"Healthy" is open to speculation. What is "healthy"? What life is "healthy" enough to be deemed worthy of living? Not a decision I am comfortable nor qualified to make. If I knew my son wouldn't have CF when he was in utero, but somehow knew he would die from leukemia at "some point" - is his life not worthy of living?? Certainly not. My daughter, as "unhealthy" as she is may influence many people in her life for GOOD because CF has made her who she is or will become. I don't believe in selecting people. I don't think that's my decision to make. Is there some mysterious yet definitive answer between "healthy" and "not healthy" enough to be born??
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Considering a second child...What did you do?
- Thread starter humphrey711
- Start date
<p>"Healthy" is open to speculation. What is "healthy"? What life is "healthy" enough to be deemed worthy of living? Not a decision I am comfortable nor qualified to make. If I knew my son wouldn't have CF when he was in utero, but somehow knew he would die from leukemia at "some point" - is his life not worthy of living?? Certainly not. My daughter, as "unhealthy" as she is may influence many people in her life for GOOD because CF has made her who she is or will become. I don't believe in selecting people. I don't think that's my decision to make. Is there some mysterious yet definitive answer between "healthy" and "not healthy" enough to be born??
Here are some questions I would ask myself.
1. How would I feel if my first child got much sicker because I had another child and cross contamination occurred?
2. How will I feel when my child is sick and in pain? Will I feel guilty because I could have prevented it?
Your first child will get sicker. It is just a matter of when, not if. We strive for a cure yet continue to have children with CF when it is not necessary. You have to think about what is best for the child. Of course you will love them but is that worth giving them a terminal illness? Would you consider adopting a child who is already born and needs to be loved?
My brother just had a child. Him and his wife got tested and if they would have tried to have a child naturally knowing they were carriers I would have been very upset. No child should have to be born with this disease, considering there are already kids without homes wanting to be adopted. In the end it is your decision but please make it about the child and not about what you and your husband want.
As you can tell this is a heated discussion. You will get a ton of opinions depending on religion, people who have CF, and people who are parents of cfers. I do agree that in the end it is your decision and I have no doubt that the child will be loved and taken care of
1. How would I feel if my first child got much sicker because I had another child and cross contamination occurred?
2. How will I feel when my child is sick and in pain? Will I feel guilty because I could have prevented it?
Your first child will get sicker. It is just a matter of when, not if. We strive for a cure yet continue to have children with CF when it is not necessary. You have to think about what is best for the child. Of course you will love them but is that worth giving them a terminal illness? Would you consider adopting a child who is already born and needs to be loved?
My brother just had a child. Him and his wife got tested and if they would have tried to have a child naturally knowing they were carriers I would have been very upset. No child should have to be born with this disease, considering there are already kids without homes wanting to be adopted. In the end it is your decision but please make it about the child and not about what you and your husband want.
As you can tell this is a heated discussion. You will get a ton of opinions depending on religion, people who have CF, and people who are parents of cfers. I do agree that in the end it is your decision and I have no doubt that the child will be loved and taken care of
Here are some questions I would ask myself.
1. How would I feel if my first child got much sicker because I had another child and cross contamination occurred?
2. How will I feel when my child is sick and in pain? Will I feel guilty because I could have prevented it?
Your first child will get sicker. It is just a matter of when, not if. We strive for a cure yet continue to have children with CF when it is not necessary. You have to think about what is best for the child. Of course you will love them but is that worth giving them a terminal illness? Would you consider adopting a child who is already born and needs to be loved?
My brother just had a child. Him and his wife got tested and if they would have tried to have a child naturally knowing they were carriers I would have been very upset. No child should have to be born with this disease, considering there are already kids without homes wanting to be adopted. In the end it is your decision but please make it about the child and not about what you and your husband want.
As you can tell this is a heated discussion. You will get a ton of opinions depending on religion, people who have CF, and people who are parents of cfers. I do agree that in the end it is your decision and I have no doubt that the child will be loved and taken care of
1. How would I feel if my first child got much sicker because I had another child and cross contamination occurred?
2. How will I feel when my child is sick and in pain? Will I feel guilty because I could have prevented it?
Your first child will get sicker. It is just a matter of when, not if. We strive for a cure yet continue to have children with CF when it is not necessary. You have to think about what is best for the child. Of course you will love them but is that worth giving them a terminal illness? Would you consider adopting a child who is already born and needs to be loved?
