tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825243.post112110208951644380..comments2024-01-06T07:53:11.832-08:00Comments on disabled Christianity: More on down syndromeJeff McNairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10029386598033932429noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825243.post-1134593916048459562005-12-14T12:58:00.000-08:002005-12-14T12:58:00.000-08:00Christina PhamExceptional ChildChristina Pham<BR/>Exceptional ChildAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6825243.post-1134593873247113472005-12-14T12:57:00.000-08:002005-12-14T12:57:00.000-08:00As a new mother, and therefore someone who was rec...As a new mother, and therefore someone who was recently pregnant, I have thought a lot about this and would like to share my perspective.<BR/><BR/>I agonized over whether or not to perform the AFP test. I knew that the test has many false positives and can cause more worry than anything. I am not in any sort of "high risk" group for the conditions that the AFP screens for. Abortion is also not an option for me and my husband and I would consider any child we had a blessing from God, disabled or not.<BR/><BR/> I was leaning against taking the test. Though I was never comfortable with my descision, I still ultimately decided to take the test and here is why: I decided that I would rather know. I know that you may not agree with this stand point, but my husband and I felt that if there was a problem, we would be better off knowing before hand and being able to prepare mentally for what was ahead of us. Giving birth and having a newborn is challenging and emotional even with a "normal" baby. I could not imagine being a 26 year old brand new mom expecting a "normal" baby and having to deal with the emotions of the unexpected along with all the emotions that are naturally present. I am aware that having a healthy child is never a given, so many things can go wrong at any stage of pregnancy and delivery. It is something that expecting parents constantly consider. Baby making is a tricky business. <BR/>Even so, if one of the things that the AFP test screens for is the problem (I belive that it also screens for spina bifida and hydrosephyllis)we will not be surprised at the birth.<BR/><BR/>Even with the speech I just made, there are other problems that I have with this test that still plauge me. So my AFP test came out in the normal range and I never gave it another thought. But what if it hadn't? Would I have been willing to have an amnio to be sure something was/wasn't wrong and potentially harm my healthy baby? Or would I spend the remainder of my pregnancy agonizing over the possibilities? I was lucky to not have to consider these options. So the question is, will I have the AFP test the next time around? I'm not sure but probably not.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com