I am 38yrs old and about ten weeks pregnant. I just went to my first OB appointment was told I need to go to a genetic testing appointment. Because of my age, I’m considered high risk. Is it a big deal? I’m kinda freaking out. Like what if they do find something wrong. Do I even want to know right now if something is wrong? TIA
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I personally would not do it. I have seen plenty of stories of the results being wrong anyways.
It is better to know. I was 20 when I had my 2nd child and the Dr suggested testing because they saw something odd in an ultrasound. The testing came back negative for what they were nervous of (trisomy 13 its not common BUT for some reason it’s seen in children of women who are either younger or older mothers). Because that was ruled out my DR and a specialist team were able to prepare for her birth and her specific needs, since she was going to be bron with a birth defect that would be repairable with surgery at 4 days old.
This is entirely up to you really. If they have yet to find anything I wouldn’t go out of my way to get it done. I’d wait until you’ve at least had your first scan and see what they say. At my 12 wk scan they measure the fluid at the back of baby’s neck and I was high risk for Down syndrome but I was a 1 in 36 chance of baby having it. They did regular growth scans and offered an amniocentesis but her growth scans weren’t real cause for concern until they found out she had a cleft lip then I had the amniocentesis and she was all clear for downs. I was 24 when I was pregnant and gave birth when I was 25. I would leave it for now and wait until there’s genuine reason to do it otherwise your just going to strew unnecessarily.
The NHS do genetic testing as a routine to test for Down syndrome, ms etc regardless of age, it’s a good indicator and will probably help put your mind at ease. I also found out at my 20 week scan that my youngest had a cleft lip. Just educate yourself but try not to scare yourself x
I am 27 and did genetic testing. It was only to prepare myself. I wasn’t getting rid of my baby regardless. Something did come up. I’m a carrier of two things. At first I worried but now I feel like I can handle it.
Think about it love what will it change? Will it change the way you love your child? Of course not. I say whatever happens let it happen naturally. But it’s totally up to you. It’s your choice!
I got it done while I was pregnant with my daughter this past year. It was a terrifying experience to be honest. The results stated that I held the CF gene so they tested my husband. Turns out, so did he. So we have to do additional testing on her. All of it was done via blood because I didn’t want to take any risks with having them do it via amniotic fluid. However, from beginning to end was about a month worth of worrying and the word “abortion” was thrown around waaaaayyy too much for my comfort level. Turns out she was fine and it was all undue stress. However, if she would have been sick - it would have helped me prepare and study. Also, I now know she is a carrier of the gene and can tell her that if she plans on starting a family one day. There are pro’s and con’s. But be prepared either way.
I personally would want to know so I could do as much research as possible and make sure I’m prepared for anything. But that’s just me. I don’t like surprises. I like to be prepared.
Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. Should I get genetic testing done? - Mamas Uncut
Would you abort if you got news that there is a defect? If not, why go?
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It’s just a precaution. It’s all through a blood test so no big deal. I just chose not to do the amniocentesis since that is a needle that they put in and can cause issues. Why not just check.
I went through the same thing. I was almost 39. I thought I was going through the change. I had dental surgery a week before I found out I was pregnant. Yes I did get the genetic testing done. It gave me peace of mind and had something been wrong with our baby it would have prepared us for that. I highly suggest you get the test done. Good luck
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You can sat no to genetic testing
My doctor said to me “if there is something medically or physically wrong with your child would you do an abortion?” I said “No!” She said “Then there is no reason to do one” 
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Nope not if you don’t want to. I didn’t. I had babies at 36 and 41 I wouldn’t have had an abortion so what was the use. Now after the ultrasound if something crazy showed up I might have considered it but I didn’t want anything invasive
Totally up to you and your beliefs or feelings. Some people like to be prepared for anything and get mentally ready for the future.
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I didn’t do it. I knew that it wouldn’t change how I felt about my baby or that I would want to carry my baby. I knew it would cause too much stress if something was wrong
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I didn’t do a test and they recommended it at 29 and 31 years old. It’s standard that they ask to do the testing.
