Unexpected anxiety

@powerlovesoundmind I was 39 when we conceived and just turned 40 and am now 13 weeks.

I was worried about this too, I think it's a good idea to get it done.

When I was young, I had unprotected sex and was convinced I contracted HIV. I was too terrified to get tested, for years!!! Finally, I got tested and was surprised and relieved to find out it was negative. I wasted all that time worrying...I am not saying that is what you are doing, this is an extreme example and I was pretty lost, literally in a foreign country by myself.

Fast forward, we just got our results, I was worried too. They said "low risk" and if anyone can explain that to me, I am a numbers person, that would be great. And it's crazy to find out at 10 weeks they can find out the gender, whoa... I didn't find out my son's gender until a month before he was born, full term, hahaha, 12 years ago.

Good luck to you, I have a feeling everything will be just fine. whew....
 
@powerlovesoundmind I would do the tests and take the results as a data point. You could always do more testing if anything were to come up. Most likely, it will give you peace of mind which it sounds like would be most beneficial. Maternal stress can negatively impact development, so that’s maybe more important than the small chance of a false positive.
 
@powerlovesoundmind I felt the same way. I almost didn't have the testing done (I'll be 39 at delivery) but it wasn't because I thought I would "mess things up" for my other children. That's ableist thinking. I found the whole idea of NIPT testing to be eugenic-y, it bothered me on a moral level. We already have a special needs child and his existence doesn't mess anything up for anyone. He is also healthy. One does not negate the other. I came around though and had it done bc it's the responsible thing to do and I do not like surprises. Your anxiety is totally understandable, I get it. These tests didn't exist when I had my other kids but like other commenters said, the odds are still very much in your favor. The knowing will give you peace of mind no matter the outcome.
 
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