My brother just had a child. Him and his wife got tested and if they would have tried to have a child naturally knowing they were carriers I would have been very upset. No child should have to be born with this disease, considering there are already kids without homes wanting to be adopted. In the end it is your decision but please make it about the child and not about what you and your husband want.
As you can tell this is a heated discussion. You will get a ton of opinions depending on religion, people who have CF, and people who are parents of cfers. I do agree that in the end it is your decision and I have no doubt that the child will be loved and taken care of
Here are some questions I would ask myself.
<br />
<br />1. How would I feel if my first child got much sicker because I had another child and cross contamination occurred?
<br />
<br />2. How will I feel when my child is sick and in pain? Will I feel guilty because I could have prevented it?
<br />
<br />Your first child will get sicker. It is just a matter of when, not if. We strive for a cure yet continue to have children with CF when it is not necessary. You have to think about what is best for the child. Of course you will love them but is that worth giving them a terminal illness? Would you consider adopting a child who is already born and needs to be loved?
<br />
<br />My brother just had a child. Him and his wife got tested and if they would have tried to have a child naturally knowing they were carriers I would have been very upset. No child should have to be born with this disease, considering there are already kids without homes wanting to be adopted. In the end it is your decision but please make it about the child and not about what you and your husband want.
<br />
<br />As you can tell this is a heated discussion. You will get a ton of opinions depending on religion, people who have CF, and people who are parents of cfers. I do agree that in the end it is your decision and I have no doubt that the child will be loved and taken care of
<br />
<br />1. How would I feel if my first child got much sicker because I had another child and cross contamination occurred?
<br />
<br />2. How will I feel when my child is sick and in pain? Will I feel guilty because I could have prevented it?
<br />
<br />Your first child will get sicker. It is just a matter of when, not if. We strive for a cure yet continue to have children with CF when it is not necessary. You have to think about what is best for the child. Of course you will love them but is that worth giving them a terminal illness? Would you consider adopting a child who is already born and needs to be loved?
<br />
<br />My brother just had a child. Him and his wife got tested and if they would have tried to have a child naturally knowing they were carriers I would have been very upset. No child should have to be born with this disease, considering there are already kids without homes wanting to be adopted. In the end it is your decision but please make it about the child and not about what you and your husband want.
<br />
<br />As you can tell this is a heated discussion. You will get a ton of opinions depending on religion, people who have CF, and people who are parents of cfers. I do agree that in the end it is your decision and I have no doubt that the child will be loved and taken care of
threebabies
Member
Yes this is controversial topic. Here is my story. My daughter was diagnosed when she was 8weeks old. We were shocked. My husbands mutation is rare. The first year of her life was uneventful. Except for giving her enzymes with meals. I got pregnant again when she turned a year. Then i found out I was having twins. My pregnancy went well and my daughter remained pretty much healthy. The poop really hit the fan after the boys were born. Keep in mind we did not officially know they had cf. When the boys turned 2 months old really all hell broke lose. Gavin woke up one morning with one side of his face paralyzed. We brought him to the hospital they had no clue what was wrong. The next day the other side of face became paralyzed. The doctors still had no clue. But it was confirmed at that point he had cf. On day seven of being in the hospital I got a call that Gavin's twin brother woke up with one side of face paralyzed. Peter was taken to Columbia Presbyterian. Gavin was transferred that day. The paralysis occurred because they were not absorbing vitamin A. They also had a puedo tumor because they weren't absorbing their spinal fluid. Gavin tumor went down with the help of medication. Peter however required about 5 spinal taps along with months of medications. At this this time my once healthy daughter became sick with pneumonia she was hospitalized as well. Since
then her health has never been the same. She has been hospitalized three times since then. She now requires an intense regime of care. The boys have improved but still have some residual from the paralysis. They too are gradually increasing with there therapies.
