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

Baby's condition detected after birth

Interview AN03

Interview AN03

Age at Interview: 32
Background: Children: three children, aged 8, 5 and 3 at time of interview, Occupation: Mother - housewife, Father (age 38 at interview) - bus driver, Marital status: Separated.

Brief outline:Daughter born November 2000 with congenital heart problems not detected by antenatal screening, diagnosed when the baby was 10 weeks old. Corrective surgery at 11 months and 2 years.

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

They were telephoned about their daughter's heart operation when they were going out for the evening. Parents need time to relax and enjoy themselves.
Print Mother: Yeah, this is it. Because I found out - I'll be honest, I hadn't gone out at all. The last time I went out was November, December 2000, dancing. I hadn't been out. And the only night I thought, “No, I'm going out” - I'm only going to bingo - I decide to go out, my mum's agreed to babysit - because my mum, you know, went through her own worries, was worried in case anything happened. She agreed to babysit, we were going to bingo - five o'clock that night I got the phone call: “She's going in 17th October.” Father: Yeah. Mother: I'm like, “Of all the nights to pick to phone me.” But then again, I wanted to know as soon as possible, so I could plan with my other two girls. Father: Did we go? Mother: Yeah, we went. Father: We did, didn't we? Mother: Yeah. It's a good, good thing, bingo. Father: Anything - yeah, anyone's having a baby or you've got worries, go to bingo. Mother: Because all you concentrate on... Father: Is the numbers. Mother: Is that number. Father: All your worries just go out of your head, everything just goes. I mean, bingo - I mean, I would never have gone to bingo. Mother: Yeah. Father: But if you go, it's just all you hear... Mother: That's it - you're sitting there. Father: Is the man calling the numbers out. Mother: Calling the numbers. Father: Everything in your brain just switches off. Mother: Switches off. Father: The whole lot. You just switch off. Mother: Number 22 - “come on, 22”. Father: And you hear your numbers. Mother: And that is, I know there's... Father: And it's such a great release. Mother: Yeah, it is. It's good to forget. Father: Hark at me - a geezer, talking about going to bingo. Mother: Yeah, but it is... Father: It is... Mother: I still think you need to get out, and relax and,just for that couple of hours. Father: Yeah, you've still got to take care of yourself. You've still got to take care of yourself, otherwise you'll just collapse. Mother: Yeah. Father: You've got to take care of yourself. You can't forget that you are still, at the end of the day, you're a parent, a human being. Mother: A parent. A person. Father: You're a person, yeah. You've actually got needs. So you can't forget yourself, because otherwise it just - you can't throw it all onto your child, even though you want to. You've still got to give time for yourself. Mother: And the other children. Father: And the other kids yeah.

Mail to a friend