Today I wanted to touch on a quite sensitive and rather
controversial subject of anatomic and genetic ultrasounds. I am going to cover
them both for the sake of saving your time, because, honestly, they are
essentially the same thing to me.
In the nutshell, genetic ultrasound is done to find out if a
baby is at an increased risk for Down syndrome and other chromosomal
abnormalities and anatomic ultrasound is meant to determine fetal abnormalities
and size as well as see if everything is developing at a proper rate. Some
people claim that it’s dangerous for the baby because the procedure lasts for
way longer than a normal ultrasound and is meant to help your doctor see
everything in great detail, therefore it is a bit stronger.
Before I jump into discussing pros and cons of this topic, I
wanted to give a few warnings: I am not a doctor, so definitely don’t take my
word for it and do your research. This is based on purely my opinion and is
meant to help and guide someone who is not sure about it, not to force my point of view on anyone by any means.
Having said that, let’s talk little about pros and cons of
doing genetic (or anatomic) ultrasound:
+ Knowing in advance
that something is wrong. I feel like this is a huge advantage not only
because a lot of things can still be fixed with proper diet, exercise and
supplements (if some of the baby’s organs are underdeveloped etc.), but also
because some of these abnormalities that a normal ultrasound might miss, could
be of great importance to preparation for your little one’s birthday. Let’s
just say that if a child will be needing extra care after the delivery it is
always better to see it coming.
Also, if we are talking about Down syndrome… I am not clear
on whether you can terminate the pregnancy at this point or not, but I imagine
some people would like the opportunity if they know they can’t handle raising a
child with a disorder.
Let me just say
straight away that I am not against abortions, but I am definitely not
promoting them either. I believe that it is everyone’s personal choice and I
will not judge anyone for making it. Let’s all keep an open mind.
+ Reassurance is
always a big plus. Pregnancy is an emotional roller coaster. Some women might
feel calm and happy, while others might be freaking out about everything and be
under a great amount of stress. Stress and anxiety are not very healthy
feelings on their own, but when you have a little human connected to your
system it becomes a much bigger deal. Sometimes knowing that the baby is
perfectly normal and is developing right might help someone sleep better at
night. And that’s not nothing.
-It is quite expensive. It might be a
weird way to look at it, but if you and your baby are healthy, then this
genetic ultrasound is a waste of your time and money. At least it was for me.
My doctor recommended doing them both, which we did, even though I didn’t meet
any requirements for them to be necessary.
-It might be
stressful. I don’t know about you, but I don’t really like doctors. I get
very anxious in hospitals, so the whole experience of drawing my blood (for the
genetic ultrasound), going with a new doctor and laying there for an hour as
she silently looked at my baby’s organs was not a pleasant experience. And in
the end all that was left in me is this feeling of stepping out of my comfort
zone and putting myself through a non-pleasant experience to hear something
that I already knew.
-It made me paranoid
and totally screwed up my mood. At the beginning of my pregnancy I was one
of those people who never got nervous or worried. I was 100% sure that my baby
is healthy and ok. I was feeling safe, calm and happy and was truly enjoying my
pregnancy. But waiting for the results of those ultrasounds naturally made me
wonder “What if…?” And suddenly I found myself being worried and unsure for no
reason at all. Needless to say, that as an anxious and sensitive person, I
really didn’t need any more reasons to fell unwell.
-And last but not least it
might be dangerous. Not is
dangerous, but rather might be,
because, honestly, we still don’t know. I don’t want to start a panic, but it
is better to be open to the possibility. If it is still possible, then we must
not dismiss it (even though deep inside I am convinces that there is absolutely
nothing to worry about).
Look, in the end of the day, it is your personal opinion.
This choice shouldn’t be made by your doctor, your culture or your family, just
you and your partner. So the best advice that I can offer is: do your research, trust your gut and do what
makes you feel better. Remember, life should be about enjoying, not regretting.
No comments:
Post a Comment