The big question, it seems, in the maternal world.
The screening test that's offered somewhere around 14-17 weeks to pregnant mothers screens unborn babies for downs syndrome, spina bifida, and other assorted neural tube defects that could be life altering or crippling for a child.
There's a big debate out there as to whether or not to get the screening, as the main reason it is offered is to give mothers a chance to terminate an "unwanted" pregnancy.
Matthew and I have discussed this at length, and decided that whatever the results of such a test would be, it wouldn't make any difference as to whether or not we'd "keep" our baby. No matter what, we are prepared to love and nurture whoever comes into this world.
However, we are still opting for the screening test.
There is definitely something to be said about being prepared. Should we find out that our child does have a serious physical handicap, such as downs syndrome, it would be extremely helpful to have so much time to find a support group full of parents who deal with the same difficulties. It would be great to have all this time to mentally and emotionally prepare for the challenges to come. To reach out and find people who experience the same things, and ask them what life is like, and get ready to jump in with both feet.
There are also a number of defects that can actually be helped if discovered early enough. Surgery and procedures can actually be performed on the fetus itself while in the womb to try and reverse some of these effects. Now that's something definitely worth it!
So next Monday, after our doctors appointment, we're stopping in at the lab and getting the blood work done. I mean, if there's anything you've learned from my blog, it's that I'm a girl who likes to be prepared. For anything.
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