You can’t change the outcome by knowing, however, you can prepare yourself with knowledge if there was something abnormal.
1 Like
Don t worry enjoy your pregnancy and let God take care of the rest. My daughter just had her first and she was 38 years and all went well
I ran into the same issue, and my sons dad and I chose not to. Our son was going to be who he was. If I had to do it over again I might have, only to be prepared if something was wrong. To read up on the issues or not be surprised.
I was 36 and 37 with last two they said same thing ,everything was fine.
I had a version of that done, almost 21 years ago. Scared the crap out of me when they came back & told me that my child had a 33% chance of having down syndrome. But again, this was in 2000. The tests are far better now. I’d much rather know than not know.
I’m 39 did it for peace of mind. Everything was fine. I think just knowing you are older and them mentioning genetic testing it makes you nervous and anxious. Its all a personal decision.
I was told my son was going to be Down Syndrome he is not we would of loved him just the same he has metopic craniosynostosis
These tests can produce false positives as in the case of my granddaughter. Fortunately for all concerned her parents made the decision to accept whatever condition might be. She was perfectly normal in all ways. Please don’t make hasty decisions based on these tests.
I had it done everything turned out fine.
I got it done, mainly because most insurance companies will pay for it if your are over 35. Because the risk is higher. I also got to find out the sex of my baby sooner. I guess I would rather know sooner than later if my child would have a disability, to better prepare. Go with what your heart tells you to do.
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
My mom had me at 37 I believe (not doing the math, sorry) and I turned out just fine!
I was 34 when I had my daughter and we had the testing done bc we were in our mid to late 30’s and didn’t want any surprises.
I would have the test. Knowledge equals power and the earlier you know if there’s issues the more choices you will have available.
I was offered genetic testing for my last two, I decided against it. I figured, regardless of what the test said, nothing would change so why worry
Do what your doctors tell you. 38 is considered as geriatric pregnancy. Many things can go wrong with that.
I’m 27 and had genetic testing. I wanted to know to prepare myself.
You don’t have to undergo any testing, it is your choice. Your physician should have answered any questions you have. If you feel that it may help you somehow, you may want to pursue it. Make sure your insurance will cover it.
1 Like
You’ll want to be prepared if something is wrong.
I would ask yourself these questions:
What would you do with this information? Terminate?
Keep in mind most only give a ratio of possibilities not definitive answers.
I was in your (exact) shoes and decided against it because I wouldn’t terminate under any circumstances. But I’m not you ask lots of questions!
38 is not old. I had my youngest at 38 before testing was available. He was just fine
I was 41 with my first and only child, never had it done, and she’s a beautiful,smart healthy 17 year old now
Yes you want to know because you can get treatment early on for some issues. It will also tell you the sex of your baby
Get tested. If anything comes up the hospital and you can be prepared. Delivery room is not a place to be surprised about anything
I always do it. It gives a you a steady mind seeing results tbh.
I was almost 43 when I had my girl. No problems at all. Don’t let others bring you down.
Are you going to abort if Down syndrome? If not I wouldn’t test
I didn’t. I was 38. Every thing was perfect.
Suppose your baby does have medical issues and you don’t know until they are born? Why would you risk that?
These tests are not always entirely correct.
Better to find out now and make a decision.
Yes. 35 plus is high risk. It’s best to do that for you and your baby.
36 with my first,39 with my second, both home birth, they are fine. Any problems in yours or the father’s families?
Have it done, just in case there’s an issue that needs to be addressed prior to birth
it’s probably just a precaution. to test for specific things that can be passed on from you to the baby.
I would just let nature take its course
Just enjoy being pregnant and enjoy your baby
I went though all this and all was fine xxx best wishes and god bless xx just relax x
I think alot of people do it just to find out gender sooner
Knowledge is power. Don’t be paralyzed by your fears. Get tested. Do what you can to get support from qualified professionals who can help you. Doing nothing and hiding your head is not an effective strategy. Put your faith in doing the best you can with the best help available to you. Take care of yourself and your kiddo.
My mom had me when she was 39 and she was a smoker and luckily nothing happened to me and I was born healthy no complications besides me being breech and they did a c section on her. So if you’re relatively healthy I wouldn’t stress too much mama! Congratulations btw! 
This is 100% up to you. After my first visit with a maternal fetal medical doctor I felt very overwhelmed and that they were forcing me into invasive testing that I wasn’t comfortable with. I ended up not going through with it and chose to do the blood test. If there is no history in your family and nothing would change your mind and make you want to terminate the pregnancy, then there is absolutely no NEED to do it. If you just want to know, them go with the less invasive form of a simple blood test. (Warning: some insurance won’t cover it and it can be around $800)
1 Like
Goes both ways. Thsy may find somwthing ans send for further testing which could either come back normal or could come back abnormal. Whixh then could stress you out for the remainder of the pregnancy. Or you could not do it, and find out once babe is here that somwthing is wrong or not. It all depends on ahat you are goinf to do with that information. I opted out (34yo, 13wks) because to know would stress me out to know end and knowing woukdnt chabge abything for me going forward (ie. Abortion if something did come back positive) ultimately it is your decision, they can suggest to have it done but you dont have to.
