Thread: Opting out of testing?

Hey girls, I'm going to post about this is November as well, but I wanted to get as much feedback as possible. I'm considering opting out of any additional bloodwork testing for the remainder of my pregnancy. I think all that's left is the alpha/feta test (where they test for downs and spina bifida) and then the blood glucose test for gestational diabetes. I would have opted out of the first test also, where they test for HIV and all of that, if I would have thought about it... but I'm just now starting to do more research on it and I'm finding that more and more women are opting out of these tests that are optional anyway, but docs make them out to be like they're mandatory. My issues are, with the 1st test... I'm married and I'm 100% sure that DH and I are completely faithful, not to mention I've had that test with DD and everything was fine (like I knew it would be)... with the alpha one, there's no way that I would terminate this pregnancy (or any other) under any circumstances, so it wouldn't matter what the results might say, so what's the point. Plus, a lot of times they come back with a false positive (which it did with my DD!), and baby ends up being just fine! Same thing with the GD one... I've had three healthy babies and pregnancies, and don't have a history of diabetes anywhere in my family. When I took the test with DD the first one came back positive, so I had to go for the four hour one, which was not only inconvenient but very painful, as they draw blood from both arms twice! And as I figured, everything came back just fine! I just think it's a lot of hoop jumping for nothing, and even though I love my OB and their office, it's just a way to get more money out of you. I'm all for it if you have a history of one of these problems, or if I were a high risk pregnancy... but I just don't see the point. I'm not wanting this to be a debate, I just wanted to say that I'm thinking about it, and wanted to see if there were any other ladies on here that are planning on doing the same thing or have opted out in the past?[/

Yeah, I'm kind of in the same line of thinking as you. I opted out of the HIV test for the same reasons as you. I don't know anything about the alpha-feto protein whatever it is, but we did choose not to do the nuchal fold scan or the quad screen or anything like that. I just personally see no reason to do those tests.

I am debating the GD screen. I myself have never had GD but there is a family history of diabetes and GD. But I have heard that the screen & testing is not always very accurate. Honestly I don't remember much about them, will have to read up on that stuff soon.

Other things.... I will choose to do the GBS test, but I also do a GBS prevention protocol starting around 32 weeks, so the likelihood of me being positive is small.

We don't do prophylactic eye ointment, no reason to. Still debating the Vitamin K shot, although I did it with my 2 previous kids. We'll see how the birth goes, that will likely help me make my decision.

And then there's the usual birth interventions that happen in hospital births that we choose not to do - continuous fetal monitoring, IV, pitocin upon delivery of the baby.

We prefer a pretty hands-off approach to prenatal care. If there's a reason for testing or whatever, that's fine, but some things have become routine when they don't really need to be, IMO.

Nicole, I was thinking the same thing about the delivery. I really don't want an IV, but I know that I'll want an epi, and I keep reading that you have to have at least one liter of fluid in you via IV before they'll allow you to get the epi. I'm going to talk to my OB about that, but I really don't want an IV at all. I don't mind the fetal monitoring, but I've never heard about pitocin after delivery? Is that to get the placenta to come out faster?

Originally Posted by Panonim

We don't do prophylactic eye ointment, no reason to. Still debating the Vitamin K shot, although I did it with my 2 previous kids. We'll see how the birth goes, that will likely help me make my decision.

Can you explain these to me? I remember DS getting them but didn't know why. When DH asked about it I just said "I don't know, guess they need it for something"

On the OB testing...last time I opted out of the NT scan but this time I was eager to have an u/s to see the baby. My OB doesn't push any testing and I had to ask for the NT Scan myself. As far as the GD test, I definitely want that. I didn't have it last time but diabetes is prevalent in my family so I just want to be sure.

I've seen the eye ointment on babies on TV before, but I don't think any of my babies ever had it. As far as the vitamin K shot, I'm assuming that's something they give to baby in the hospital?