That being said, I love my babies. I do not regret anything. I will do whatever it takes to maintain there care. However, I would not intentionally bring another child into this world with cf. At the time I got pregnant the second time I was really naive about the disease. The doctors told us not to read anything on the Internet, so I didn't. All I was giving was the cff video. It didn't explain about all the doom and gloom of the disease. Also, I did not have this web site at the time.
This is a personal decision. It is a gamble even when the odds seem good. We took that chance. Look what happened to us.
Gina
Mom to Sophia 3 w/cf, Peter and Gavin 22 months w/cf df508 & py849x
then her health has never been the same. She has been hospitalized three times since then. She now requires an intense regime of care. The boys have improved but still have some residual from the paralysis. They too are gradually increasing with there therapies.
That being said, I love my babies. I do not regret anything. I will do whatever it takes to maintain there care. However, I would not intentionally bring another child into this world with cf. At the time I got pregnant the second time I was really naive about the disease. The doctors told us not to read anything on the Internet, so I didn't. All I was giving was the cff video. It didn't explain about all the doom and gloom of the disease. Also, I did not have this web site at the time.
This is a personal decision. It is a gamble even when the odds seem good. We took that chance. Look what happened to us.
Gina
Mom to Sophia 3 w/cf, Peter and Gavin 22 months w/cf df508 & py849x
threebabies
Member
Yes this is controversial topic. Here is my story. My daughter was diagnosed when she was 8weeks old. We were shocked. My husbands mutation is rare. The first year of her life was uneventful. Except for giving her enzymes with meals. I got pregnant again when she turned a year. Then i found out I was having twins. My pregnancy went well and my daughter remained pretty much healthy. The poop really hit the fan after the boys were born. Keep in mind we did not officially know they had cf. When the boys turned 2 months old really all hell broke lose. Gavin woke up one morning with one side of his face paralyzed. We brought him to the hospital they had no clue what was wrong. The next day the other side of face became paralyzed. The doctors still had no clue. But it was confirmed at that point he had cf. On day seven of being in the hospital I got a call that Gavin's twin brother woke up with one side of face paralyzed. Peter was taken to Columbia Presbyterian. Gavin was transferred that day. The paralysis occurred because they were not absorbing vitamin A. They also had a puedo tumor because they weren't absorbing their spinal fluid. Gavin tumor went down with the help of medication. Peter however required about 5 spinal taps along with months of medications. At this this time my once healthy daughter became sick with pneumonia she was hospitalized as well. Since
then her health has never been the same. She has been hospitalized three times since then. She now requires an intense regime of care. The boys have improved but still have some residual from the paralysis. They too are gradually increasing with there therapies.
That being said, I love my babies. I do not regret anything. I will do whatever it takes to maintain there care. However, I would not intentionally bring another child into this world with cf. At the time I got pregnant the second time I was really naive about the disease. The doctors told us not to read anything on the Internet, so I didn't. All I was giving was the cff video. It didn't explain about all the doom and gloom of the disease. Also, I did not have this web site at the time.
This is a personal decision. It is a gamble even when the odds seem good. We took that chance. Look what happened to us.
Gina
Mom to Sophia 3 w/cf, Peter and Gavin 22 months w/cf df508 & py849x
then her health has never been the same. She has been hospitalized three times since then. She now requires an intense regime of care. The boys have improved but still have some residual from the paralysis. They too are gradually increasing with there therapies.
That being said, I love my babies. I do not regret anything. I will do whatever it takes to maintain there care. However, I would not intentionally bring another child into this world with cf. At the time I got pregnant the second time I was really naive about the disease. The doctors told us not to read anything on the Internet, so I didn't. All I was giving was the cff video. It didn't explain about all the doom and gloom of the disease. Also, I did not have this web site at the time.
This is a personal decision. It is a gamble even when the odds seem good. We took that chance. Look what happened to us.
