Hi i was just wondering wether you had an amniosentesis to find out 100% that the baby has downs syndrome?? I was told with my ninth child that i was a one in fifteen chance of having a baby with downs syndrome i had an amnio and it came back that he did not have downs. much to my relief a bit anyway. Wether he had downs or not would not have changed my mind i woul dhave had him anyway as he was already a part of me. I know that ulcerative colitis is not a nice thing to have and the affect it has on your day to day living and the things you can and cannot do or eat. My ex had this and had surgery to get rid of it his whole large bowel was removed not nice at all. But i would say ask your dr as many questions as you can no matter how small you may think it is. Check out websites and even find a support group as others have said so that you can ask questions and hear from people who have or have a child with downs. Ther is alot to take in and you may think it is all too much but alot is never enough. I myslef am against abportions but if your health is going to suffer or there is a chance that your child may not survive then i agree with it. A friend of mine just had a abortion 2months ago as she has kidney problems and the drs told her that either she or her baby or both would more than likely die. She found out it was a little girl and all she wanted was a daughter she has two sons. She has only just now realised and it is hitting her pretty hard at the moment as no one understands what she is going through. So i guess hwat i am trying to say is you and your partner are really the only ones whom can make the right choice. Downs syndrome children are affectionate,loving and can as said earlier live a full and normal life like any other person does. So whatever you decide to do will be the right one for you and your family. My son has aspergers and i thought it would be hard but some days are good and some are bad but he can be the most affectionate child a mother could ever ask for so i know desicions are hard but out weight he good with the bad and read up as much as you can.

Good luck with it all and remember never let anyone tell you that you have made the wrong desicions in your life!

I'm not sure if this helps but I know someone who's daughter has Down syndromes. The Dr's said she would have all these problems and she would rely on them for the rest of her life........

The DR's were very wrong..........She is now in her 20's, is living a healthy independent life. She works, pays her bills and everything. She has ppl who help but mostly she is completely independent, so much so her parents moved to Uganda to set up school for orphans and now a medical centre. When she visits with them, she teaches at the school. The tests are very inaccurate and doesn't take in to account the childs tenacity and willingness to fight. Hannah is a fighter and never takes NO for answer.

The desicion is yours but it sounds like you've come really far. I have a group (which I've kind of neglected lately) called cherubs for ppl who have had miscarriages but also for those who have been forced to give up their children (abortion)  which happens.  I know someone who did have one and regrets to this day. It's ruined her life. I also knew someone who used it like birth control (which has nothing to with this anyway)

The best advice anyone can give is to consider all options and gather all facts. I'm sure their are some Mintiers who would happily share their stories (either way) to help you make an informed desicion.

I myself am against it unless the risk to the mother is life threatening. But is a moral and conscience choice and one I refuse to judge on. (In these situations I like to make it aware where I stand on the issue)

I hope this has helped.

Raven

I don't know what ulcerative colitis is, so I had to read up on it a little bit and from what I read it is pretty challenging. You must have it tough.   I also read that it can cause spontaneous abortion, so just based on the fact that you've carried your baby this far (far enough to do the downs testing), I think it's safe to say you've beaten some odds there.

You've gotten a great answer from everyone - educate yourself. Read up on this, and ask your doctors questions about anything you're not sure about, anything you don't understand, etc. Ask one doctor, ask 2, ask whoever will listen.

As far as the down syndrome, the blood tests and ultrasound done tells pregnant women the likelihood/chance that the baby will have abnormalities. It doesn't say whether the baby has it. The only way you can really know if the baby has downs is by doing amniocentesis or such other tests. 

Good luck to you and your baby.

Just as a side note about the Dows Syndrome. I know a little girl and her parents were told she would have this and she came out perfect normal. No issues at all.

So, the tests *can* be wrong.

Making that call is hard, just double check everything and think about what you know is the right answer for you. I can only wish you the best of luck.

That is a tough decision to have to make.  The only one who can make it is you, but you need to do some research about down syndrome and ulcutive colitis to see exactly what they are.

Many people with Down Syndrome live fairly normal lives, it all depends on the severity of it.  Get in touch with some support groups and find out how other people have coped.

If you choose to terminate your baby, then make sure it is done on a fully informed decision, not just on what your doctors are telling you.  If you don't think you can cope with a down syndrome child or you think that the world is too cruel (and let's face it,if you are a little different to the normal, then it is), then a termination is the humane thing to do. 

No matter what you choose to do, it will be the right decision, and you will have support around you.

I am so sorry to hear, that is a very hard decision and I would hate to have to do that. When deciding, dont worry about the anti abortion oppions. Find out how hard it is going to be for you and the baby. What quality of life is the baby going to have.