I guess if you’re going to keep baby regardless, taking the test and finding something would give you time to do research and prepare for the best.
If you were to have an abortion based on the results, that’s also your choice and you’d have the test to help you make that decision as well.
If your insurance will cover it I would just do it.
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I am almost 36 and due the end of august. They told me the same thing. It’s more of a precaution I think to make sure everything is good with baby. For me, if there would have been something wrong it wouldn’t have made any difference because she would still be my daughter no matter what. Thankfully after a lot of worry results came back all good. At the beginning that’s all I heard was negative things about being pregnant at my age but it’s going just as smooth as my other two but just with a lot more aches and exhaustion.
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I’m 38. Having #3 in 2 days. I did the test on all 3 of my pregnancies. First was normal. Second baby gave a 14 % window for trisomy 13 so I did the amniocentesis and it came back normal. #3 was normal . It’s just a precaution so u can be prepared if there is anything that comes up.
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We chose to do genetic testing. It wouldn’t change anything, but we would have been able to prepare if baby had anything going on.
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My mom had me at 38! I’m fine
I didn’t get it done. I was 38 and 41.
It has nothing to do with abortion and everything to do with being as prepared as possible. It is a completely non-invasive blood draw that can ease your mind or help you to prepare if your child may need special accommodations after birth. So many women leave ultrasounds feeling anxious/worried by “soft marker” findings when a simple chromosome test could have taken all the guess work and room for error out of it. DNA is much more reliable than ultrasound so you just have to do whatever you are comfortable with. Congrats 
I am doing one at 13 weeks because A. It is covered under provincial health care so why not? I get to see my baby which I haven’t seen since week 8. And B. If something does happen to be wrong, I would rather know earlier than later. Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t keep my baby if something was wrong. Personally I like having the peace of mind
Don’t know if it matters but I’m almost 31
I did. Not because I would abort but because I wanted to have a heads up on what I would need to care for the child. I wanted to be able to learn as much as I could to be prepared.
I was concerned high risk with my pregnancies because of family history and age but refused the genetic testing. The docs tried everything to get me to do it and NOPE…
I am 43 and 20 weeks pregnant I didn’t do it for this pregnancy or my daughter that is now 3.
I get genetic testing done. But that’s because i had a stillborn.
I learned that I am a carrier for cystic fibrosis. Both times I did it my tests came back negative for anything for my kids.
You can also learn the gender of your baby if you want with non invasive prenatal testing.
I suggest getting it done so you have time to absorb anything that shows up and prepare for how to provide your child the best life. Knowledge early really is power. Nothing may show but if something does wouldn’t you rather have time to research and learn and be ready? Above all else, and this will be hard if something shows up, do NOT panic! I had it done with my first, FYI I was 17 with him, and some abnormalities showed up. Turns out my due date was about a month off and things were skewed because of it and my son who is now 32 with his own kids, is perfectly normal.
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My only thought is maybe they could something before your baby is born
I think not having one or having one won’t change how you feel about the baby or if you’ll have it. But just a thought… let say there is something wrong, you’ll have a little more time to prepare and research. If my child had a disability I want to be the best parent I could possibly be for my little one, and that would need a little research in knowing proper care:)
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I am almost 36 and am due in November, I guess if your over 35 it is “advanced maternal age” and all pregnancies are high risk…I did the genetic blood test per doc recommendation and it came back clear. At my 20 week scan it it going to be a high risk doctor, there is no need to worry it is just protocol for women over 35 
I was freaked at first too, but feel better knowing that.
It’s standard based on your age and is just some blood work. I did it because I was 38 as well and just wanted to be prepared for anything major that could be wrong. It’s entirely up to you, but honestly, they aren’t doing it to scare you or make you think something is wrong, it’s just after 35, we have increased chances of some things going on with baby.
Its always good to know. I also found some stuff about myself when I had the testing done.
