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Hi Don't be scared as far as DS goes studies show more women under 35 have babies w/DS...and just to give you some hope I was 35yrs old when i had my last son and he is 7 months old and perfect in every way. But you should be prepared to go thru all the testing and get used to hearing you are at a higher risk cause of "advanced maternal age" ha ha lol that is what I heard til I wanted to scream!! Just avoid the afp test gives to many false positives and that is scary...I would recommend that you start taking prenatal vits now before you get preggers that helps prevent things like spinal bifida and it also helps get your body ready that is what I did and everything went smoothly good luck!!

Breathe - talk to your doctor. I am 36 and 5wks from due date...my hubby is 40...we have had multiple doctors tell us we are NOT OLD!!!

Ditto what rl said - we skipped the afp testing due to high positives...also take your prenatal vitamins, folic acid especially important. Prenatal vitamins have more folic acid than "regular" vitamins.

I am only telling you this because I want you to know how it can turn out if you do have a child with Down syndrome. I was 35 when I got pregnant with my 3rd child. At 20 weeks we found out that she DID have Down syndrome. The doctors gave us the option to terminate the pregnancy (even after I felt her kick) but we said no. We were sad and had to mourne the child we thought we were having. Now 18 months later I am pregnant again with my 4th and will be 38 when it is born. My daughter is a wonderful child who enriches our lives more than we could ever have imagioned. She is funny, smart, beautiful and everything you would think your own child is. She is a little bit behind other children her age but WILL do everything that they can do just a little bit slower. She has been a huge blessing in our lives and that of our family. I understand the fear of the unknown and not wanting a child with "special needs" but you should decide what you would do with the infomation the test would give you. If you would not terminate why do it? I have decided with this current pregnancy I will do the basic blood test and Ultrasound to prepare if need be but nothing more because I will love what ever child I am given. Good luck to you and I hope you make the choice that is best for you

Cindy, genetic abnormalities can occur at any age. Yes, the statistics are worse for those of us over 35 but there's never any guarantee at any age that you won't have a child with DS or a baby with other special needs. My 20 year old cousin had a baby with palsy so, know that age is not the only factor. There are lots of women in their 40's having perfectly healthy babies too. Try not to let your age (or other people's comments about your age) upset you too much. Getting educated about how to screen for genetic abnormalities, getting genetic counseling and reading about what is involved in taking care of a child with DS (just in case) would probably help you out a great deal. BTW, I'm 37 going on 38 and 31 weeks pregnant--I had the same fears as you early on in my pregnancy, got genetic screening, read a lot of stories about wonderful children with DS in order to get rid of my fears, but I am confident that everything will work out one way or another. My point is that if you learn more about screening, the stats at your age and more about DS children you may not be so afraid.