Gina
Mom to Sophia 3 w/cf, Peter and Gavin 22 months w/cf df508 & py849x
threebabies
Member
Yes this is controversial topic. Here is my story. My daughter was diagnosed when she was 8weeks old. We were shocked. My husbands mutation is rare. The first year of her life was uneventful. Except for giving her enzymes with meals. I got pregnant again when she turned a year. Then i found out I was having twins. My pregnancy went well and my daughter remained pretty much healthy. The poop really hit the fan after the boys were born. Keep in mind we did not officially know they had cf. When the boys turned 2 months old really all hell broke lose. Gavin woke up one morning with one side of his face paralyzed. We brought him to the hospital they had no clue what was wrong. The next day the other side of face became paralyzed. The doctors still had no clue. But it was confirmed at that point he had cf. On day seven of being in the hospital I got a call that Gavin's twin brother woke up with one side of face paralyzed. Peter was taken to Columbia Presbyterian. Gavin was transferred that day. The paralysis occurred because they were not absorbing vitamin A. They also had a puedo tumor because they weren't absorbing their spinal fluid. Gavin tumor went down with the help of medication. Peter however required about 5 spinal taps along with months of medications. At this this time my once healthy daughter became sick with pneumonia she was hospitalized as well. Since
<br />then her health has never been the same. She has been hospitalized three times since then. She now requires an intense regime of care. The boys have improved but still have some residual from the paralysis. They too are gradually increasing with there therapies.
<br />That being said, I love my babies. I do not regret anything. I will do whatever it takes to maintain there care. However, I would not intentionally bring another child into this world with cf. At the time I got pregnant the second time I was really naive about the disease. The doctors told us not to read anything on the Internet, so I didn't. All I was giving was the cff video. It didn't explain about all the doom and gloom of the disease. Also, I did not have this web site at the time.
<br />This is a personal decision. It is a gamble even when the odds seem good. We took that chance. Look what happened to us.
<br />
<br />Gina
<br />Mom to Sophia 3 w/cf, Peter and Gavin 22 months w/cf df508 & py849x
<br />then her health has never been the same. She has been hospitalized three times since then. She now requires an intense regime of care. The boys have improved but still have some residual from the paralysis. They too are gradually increasing with there therapies.
<br />That being said, I love my babies. I do not regret anything. I will do whatever it takes to maintain there care. However, I would not intentionally bring another child into this world with cf. At the time I got pregnant the second time I was really naive about the disease. The doctors told us not to read anything on the Internet, so I didn't. All I was giving was the cff video. It didn't explain about all the doom and gloom of the disease. Also, I did not have this web site at the time.
<br />This is a personal decision. It is a gamble even when the odds seem good. We took that chance. Look what happened to us.
<br />
<br />Gina
<br />Mom to Sophia 3 w/cf, Peter and Gavin 22 months w/cf df508 & py849x
I have to say I agree with Katie here. I think that the decision of selecting embryos is not ours to make. I just always had this feeling (personally) that you don't mess with God's plan. I always felt like selecting a child was asking for something terrible to happen to that child in the future. We actually were trying to have another baby and it did not happen. Things in my life changed and even though I struggle with it, I know now is not the time to have another baby and I do worry a great deal about not only how sick another may be, but how sick they might make Philip, who is not a sick child. It is such a hard decision to make, and my heart goes out to you!
I have to say I agree with Katie here. I think that the decision of selecting embryos is not ours to make. I just always had this feeling (personally) that you don't mess with God's plan. I always felt like selecting a child was asking for something terrible to happen to that child in the future. We actually were trying to have another baby and it did not happen. Things in my life changed and even though I struggle with it, I know now is not the time to have another baby and I do worry a great deal about not only how sick another may be, but how sick they might make Philip, who is not a sick child. It is such a hard decision to make, and my heart goes out to you!
<p>I have to say I agree with Katie here. I think that the decision of selecting embryos is not ours to make. I just always had this feeling (personally) that you don't mess with God's plan. I always felt like selecting a child was asking for something terrible to happen to that child in the future. We actually were trying to have another baby and it did not happen. Things in my life changed and even though I struggle with it, I know now is not the time to have another baby and I do worry a great deal about not only how sick another may be, but how sick they might make Philip, who is not a sick child. It is such a hard decision to make, and my heart goes out to you!
M
mneville
Guest
Sue..I totally agree. I just don't get the theory how we soooo badly want a cure but will still risk giving it to more children when we don't have to??? I just don't get it. We did look into adoption but could not afford it. IVF was covered by insurance for us so that was more feasible for us.