I was 43 when I had my last one and didn’t have genetic testing! He is a thriving 8uo
I had my 2nd child at that age and had a great Dr. that didn’t do those tests. Skip them and take good care of yourself💕
I had my last son when I was 29/30 I had one done too. Everything was fine. Better to know then not tho
I got genetic testing for both of my pregnancies by choice. I wouldn’t worry too much, if there’s something you need to know about, it’s better to have more time to process and prepare for what might happen. And it’s likely there will be nothing unusual.
My mom was 48 when she had me and didn’t have all those tests back then. She had no problems with delivery and I was very healthy.
I’m 38 and 8 months pregnant, we are considered high risk because we are over 35. It’s not a big deal at all. I didn’t have genetic testing done because I felt it was something else to worry about, don’t worry! Everything will be ok!
Keep in mind the early genetic testing can also be wrong so take it with a grain of salt. If they find something, more testing will be done to confirm/rule it out. My first baby, they found some possibly precursors for Down’s syndrome during an ultrasound and asked if I wanted further testing done. I declined, however if I had to do it again I would have had the testing just to be prepared. Because I knew I was keeping the baby regardless I decided I didn’t need the testing but I would have worried a lot less if I had just known one way or the other prior to birth. I think it’s also important to be prepared, in case there are unforeseen challenges.
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I would just so I could be prepared in case the baby is born with anything wrong
Seeing High risk sounds scary but its a pretty big relief seeing little one grow every 4 weeks! I started seeing high risk at 19 weeks bc of my history of pre-eclampsia with my first. It was relieving to know we were doing fine! If i didnt see high risk they would not have caught babies umbilical vein varix, which CAN have devastating outcomes. Now i am being watched once a week. Its honestly a blessing to be seen more often bc IF something is going on they will catch it sooner!
The test can cause issues as well. They invade the bubble your baby is growing in. I’m 44 had one child last year and am pregnant again this year. Yes I already have four girls haven’t been pregnant for ten years and yes they said I was considered high risk because of the invading the baby bubble I said no. The baby is great. Hugs. It’s really your maternal history and maybe if any family have had issues with babies
Any pregnancy 35 and over is considered high risk automatically.
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My midwife told me if the results wouldn’t change anything then the only reason to have done is the peace of mind in knowing.
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They consider over 35 a” geriatric “pregnancy 
and will do that regardless.
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You can honestly get them done at any time. I got one when I was 20 weeks because at my anatomy scan they saw abnormalities so they wanted to rule genetics out. So if you want to wait and make a choice you absolutely can.
I did because l was pregnant at 39. I also had two older healthy children. I made the decision early on that if there was something really wrong with my child that l felt l could not live with that termination would be something l would consider, due to having other children whom also needed their mum. I work in disability (no judgement please) so there are some things that you would not wish on any family or child for that matter. I had genetic testing at 8 weeks which was a biopsy of the placenta, but it was extremely specific. I felt it would be far less heartbreaking to have all cards on the table at an early stage rather than later… Everything came back fine… It is a personal choice, and goodluck with whatever path you take…
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I was 35 during my last pregnancy and got the genetic testing done. Mostly so I could know the gender. I would rather know if there was something wrong even if I wouldn’t terminate the pregnancy.
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I was 26 and pregnant with my first and I agreed to genetic testing. 
I’d rather know the chance of something in advance and be able to plan accordingly than to have a newborn and trying to figure out what to do with a diagnosis then.
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I did at 43 all was fine… pray & yoou tooo & baby will be fine
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I was 35 when my last child was born. I declined genetic testing.
Your older so this test is very typical. No need to freak yourself out. It’s a simple test to make sure baby is fine. I had it done and it’s no biggie
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NOPE! I was 40 when my son was born. No need to risk harming your child.