I had GD with my daughter so the diabetes testing was a must for me. As for the blood tests with down syndrome and spina bifida I could understand opting out of that. For me it doesn't matter one way or the other. This baby is coming. And given the fact that 90 some percent of the "positives" on the AFP are false positives I really don't want to sit and worry about something that given the odds really isn't going to happen.

As for the delivery I don't mind the fetal monitoring because I enjoy hearing the baby's heartbeat and such. It gives me peace of mind knowing baby is safe in there and tolerating the labor. I've never really given a second thought to the eye ointment and Vitamin K shot. To me it's just something they did. But kinda scary that as as parent I didn't even think to question "why are you doing this to my child?"

Newborn infants routinely receive a vitamin K shot after birth in order to prevent (or slow) a rare problem of bleeding into the brain weeks after birth. Vitamin K promotes blood clotting. The fetus has low levels of vitamin K as well as other factors needed in clotting.

Found that info about the Vitamin K shot.

Originally Posted by Starryblue702

Nicole, I was thinking the same thing about the delivery. I really don't want an IV, but I know that I'll want an epi, and I keep reading that you have to have at least one liter of fluid in you via IV before they'll allow you to get the epi. I'm going to talk to my OB about that, but I really don't want an IV at all. I don't mind the fetal monitoring, but I've never heard about pitocin after delivery? Is that to get the placenta to come out faster?

Yep, that's right. I *think* it's routine in hospital vaginal births, but maybe not everywhere. They stick a shot of pitocin into your IV (so you might not even know it's happening) as soon as the baby comes out, to speed up the delivery of the placenta. (My DD was born in a hospital, and the nurse was kind enough to tell me that she would be putting the pitocin into my IV as soon as the baby's shoulders were born - otherwise I never would have known about it) Again, it's one of those things that's not really needed in most cases. Most women will have no problem delivering their placenta naturally, but hospitals tend to like to speed the process up.

Originally Posted by Jenn0113

Can you explain these to me? I remember DS getting them but didn't know why. When DH asked about it I just said "I don't know, guess they need it for something"

On the OB testing...last time I opted out of the NT scan but this time I was eager to have an u/s to see the baby. My OB doesn't push any testing and I had to ask for the NT Scan myself. As far as the GD test, I definitely want that. I didn't have it last time but diabetes is prevalent in my family so I just want to be sure.

The prophylactic eye ointment is routine for newborns to prevent blindness in case the mom has an STD infection. I *think* it's gonorrhea, but maybe it's syphilis also? They administer it routinely because they don't know who has an STD and who doesn't. But I know that I don't have any STDs, nor am I at risk for any, so it's unnecessary, IMO. You definitely have the right to refuse, but you might have to sign a waiver.

The Vitamin K - as you can see from the previous info, it's a clotting factor given routinely to newborns. Babies are born with low levels of Vitamin K, and I believe they naturally increase after the first week of life. I have heard, not sure how accurate this is, that this is why Jewish circumcisions are performed at 8 days old - because those babies will bleed and they need their clotting factors! If I had a baby who had some trauma or bruising from birth, or who was going to be circed, I would definitely do the Vit K shot. (Both my babies were bruised at birth, that's why we did it). If not, I might skip it. The problem is that there is a possibility of a link between the Vit K shot and childhood leukemia. I don't think it's been confirmed, but it was a possible link.

I did the HIV testing because of my job.

I don't do any baby screening tests or bloodwork. I am keeping the baby no matter what. A test won't change that.

I will do the GD test. Depending on the population, 3-10% of mothers develop it. As many as half of women have no risk factors for it. I think its a good idea for all women. It's completely harmless. Untreated GD can be dangerous.

I also don't want pitocin. I do all my care with midwifes so the topic has never even come up.

Luke got the eye ointment. i wiped it off though after an hour. Again, its harmless, but a safe protocol. If it saves some babies from blindness and has no side effects I don't have a problem with it. I KNOW my child is not at risk, but a midwife/OB does not know that and they have the highest malpractice rate of any other area of medicine. I would want to be very careful too. You can sue your OB/midwife until your child reaches the age of 18. crazy!

Luke was circ'ed on day 2, he got the vitamin K shot.