Good luck, and i hope either way you decide it puts your mind at ease!
1 Like
You don’t want any surprises for the MD and nurses.
1 Like
Yes you want to know so you can prepare yourself and gather information on it.
Have it done. It will put your mind at ease
I wasnt offered this. I wish I would’ve though. My 5 month old was born with Klippels trenauney syndrome in her leg. It would’ve been good to know before she was born so I could’ve had everything in place for her arrival
A lot of false positives , I had blood drawn and was told my son would most like have Trisomy 18 . They wanted to do an amniocentesis. I declined . I never told anyone , kept it to myself the whole time . I was devastated and relieved to have a normal healthy baby at 42 .
Yes sooner. The better depends on your beliefs
Better to know now than later!
I definitely did it! And they’ll tell you the gender a little early too!
Nope its normal after certain age
I was 40 and l had a perfect 7.13lb baby. Natural birth. It can be scary but l always look on the + not the -
Use your own judgement sweetheart.
Im considered high risk and still opt to not have it as it just shows down syndrome
To me i know id love my baby regardless, i think as mother u will see ur baby as perfect regardless. I got it for this pregnancy cuz i wanted to know the gender, still declined knowing the results for the genetics. Id say if u are concerned, and would possibly terminate pregnancy bc of it and its a blood test go for it
Im sure the baby would suffer more with a mother that doesnt want it then it would without having been born
Weigh both sides of this. I was 38 and did it. But complications can arise from this. Luckily I didn’t have any and the baby was perfect. Still is at 19 yrs old.
I think every pregnant lady gets genetic testing done or told too . I think you should so if god forbid somehting is wrong you can prepare for things !
You should get all the tests for baby’s sake & yours.
I had my son at 31 and had it done because mine was a high risk pregnancy due to the meds I had to take. Nothing was wrong and I was so glad I had it done. It took a lot of the stress away.
I’ve had it done with both my last 2 pregnancy
Listen to your medical professional, and take it one step at a time. It’s better to find out awful news early and terminate then, than to find out after birth and watch them suffer for days until death. Knowledge and compassion.
It isnt mandatory it’s completely up to you if you decide to or not
My mom had my sister when she was 40 . Everything was fine .that was in 1980
I don’t think genetic testing is compulsory where you live, is it? If you don’t want to be tested, you can refuse.
Please know many times there are false positives. I had to have it done also. It helps prepare you if something is wrong. I’m sure nothing is wrong but you should do it. Good luck mama
1 Like
I am not high risk but I got an Iona test done at 34. 38 expecting second got harmony test. To me it is worth the peace of mind despite the costs.
I was high risk due to age with my fourth and I was only 35. It’s not really a huge deal. For me to they sent me to a perinatal office instead of regular OB for all my check ups and ultrasounds. I had an amniocentesis done. It’s really no big deal. They just take extra special attention to ya and baby!
You’re considered to be a geriatric pregnancy and the risk of birth defects goes up the older you get. Yes get it you need to be prepared no matter what
I’m 27 and considered high risk due to age 
I got the test done after seeing something in the ultrasound. Thankfully the test helped ease my mind after a scary ultrasound moment.
Don’t do it it’ll be fine . Toll not want to kill the baby just because of a test anyway.
Extremely important!
No not if you do not want to
I personally would want to get these tests so that I could ease my mind by ruling out potential complications, or if something showed up in these tests my baby could get the required prenatal care/postpartum care if needed. When deciding on whether to get genetic testing, I would evaluate the benefits/risks to you/your baby ; and how it will impact your pregnancy/decisions. Best of luck in your pregnancy.
I was 37, he was 39 when we got genetic testing done. You learn alot. No harm it knowing the facts. If So, make sure your Dr.'s don’t reveal the gender (if you don’t want to know) they ruined it for us!
I was 37, he was 39 when we got genetic testing done. You learn alot. No harm it knowing the facts. If So, make sure your Dr.'s don’t reveal the gender (if you don’t want to know) they ruined it for us!
Well think of it this way do you love that baby unconditionally even if that baby might have a problem with it, or do you want a perfect baby with nothing wrong and healthy. Because if you don’t care what that baby is born like or if it has a problem or not them why get the testing done.
I’m 35 and they suggested I do genetic testing because of my age …they will tell you there is no point in getting it if you are not willing to end a pregnancy because of it …plus they have closeto a 45% error rate
I got tested with all 3 of mine just because 1) was already getting blood drawn 2) all 3 pregnancies I have been high risk ( hyper tension blood pressure and preeclampissa) i was 30 32 and 33 my first 2 boys everything was fine and im now 23weeks with a little girl it came back fine. Nothing would have changed my mind to abort but I would rather know so if I needed more care it could be done and I could be ready worse case for after care for me and little one
I was 33, 38, and 40 when I had my kids. With my first one they didnt ask. On my last 2 since I was considered high risk because of my age they asked if I wanted genetic testing done and I declined both times. I knew no mater what I was keeping my babies!! My oldest is now 11 and then the other 2 are 7 and 4 years old. Nothing wrong with them.