As far as IVF/PGD, women all over are doing it regardless of CF or not. They use this procedure all the time to pick the best embryos without even looking for specific diseases. It's just part of IVF for many. It is not 'selecting' a child, it is picking the best looking embryo with the best chance of survival. I do not feel that Gavin is destined for terrible things because he was the 'healthiest looking embryo'-that makes no sense to me. In fact, I gave him the best chance at survival that I could. It sure beats taking the 25% chance of giving him a disease where he'd be lucky to reach age 30. A hot topic and I know there are so many opinions but I get offended when people say I was playing God. We play God every day just to keep our CF babies alive another day. I love both my boys and would not trade them for the world!!!
As far as IVF/PGD, women all over are doing it regardless of CF or not. They use this procedure all the time to pick the best embryos without even looking for specific diseases. It's just part of IVF for many. It is not 'selecting' a child, it is picking the best looking embryo with the best chance of survival. I do not feel that Gavin is destined for terrible things because he was the 'healthiest looking embryo'-that makes no sense to me. In fact, I gave him the best chance at survival that I could. It sure beats taking the 25% chance of giving him a disease where he'd be lucky to reach age 30. A hot topic and I know there are so many opinions but I get offended when people say I was playing God. We play God every day just to keep our CF babies alive another day. I love both my boys and would not trade them for the world!!!
M
mneville
Guest
Sue..I totally agree. I just don't get the theory how we soooo badly want a cure but will still risk giving it to more children when we don't have to??? I just don't get it. We did look into adoption but could not afford it. IVF was covered by insurance for us so that was more feasible for us.
As far as IVF/PGD, women all over are doing it regardless of CF or not. They use this procedure all the time to pick the best embryos without even looking for specific diseases. It's just part of IVF for many. It is not 'selecting' a child, it is picking the best looking embryo with the best chance of survival. I do not feel that Gavin is destined for terrible things because he was the 'healthiest looking embryo'-that makes no sense to me. In fact, I gave him the best chance at survival that I could. It sure beats taking the 25% chance of giving him a disease where he'd be lucky to reach age 30. A hot topic and I know there are so many opinions but I get offended when people say I was playing God. We play God every day just to keep our CF babies alive another day. I love both my boys and would not trade them for the world!!!
As far as IVF/PGD, women all over are doing it regardless of CF or not. They use this procedure all the time to pick the best embryos without even looking for specific diseases. It's just part of IVF for many. It is not 'selecting' a child, it is picking the best looking embryo with the best chance of survival. I do not feel that Gavin is destined for terrible things because he was the 'healthiest looking embryo'-that makes no sense to me. In fact, I gave him the best chance at survival that I could. It sure beats taking the 25% chance of giving him a disease where he'd be lucky to reach age 30. A hot topic and I know there are so many opinions but I get offended when people say I was playing God. We play God every day just to keep our CF babies alive another day. I love both my boys and would not trade them for the world!!!
M
mneville
Guest
Sue..I totally agree. I just don't get the theory how we soooo badly want a cure but will still risk giving it to more children when we don't have to??? I just don't get it. We did look into adoption but could not afford it. IVF was covered by insurance for us so that was more feasible for us.
<br />
<br />As far as IVF/PGD, women all over are doing it regardless of CF or not. They use this procedure all the time to pick the best embryos without even looking for specific diseases. It's just part of IVF for many. It is not 'selecting' a child, it is picking the best looking embryo with the best chance of survival. I do not feel that Gavin is destined for terrible things because he was the 'healthiest looking embryo'-that makes no sense to me. In fact, I gave him the best chance at survival that I could. It sure beats taking the 25% chance of giving him a disease where he'd be lucky to reach age 30. A hot topic and I know there are so many opinions but I get offended when people say I was playing God. We play God every day just to keep our CF babies alive another day. I love both my boys and would not trade them for the world!!!
<br />
<br />As far as IVF/PGD, women all over are doing it regardless of CF or not. They use this procedure all the time to pick the best embryos without even looking for specific diseases. It's just part of IVF for many. It is not 'selecting' a child, it is picking the best looking embryo with the best chance of survival. I do not feel that Gavin is destined for terrible things because he was the 'healthiest looking embryo'-that makes no sense to me. In fact, I gave him the best chance at survival that I could. It sure beats taking the 25% chance of giving him a disease where he'd be lucky to reach age 30. A hot topic and I know there are so many opinions but I get offended when people say I was playing God. We play God every day just to keep our CF babies alive another day. I love both my boys and would not trade them for the world!!!
