Interview Section : Healthtalkonline

Full list of topics

Making decisions about screening :
Thinking about screening and what it is for
Special reasons for wanting screening
Reasons for not having some or all screening
Discussing screening choices with your partner
Attitudes to disability and termination
Information for making decisions

Experiences of screening :
Nuchal translucency scan (low risk results)
Nuchal scan (being told something may be wrong)
Early dating scans
Blood test screening
18-20 week scan (low risk results)
18-20 week scan (being told something may be wrong)
Understanding screening test results

Having further tests and getting results :
Deciding whether to have further diagnostic tests
Having further tests and waiting for results
Getting diagnostic test results
Thoughts, discussions and info after diagnosis

Deciding to continue with the pregnancy :
Making the decision to continue with the pregnancy
What the rest of pregnancy and birth was like
Feelings about screening looking back

Deciding to end the pregnancy :
Making the decision to end the pregnancy
The experience of ending a pregnancy
Feelings and reflections afterwards
Views on screening & feelings in later pregnancies

When screening does not detect a condition :
Learning after birth that the baby has a condition
How it has affected parents' views about screening

Living with disabilities or a chronic condition :
Living with a child with a long term condition

Search the whole site
Search in this condition

Antenatal Screening

People's stories

Normal results or declining screening

Interview AN11

Interview AN11

Age at Interview: 39
Background: Children: One (age 14 months), Occupation: Psychotherapist, Marital status: Single.

Brief outline:Normal first pregnancy; screening carried out in US, before return to UK when 6 months pregnant. Declined amniocentesis (offered as standard). Compares US and UK.

To watch or read an interview clip, click on the heading that interests you. Either a video,audio recording or text will open, depending on the clip

To close transcript boxes, click here
To print the interview’s text, click here

Her doctor in America recommended amniocentesis as a routine investigation, but she did not agree.
Print It had to have been the first or second appointment that I had, and I had already done enough reading to decide that I didn't want to have amniocentesis, you know. Although I was over thirty-five and I knew that there was, there's a much higher risk of birth defects, I was concerned about the risk of miscarriage with amniocentesis. So I had clearly made up my mind that I didn't want to go that route, and I did tell him this and he was quite dismissive, almost condescending in saying to me, “Well, I really think that you're responding out of emotionality. And I want you to take this brochure and go home and read it and come back, and then tell me what your decision is”. Which I thought was a bit patronising, because I'd already done my research and I'd already made my decision, and I knew that there were other alternatives. And I just got the feeling that “In this office, what we do with that is amnio with our over thirty-five patients. And you know, you're kind of bending the system slightly.” So I didn't have a good feeling about this.

Mail to a friend