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Genetic testing can be done for many reasons and is usually done in higher risk pregnancies. I get them done every pregnancy because I’m high risk. I would definitely get the genetic testing done to be safe. More often than not the results are 100% normal. I will say our genetic testing has caught Turner syndrome in our daughter that we lost and honestly I’m glad that we knew what was wrong with her and why we ultimately ended up losing her. The biggest thing to remember if anything is abnormal in your results is that it is genetic testing, meaning anything that is abnormal, is not your fault and nothing could have been done to prevent it or change the result. My mother had to have genetic testing done with my youngest brother also because of her age and everything was perfectly normal. She was in her mid 40s and had already been thru cancer treatments too if that makes you feel any better.
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I opted out of the testing. It’s your choice if you want it done or not.
I just did the q natal blood test, its important to know so u can plan and there are so many things they can do now to fix a problem that we can’t even think about, the negative results of mine were a relief, but I was firm that no matter what they found I would be keeping my baby because my baby is a blessing in whatever form it takes. I have anatomy scan coming up and while I’m nervous I’m more excited to see her sweet face!!
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I’m 37 i have a 1 year old little boy and just found out I was pregnant again i was high risk with both pregnancies and I didn’t have it done
I was 39 pregnant i declined the testing my daughter is healthy.
I personally did bc I would want the time to prepare if something was wrong which thankfully it was not but also we got to know the gender earlier too bc of it so that’s also a plus if you want to know before birth.
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If it’s going to stress you out, you can decline the tests. If you’re the kind of person who’d rather know things ahead of time so you can make plans and arrangements, then the testing will give you that knowledge.
I’m 29 years old and went to an ultrasound appointment. They found nuchal thickening and fluid on baby’s abdomen which are two markers for down syndrome. I was told the baby had a 1-5 chance of having chromosomal defects. I was 13 weeks along. The doctors told me that I should have testing done immediately and there were 2 ways to do it. The first could be done that day, during the procedure they would use an ultrasound to get images of where baby’s placenta is laying and decide if they could use a needle to get a sample vaginally or get a sample via my belly. The second procedure would’ve had to wait till I was further along and they would sample baby’s amniotic fluid. Both procedures were risky but I agreed to the first one bc I would get the results faster and determine my next step sooner. During the appointment I was there by myself bc my mom (who had taken me for emotional support) was in the car with my two children and my niece. The doctor used lidocaine to numb the my belly, the needle went it and I felt several “pops” then pretty bad pain when they reached my uterine wall. I cursed and cried out in pain. They collected their sample and I felt better shortly after, I was more anxious/nervous than anything. About 4 business days later I got the results, baby has no chromosomal defects and is otherwise healthy and it’s a boy!
I would HIGHLY recommend getting testing done. Being prepared is the best thing you can do for baby whether he/she has any defects or not. I’ll be 32 weeks tomorrow and my greatest concern is preterm labor and I cannot begin to explain how thankful I am to have gotten the testing done so soon. I hope your baby is healthy and you have a fantastic pregnancy!
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Because you’re “older” it might be a good idea to prepare for the IF.
I got genetic testing with all four of my children. I was 20 when I had my 1st, 22 with my second, 23 with my 3rd, and 26 with my 4th. I always felt it would be easier to know if there’s something wrong ahead of time so I could prepare for all outcomes, even if I wouldn’t terminate the pregnancy.
Depends. Would knowing the results of a genetic test change the outcome of your choices made during the pregnancy? For me it would, so I opted to have one.
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No it’s not a big deal … my mom had her last child when she was 40
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I did it at 37 and it was no biggie. Bonus: you get to find out the gender sooner 
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Personally I would want to know if there were any issues so I could prepare and/or research the issue.
They genetic test everyone js
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Yes I did at 10 weeks and I am 36 years old this is my 3rd pregnancy. After age of 35 we are considerably of high risk just precaution to keep us eye closer for the babies.
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Everyone has the genetic testing done- the fact that your over 35 makes you more high risk yes. Personally I had it done with both my children no questions asked but it’s your decision.
I was 40 with my last child My Dr recommended this as well I declined I would love my child either way
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I did because I was over 40. Had 2 one at 41 one at 43.
