I’m working on an article for SpecialNeeds.com. They’ve asked me to approach the subject of prenatal diagnosis and abortion. Fun, huh? In the article, I want to show that the message from doctors when a prenatal diagnosis is given is not correct. Having a child with Down syndrome is not as terrible as they think it is. Brian Skotko has done a lot of wonderful work in this area. Using his studies as well as the poll to your right, I want to show that choosing to keep a baby with Down syndrome is the right choice. That many of us with Down syndrome would choose to do it again if we could.
Please be honest, even if you would not do it again. I get that there are many of you who would not want to go through everything you have again. That does not mean you don’t treasure your children. I just wanted to add this to the argument if the numbers are what I think they might be…
Thanks in advance,
Lexi
PS- The poll is anonymous. Please only vote once!
Lexi Mag 
We were lucky and had a very positive experience with our prenatal diagnosis! No doom and gloom, no bad info, nothing. The MFM team I saw was truly fantastic and the genetic counselor did a lot to shape our minds and attitudes in the right direction. I know our experience isn't typical. And my birth experience was absolutely fantastic!I would definitely adopt or choose to have a baby with Down syndrome again, if money were no issue! If at all possible I would choose a heart healthy baby (I realize this is not something we can control) simply because I worry if I would have the strength to go through open heart surgery and a lengthy hospitalization again.
I have friends who have adopted children with DS without having first had a birth child with the same diagnosis. I would if I were still in adoption mode. (When I adopted, I felt that my children were from China and there were no DS babies available.) Anyhow, you might want to add a poll for adoptive parents and see what kind of numbers you get there… maybe at a different time and for a different article, but it would be an interesting concept to investigate.
Darn, I wish I could help. xxoo
I don't have any children yet, but I do plan to adopt someday, and I would gladly adopt a child with autism. I work with children with special needs, and i know from talking with parents that, depending on the particular child, it can be difficult. But I also know that kids with Down syndrome are just as loveable as children without, and I have never met a parent of a child with Down syndrome who had any regrets about having the child.
My little fella doesn't have Downs, he has autism so I can't help. That said, I wouldn't have aborted even if I knew in advance XXX
What a heavy topic! As a mom of two kids with autism, I can say that I would also have chosen to keep my girls, even with a prenatal diagnosis. I do have to admit that it would have scared the living crap out of me at the time, though, before I knew much about autism.On a much lighter note– you've been tagged for the Fabulous Blog Ribbon on my latest post on the Crazy Train! I hope that you will join in on the fun. 🙂