My pregnancy was quite routine. After my first ultrasound, I asked the doctor if he thought I should have any other tests and specifically asked about Down syndrome. He said there were no markers and no reason to suspect anything but a normal, healthy pregnancy.
After my second ultrasound to determine the delivery date, I again asked questions because I was 41 at the time. The doctor told me the utlrasound was completely normal but if I was worried the only way to know for sure was to do an amniocentisis. Since the test presented risks, my husband and I opted to not do the amnio.
Shortly after my son's birth, the same doctor commented that my new baby had a few characteristics of DS and we might want to get him tested. When the test results came back positive, I was in shock. I scoured the internet for information. What I found were pages and pages of possible health problems. I wasn't sure how caring for a child with DS would affect my ability to care for my other children and, frankly, I was scared. I
worried my new son might die or be in the hospital so much I couldn't be a mother to my other kids.
Each time I held him, though, I fell more deeply in love with him. I knew he was meant to be my son.
If only I had known then what I know now.
Fortunately, my son has had no health problems at all. He is growing and developing. I think fear of the unknown was what scared me the most.