They are ok and you will know the sex of your baby. I struggled with this at first too.
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My ob asked if I would terminate due to the genetic test results, I answered no, he said why have it done then.
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I did and glad that I did early. My baby had choroid plexus cysts on his brain and the genetic tests ruled out genetic issues. CPCs are a soft marker for Edward’s Syndrome which is typically fatal.
I had my youngest son at 38… I was considered high risk due to “advanced maternal age”. They talked me into getting an amniocentesis, which turned out fine. I denied further testing, and my son is perfectly healthy:smiling_face_with_three_hearts:
.I think they suggest it as a just in case measure… Good luck!
Yes!! I did it at both pregnancies at 35 and 36 and they will tell you the gender of the baby earlier from this test!!!
You can have it done for the doctors, but request that they not give you the results. So they can be prepared and you not worry. But I would go with your doctors recommendations always
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I have had genetic testingwith all my pregnancies. Not because of age but because my sister passed away from cystic fibrosis and we were both carriers. I had the option aswel to say no but I personally could not put a child through what my sister went through, nor could I put other potential siblings through what my brother and I went through watching my sister and family through that sort of heartache. Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have loved that child any less either way than if it were healthy. I terminated my second pregnancy due to a positive cystic fibrosis test, and yes it an was extremely hard choice to make, but I have never regretted it. I now have two healthy children that get to live healthy full lives and not witness the same pain and suffering I witnessed growing up. There was always the worry of added risk of miscarriage with the test which is a huge worry but to me personally the risk was worth it. I always just thought if it happened there was a reason why. Whatever you choose to do is your choice and you will make the right choice for you. Good luck and congratulations 
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That’s your choice, I was offered one because of advanced age and my baby was showing genetic markers for down syndrome but decided not to get any unnecessary testing and little dude is fine
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That’s how I found out the genders. It was just a simple blood test. I’d go for it if I were you
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Do it. You’ll find out the gender and you’ll be at ease knowing everything is fine.
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We never had it done because I didn’t want to spend my pregnancy worried…and the results wouldn’t have changed anything so we chose not to
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Go and don’t worry its standard for your age and your age don’t mean there will be anything wrong
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I’m 36 and did. Plus I did the DNA gender testing. All tests came back normal and found out we’re having another boy!
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I would want to know if anything was wrong so I could prepare for it.
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follow your doctor or get a new one that tells you what you want to hear
I did it, found out the gender when the results came back at 11 weeks. Insurance pays for it, why not? Also I would like to know if there was going to be any issues with the baby, I feel better when there are no surprises
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I was 39 not ask to do this at all…my rainbow is now 7 and was healthy and still healthy…but I’m like you I dont think I’d want to know…
No, you don’t need one if you want your baby no matter the outcome.
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I had genetic testing done because of being 30 or older, and having a sister with down’s syndrome. It was a simple blood draw. Not harmful at all. They even predicted the baby’s gender by blood way early! I was amazed.
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I had the harmony test done. I was 46 when I had my last. Simple blood draw at the doctor’s office (your reg on should be able to do it unless they did and sending you to a specialist?). Rules out downs and a bunch of other genetic abnormalities. And they can tell you the sex of the baby by like 8 weeks.
You don’t HAVE to but they recommend it over 35 years old just in case. 
not a bad thing to do
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I was 40 with my last ine and the test is an amniocentesis. My baby was fine but I would not have aborted him no matter what the tests showed.Its God’s decision
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if something wasnt totally right, like a health issue, would you rather be totally surprised with cystic fibrosis or down’s syndrome? or would you rather know ahead of time to prepare yourself and give your child the start that they deserve?
and if it comes back that everything is ok, then all you gave up was a blood test and maybe 30 minutes of your time.
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my 15 yr old has severe non verbal autism, and I would have loved it if there was a blood test that could tell me so that I could have prepared “his world” for him.
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My mother in law had her kids at 38 and 39! Both healthy pregnancies! I had genetic testing done with my pregnancy, but only to be prepared for anything!
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