Hi! I had the same dilema. I ended up finding out I was pregnant when my daughter with CF was just over age 1. I was actually really grateful that my husband and I hadn't sat down to discuss our options yet. I figured, if my second child had CF at least they would have each other to understand. If my second did have CF, I feared I would be full of guilt, but after a lot of contemplation and prayer, I realized that I wasn't the one deciding whether or not my child had CF. Maggie (my 1st) wouldn't be the amazing, sweet, smart, funny kid that she is if she didn't have the exact genes that she has. And I spoke with adults with CF who have siblings with CF and they all said they were so happy to have grown up with someone who understood what they were going through. Their sibling was a gift to them.
I didn't get any testing during the pregnancy because of the risk of miscarriage. And it was difficult to wonder, but at the same time I was pretty calm. Luckily, my second doesn't have CF. I'm a big believer in the "everything happens for a reason" philosophy. There are so many things that can go wrong with any pregnancy. I recently had three friends who were/are pregnant - one is still pregnant and due any second, one lost her baby at 18 weeks, and one received a terrible diagnosis and the doctors don't think the baby will survive long after birth if he even survives the pregnancy. My friend and her husband have put it in God's hands and will love their baby for as long as they have him. Maybe you're not religious, but don't let fear take control. Do what your gut and your heart tell you, and do it with confidence and faith.
I didn't get any testing during the pregnancy because of the risk of miscarriage. And it was difficult to wonder, but at the same time I was pretty calm. Luckily, my second doesn't have CF. I'm a big believer in the "everything happens for a reason" philosophy. There are so many things that can go wrong with any pregnancy. I recently had three friends who were/are pregnant - one is still pregnant and due any second, one lost her baby at 18 weeks, and one received a terrible diagnosis and the doctors don't think the baby will survive long after birth if he even survives the pregnancy. My friend and her husband have put it in God's hands and will love their baby for as long as they have him. Maybe you're not religious, but don't let fear take control. Do what your gut and your heart tell you, and do it with confidence and faith.
Hi! I had the same dilema. I ended up finding out I was pregnant when my daughter with CF was just over age 1. I was actually really grateful that my husband and I hadn't sat down to discuss our options yet. I figured, if my second child had CF at least they would have each other to understand. If my second did have CF, I feared I would be full of guilt, but after a lot of contemplation and prayer, I realized that I wasn't the one deciding whether or not my child had CF. Maggie (my 1st) wouldn't be the amazing, sweet, smart, funny kid that she is if she didn't have the exact genes that she has. And I spoke with adults with CF who have siblings with CF and they all said they were so happy to have grown up with someone who understood what they were going through. Their sibling was a gift to them.
I didn't get any testing during the pregnancy because of the risk of miscarriage. And it was difficult to wonder, but at the same time I was pretty calm. Luckily, my second doesn't have CF. I'm a big believer in the "everything happens for a reason" philosophy. There are so many things that can go wrong with any pregnancy. I recently had three friends who were/are pregnant - one is still pregnant and due any second, one lost her baby at 18 weeks, and one received a terrible diagnosis and the doctors don't think the baby will survive long after birth if he even survives the pregnancy. My friend and her husband have put it in God's hands and will love their baby for as long as they have him. Maybe you're not religious, but don't let fear take control. Do what your gut and your heart tell you, and do it with confidence and faith.
I didn't get any testing during the pregnancy because of the risk of miscarriage. And it was difficult to wonder, but at the same time I was pretty calm. Luckily, my second doesn't have CF. I'm a big believer in the "everything happens for a reason" philosophy. There are so many things that can go wrong with any pregnancy. I recently had three friends who were/are pregnant - one is still pregnant and due any second, one lost her baby at 18 weeks, and one received a terrible diagnosis and the doctors don't think the baby will survive long after birth if he even survives the pregnancy. My friend and her husband have put it in God's hands and will love their baby for as long as they have him. Maybe you're not religious, but don't let fear take control. Do what your gut and your heart tell you, and do it with confidence and faith.
