's, the choice is up to YOU whether or not to do it, and which ones to do. I think doing the NT scan, at least, is perfectly reasonable. Its a great, non invasive way to make sure everything is good in there. If something does come up, its not only you that needs that info to prepare for the birth, its the dr too. What if they were born needing emergency care that the dr wasn't prepared for? That's why I chose to do it, to be as ready as possible!

Hey ladies, I felt compelled to be a buffer here lol. I think I see what lucky is trying to say. I agree with both sides btw. Many couples do indeed terminate solely based on those tests and sadly I know of two, so it does happen more often than you know. As for the amnio that often follows these tests, there is a small chance of spontaneous abortion and this can sadly happen at any stage of pregnancy, not necessarily right after an amnio. Many couples refuse testing for this reason and feel that they could never forgive themselves if they were to lose the baby. For myself, I refused testing simply because I would have my baby no matter what and worrying about what might be or the severity of the condition would not prepare me for what's to come but more or less make me worry more and possibly take away from the pregnancy experience. I prefer to face everything when the time comes. It's a personal decision and one that nobody should judge. Take care ladies!

My doctor wouldn't even do laser surgery on my twins without doing an amnio during the surgery. They can test for many other things during this time, like viruses that affect the fetus. I was 100% against testing and would have loved my twins regardless of the results. However, complications changed that for me and I had both tests and they were both normal. I did end up losing one of my twins the day after laser surgery. You just have to do what is right for you. If you don't believe in it, don't do it. If you want to plan in advance for your child's future, go ahead and do the tests. Neither side is wrong.

Luckymommy- I asked for an answer to my question, not you opinion. Not only did you not even attempt to answer my question you thought this would be a great platform to tell expecting mothers that "all the ppl that get the wrong results terminate their pregnancy" and that we are basically horrible women for just simply wanting to learn more. You've obviously learned that you are in fact incorrect. Maybe the number that terminates pregnancies are high, but that is not in fact "all". Either get a blog and rant or preach somewhere else.

Actually I'm not ignorant I don't believe in those tests. And find them unnecessary at any stage of pregnancy. I just contribute it to the parents being selfish. Just being I'm against them doesn't make me ignorant it just means that no matter how my baby turns out I'd love my baby. Instead of calling me rude names why don't you look up how many parents actually terminate based on the results of tests like that.