Understanding My Amniocentesis Results

Pregnancy is a joyous adventure. For most women such as myself fear the worst for their unborn child. Medical conditions may arise and we become panic with fear. As mother's we wish nothing but the best for our children and families. All parents wish for a "Gerber" baby." That isn't always the case. As a mother the medical field tore my life upside down. I was giving birth to a son who has hydrocephalus. This condition produces too much excess fluid on the brain, or known as "water on brain."

As a result of my son's hydrocephalus, I was scheduled for a c-section. Before the surgery to take place, an amniocentesis procedure was in order. Why? In my son's particular case, doctors wanted to know if his lungs were mature. Amniocentesis isn't just for hydrocephalus pregnancies.

Is amniocentesis the right procedure for you and your unborn child? The context of this composition is to give pregnant women the understanding of the procedure before giving consent. Women need to know all there is to know before taking the plunge. Amniocentesis is a medical procedure to with draw amino fluid to test for certain medical conditions. Lung maturity, fetal infections, and genetic disorders are a few conditions doctors look for during pregnancy.

This risky procedure is often performed with a local medication to help ease the pain. How is this procedure performed? A large needle is inserted into the pregnant belly. Women often fear of the inserting of a needle. Doctors use an ultrasound to determine the location of the unborn child is before the needle is inserted. I too feared my son would be harmed during the method. I chose not to have the pain medication. The results of my amniocentesis gave me the comfort of knowing my son's lungs were fully developed. It was a sigh of relieve. The risks for this procedure are among the following before you proceed.

Risks-

In the risk department of this procedure are preterm labors, miscarriages, infections, and trauma. These risks are small and only occur in a small percentage of women. Always be aware of them, even if the risks are a small chance of occurring. The amniocentesis procedure is usually conducted in the second trimester. The risks become smaller when performed in the last trimester. Who and why should consider this medical procedure?

High risk pregnancies and women over thirty five are main candidates. I was only twenty three and was considered to be high risk. It was a scary thought, but I was ready to take on it all full force. No matter what it took to raise a happy and healthy son? My amniocentesis results were easy to understand. My son's lungs were mature and fully developed. Not all amniocentesis results are easy to understand as mine were. These medical methods are performed every day. You should always be concerned for the unknown.

Before jumping into an amniocentesis procedure speak to your doctor about the concerns for what is to take place. Don't be afraid to ask them questions about your pregnancy, or the procedure. They are to help you and guide you in the right direction of giving birth to healthy baby. If you feel strongly about not going through with the amniocentesis, than do not it.

Yes it may be in your best interest to go through the procedure. The doctors will not force you to do anything you do not want to do. The best advice for any woman who may be faced with this type of decision is to follow your heart and think about your unborn child first. In my case, I had to have the procedure done or I could not deliver on my scheduled day. I would have to wait another week or so, to determine if his lungs were fully developed or not. Do your homework before proceeding with this risky procedure.

Resources:

http://www.drspock.com/article/0,1510,4465+cbx_families,00.html

http://parenting.ivillage.com/pregnancy/pthirdtri/0,,midwife_3pb3,00.html