I'm 34 years old. I recently had my right ovary removed due to a ruptured cyst. I think I'm pregnant but I'm worried. I read somewhere that conceiving a child and having only one ovary increases your chances of having a baby with down syndrome. I have 3 beautiful girls one of which is Autistic. I love them all so much but wonder if having another special needs child is something I can handle. Please help!!
I don't believe what you read is true. Why don't you get an appointment with a geneticist? These are the people to talk to.
Good luck.
Welcome to mamapedia.
The risk comes when you have a decreased number of eggs.
http://www.obgyn.net/ivf/reduced-ovarian-reserve-and-down...
You really need to talk with your OB/GYN and your endocrinologist about your risks. It's different for each W..
If you don't think you can handle a special needs child? You need to stay on birth control, get the remaining ovary removed or have the Fallopian tube tied.
You "read somewhere"???
Please ask your doctor about this (preferably the one who removed your ovary.)
As far as handling another special needs child, that depends on your resources. If you have plenty of money, a wonderful partner and family and community to support you then go for it.
A Downs child will grow into an adult you will continue to support for the rest of your life so make sure you have that financial plan in place before you conceive (my niece has Downs and is now 26 so I'm well aware of the reality, they are a life time commitment, not just cute babies to feel sorry for.)
As long as you have one working ovary, you can still get pregnant.
I've never heard that only having one increases any chance of downs syndrome.
Talk to your doctor about it so you don't get yourself all worried over any old wives tale.
I would talk with my OB/GYN.
I've had friends who lost one ovary and had successful pregnancies. One was worried about it because her doctor had told her that it was a possibility. She saw and consulted a geneticist. They took blood from both her and her husband to determine what your outlook would be.
You'd really have to speak with a geneticist to find out what YOUR DNA is doing. No one here can tell you.
Down Syndrome is genetic, a chromosomal abnormality. It has nothing to do with your ovary. I don't know what you read, but it wasn't reliable. One ovary will produce an egg each month even if 2 ovaries usually alternate. Your reproductive hormones stimulate the follicle in the ovary to produce an egg. If you are having intercourse, you can get pregnant just as easily with one ovary as with 2. Get an updated version of "Our Bodies, Ourselves" (the classic reference on women's health from the 1970s) and learn the facts - partly because you have 3 daughters who need to grow up learning the facts as well, and we all need a little help with parenting on these issues.
The risk of Down Syndrome generally goes up after 35 and again after 40, but that's not a hard and fast rule. It can happen to anyone at any age. I had a perfectly fine baby well past 35. And then are zillions of women who have had genetically normal children well past 40 and even 45. You can have amniocentesis if you want to find out about Down Syndrome, when you still have time to make a decision. If that's not something you want to do, then once you find out if you are pregnant or not now, talk to your doctor about a much better form of contraception than you have been using. If you were using something and it failed, use 2 methods (1 for you, condoms for your partner), or talk to the gynecologist/urologist about one of you having a permanent surgical sterilization procedure (but only if you are absolutely all done with kids).
No risks that I know of. I had 4 great pregnancies. If you are concerned talk to your doctor. We only give info from our personal experience.
My friend had an ovary removed due to a cyst. She was told that the other ovary would take over all of the ovulation duties (producing an egg each month).
She was told she may (possibility) experience menopause earlier - I think this has something to do with hormones, but not sure.
I think it was the possibility of hitting menopause earlier that she wanted to try for a baby a little sooner. She was older than you.
I have no idea what the risks are, the possibilities, etc. This is just what she was told. She had no children at the time so I believed she asked all these questions. She is very thorough.
I was having a higher risk pregnancy with my age - and was given the opportunity to ask all this stuff, and provided with material to read, and then again, could follow up with questions if I had concerns.
Down Syndrome is a genetic/chromosome thing. Not related to how many ovaries you have. For correct information you should ask your doc.
Why didn't you ask this question when your ovary was removed? I mean, I would ask about the consequences of the removal, its effects on my current and future health, and risk of pregnancy at the time of the procedure, and I guess I assumed most people would too. Anyway, from what I heard on TV, as long as there is a fallopian tube present, then even with one ovary, you should be able to conceive and it may be as easy to become pregnant as it was prior to your procedure. Again, the best person to confirm this and discuss this with would be your ob/gyn.
As part of your consultation, you should request testing to find out whether or not you're pregnant. If you're not, great, protect yourself so you don't end up pregnant if you fear having a child with Down Syndrome. You can also at this time meet with a geneticist to find out the odds of having a baby born with DS if you do become pregnant in the future, as this is not something an ob/gyn would be able to answer -- not their specialty. Then, you can decide if protection and prevention are the best courses of action in the future.
If you are indeed pregnant, then the next step is performing further testing and seeing if this could be a Down Syndrome baby. If so, then you need to think of what you'll do next. Will you put the baby up for adoption, or just have the baby and give it the best life you possibly can? Considering you already have a special needs child, I assume you know how to raise a child with lots of patience. At the same time, there is only one of you, and as mamazita mentioned below, it can get very expensive to budget for two children with special needs, so you definitely need to think this through and do what is best.
There are tests they can run to check for genetic disorders, ask your doctor about them and how soon they can be done so you have plenty of time to make the choice that is right for you and your family.
Blessed Be.
You need to do a serious risk assessment.
You are 34, and already have 3 kids, one with special needs. Are you willing to invest the time and energy in another child? A child who could have special needs as well? Think about what's best for the children you already have.