It’s definitely worth taking the test. I’m 30 and I still did it. Plus you get to find out the sex of the baby a lot sooner with NIP.
Yes… it’s routine now.
I’m 36 and got it done. It’s just a blood draw. Everything came back fine with it and I found out the gender.
We did genetic testing at 10 weeks, and I’m thankful for it. Everything was clear, but we would’ve wanted to be prepared had something come back on the test.
The delivery room is not the place to be surprised. Get tested and if needed, you can best be prepared to care for you baby.
46 Likes
I’m not high risk and I got it done. For me if you can, you should. I’d rather know if my child will have a disability so I can better prepare, rather than wait until birth to find out something is wrong. And honestly there’s some horrific diseases out there that I wouldn’t want for my child, so it also gives you time to decide if you want to continue with the pregnancy or not.
78 Likes
I never got them because in my mind, it didn’t matter. If the results weren’t ideal I’d rather have not known my whole pregnancy because in the end I’d still have the baby you know and save myself the stress. However, if I am older for the next one… it may be a good idea just because risks do go up significantly in your mid to later 30s as you age not it would change my mine, but idk. It is really just a personal preference!
17 Likes
Have testing done if you can. I had my kids at 34, 35, and 37. I had testing done with my 2nd and 3rd. I had an ultrasound and blood test combination test at 13 weeks that predicted a problem with my middle son. He was born with a significant heart defect that needed immediate treatment. If we had not known early we would not have had the needed specialists available.
28 Likes
That is a completely personal decision. I am almost 38 and I have a 1 and a half year old baby. I did not get the testing. I find pregnancy to be stress inducing enough as it is, I didn’t need more worry added to it. If they were to figure out the baby was down syndrome, it wasn’t going to change whether or not I was going to have the baby so, my thought process was I didn’t want to know if it wasn’t going to change my decision. It would just make me stress more throughout the pregnancy and that wasn’t going to be good for the baby.
3 Likes
I was 38 when I got pregnant with my last one and had the testing done. Its just a precaution bc of your age due to higher risk for deformities. Everything checked out fine but I think I would rather have time to prepare if there was complications than not knowing. I was also referred out to a perinatal OB just to keep a closer eye on babies health.
3 Likes
I would get it done! My mom found out from it i have turner syndrome. I wouldnt love a kid any less if there were genetic differences and i personally wouldnt terminate, but id want to be able to research how to better care for an infant with those special needs if they were there.
5 Likes
i got amniocentisis done. I am glad I did cause I was 42 when I had my son. I was willing to take the test, because of the risk of spina bifida or down’s syndrome, so I wanted to prepare myself just in case, I got lucky and so relieved that everything was good and I didn’t need to worry anymore. So yes, I am very glad i had it done.
I did just because it was offered to me and I wanted to be able to research and help him as best I could if need be and I’m only 23. So I would do it! Tests were perfectly fine but I figure why not have it checked. Plus the older you get the more at risk the child is for disabilities or deformities
2 Likes
I was told to do that with my son. I was 35. We didn’t do it. Our son was born healthy. He is now a staff Sargeant in the Air Force.
I had genetic testing just from my blood tests and a scan and I’m only 26, I figured if the baby does have Down’s syndrome or anything else I would rather be as prepared as possible for when she’s here. It’s 100% up to you if you want to know or not but for me I would rather be prepared if there was anything to prepare for 
xx
Hi. My last baby was also a “late in life” baby. I had the testing done.
It is a bit uncomfortable (amniocentesis), but its not too bad. It’s interesting too.
Now here’s the thing. In my opinion, YES you DO want to know if anything is “wrong”. Or different. You would benefit greatly from the time to prepare. Any decisions that have to be made won’t seem so overwhelming if you have plenty of time…
I have been present in several deliveries where mom and dad were completely unaware of any difficulties, until they were presented with a baby with life long special needs.
That is NOT to say that the neonatalogist you go to for the testing is going to find anything wrong. The odds are definitely in your favor, and more and more women are having their first babies in their late 30s with no issues. Relax. Get the test done, and then enjoy your pregnancy!
1 Like
I am in my 60’s. I had my last two children at 38 and 40. I did no special testing except the 4 month test on amniotic fluids to test for issues. My children are adults and very healthy.
Do you really want to know. What would you do with that information. But, somethings can be corrected in the womb. But, not sure if that is done with genetic testing.
First figure out your answer to: would you abort a child bc of a genetic challenge?
I had my first 2 at 36 and my third at 40. My answer was no so I didn’t get tested.
If you would not choose to do anything about any abnormal results, then the testing would be a waste of time, money and worry.
I got it without high risk 
up to you really, i personally just wanted to know