[tri-med] Re: Prenatal Diagnosis

My first thought--and I'll stick with it--is that folks should have  
the opportunity to be educated. Particularly in understanding why  
different tests are done.  I know I always thought of the ultrasound  
simply as a "Let's see the baby and maybe find out if it's a boy or a  
girl."

My cynical side that has become more prominent recently says this:  
"Even if we provide the opportunity for education will people even  
read it?"  I know I with both pregnancies and post-pregnancy I've  
read all sorts of stuff to figure things out and make decisions.  But  
when I hear some people talk I wonder if they've ever bothered to  
read what's out there!  My sister recently visited her OB and had a  
conversation with a nurse who commented that they so often have to  
hold women's hands throughout pregnancies now-a-days.  "They call  
about EVERYTHING!" she said. "If they have one contraction--at five  
months--they think they're going into labor; if they spot a little  
they think they're having a miscarriage.  Don't they read any of the  
material we give them?"  Thought it was interesting!

All that said, I do stick with my first thought and that is that  
having something available is certainly worthwhile for those who DO  
read!

Loren (wife to Kraig, mom to Keren Elyse, T18, 3 years old!  
(9/27/02), and Clarissa Joanne (7/17/05) )
Southeast Michigan
http://webpages.eng.wayne.edu/~ad6075

On Mar 29, 2006, at 2:27 PM, Karen wrote:

> I was talking to a doctor here in Australia yesterday. This  
> particular doctor specialises in prenatal diagnosis and is very  
> concerned that there isn't enough information "out there" regarding  
> prenatal testing for parents or that when prenatal testing is done  
> and reveals possible issues parents are not aware of what it means  
> and so are overwhelmed at a time when "hormones" are not exactly  
> stable (his words, but I do agree).
> He has already rocked the boat here in Australia by authoring and  
> publishing a book that promotes the fact that all these choices are  
> the parents and that their feelings should be considered first. For  
> example in his book he has a piece from an Australian family who  
> opted to continue their pregnancy after the prenatal diagnosis of  
> T-18. I loved his book because it was simple but very honest and  
> factual. The medical profession here did not like it.......
>
> We were discussing ways to educate parents and get the information  
> "out there" - preferably before pregnancy. He gets the feeling that  
> most parents just dont want to know unless a problem occurs. For  
> example they go to the ultrasound wanting pictures and to check  
> that everything is alright, rather than checking for something  
> being wrong.
>
> I was wondering what everyone here thought. I know I was totally  
> ignorant about prenatal testing when I was pregnant and that with  
> my first two pregnancies I never even considered that anything  
> might be wrong. How do you think we could educate folk? Do they  
> need education?
>
> Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you  
> hold well.
>                                             -- Josh Billings
>
> Keep Looking For Rainbows!!
>    _--_|\
>  /Karen \
>  \ _.--._ /
>           v Karen, Mum to Alex (11 years, T-18 Mosaic)
> http://members.optushome.com.au/karens

                  Building ___ooOOoo__ Rainbows
                       www.trisomyonline.org
                  Families Helping Families On-line

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