<p>Hi! I had the same dilema. I ended up finding out I was pregnant when my daughter with CF was just over age 1. I was actually really grateful that my husband and I hadn't sat down to discuss our options yet. I figured, if my second child had CF at least they would have each other to understand. If my second did have CF, I feared I would be full of guilt, but after a lot of contemplation and prayer, I realized that I wasn't the one deciding whether or not my child had CF. Maggie (my 1st) wouldn't be the amazing, sweet, smart, funny kid that she is if she didn't have the exact genes that she has. And I spoke with adults with CF who have siblings with CF and they all said they were so happy to have grown up with someone who understood what they were going through. Their sibling was a gift to them.
<p>I didn't get any testing during the pregnancy because of the risk of miscarriage. And it was difficult to wonder, but at the same time I was pretty calm. Luckily, my second doesn't have CF. I'm a big believer in the "everything happens for a reason" philosophy. There are so many things that can go wrong with any pregnancy. I recently had three friends who were/are pregnant - one is still pregnant and due any second, one lost her baby at 18 weeks, and one received a terrible diagnosis and the doctors don't think the baby will survive long after birth if he even survives the pregnancy. My friend and her husband have put it in God's hands and will love their baby for as long as they have him. Maybe you're not religious, but don't let fear take control. Do what your gut and your heart tell you, and do it with confidence and faith.
<p>
<p>I didn't get any testing during the pregnancy because of the risk of miscarriage. And it was difficult to wonder, but at the same time I was pretty calm. Luckily, my second doesn't have CF. I'm a big believer in the "everything happens for a reason" philosophy. There are so many things that can go wrong with any pregnancy. I recently had three friends who were/are pregnant - one is still pregnant and due any second, one lost her baby at 18 weeks, and one received a terrible diagnosis and the doctors don't think the baby will survive long after birth if he even survives the pregnancy. My friend and her husband have put it in God's hands and will love their baby for as long as they have him. Maybe you're not religious, but don't let fear take control. Do what your gut and your heart tell you, and do it with confidence and faith.
<p>
meteoras69
New member
My husband and I had no idea we were carriers and were shocked when our son, our only child was diagnosed with CF at three weeks of age. He will be turning two in a few days and is in really good health now. We decided soon after his birth that we would not plan on having any more children. If I accidentally became pregnant, I would not have prenatal testing or an abortion, but I do not think it is responsible to choose to have additional children knowing that there is a 1 in 4 chance the child might have CF. There is no way to know what my son's health will be like even one year from now, and there is no way to predict the health of any potential future children. There are definitely risks from cross contamination if you have two or more children with CF in the same household. I love my son more than I can describe, and am so glad he is in our lives, and I believe he's a very happy little boy, but I don't think I could feel like a responsible parent if I made the choice to attempt to have more children knowing that I could be doing something that could damage his health or contribute to another child's suffering. I know families with young children with CF who were healthy for a few years and then became really ill; I've known teenagers on the transplant wait list.......it's a risk I'm not comfortable taking if I don't have to. Of course, this is only my opinion. This is what we decided, and everyone has to make her/his own choices. Best of luck to you and your family.
meteoras69
New member
My husband and I had no idea we were carriers and were shocked when our son, our only child was diagnosed with CF at three weeks of age. He will be turning two in a few days and is in really good health now. We decided soon after his birth that we would not plan on having any more children. If I accidentally became pregnant, I would not have prenatal testing or an abortion, but I do not think it is responsible to choose to have additional children knowing that there is a 1 in 4 chance the child might have CF. There is no way to know what my son's health will be like even one year from now, and there is no way to predict the health of any potential future children. There are definitely risks from cross contamination if you have two or more children with CF in the same household. I love my son more than I can describe, and am so glad he is in our lives, and I believe he's a very happy little boy, but I don't think I could feel like a responsible parent if I made the choice to attempt to have more children knowing that I could be doing something that could damage his health or contribute to another child's suffering. I know families with young children with CF who were healthy for a few years and then became really ill; I've known teenagers on the transplant wait list.......it's a risk I'm not comfortable taking if I don't have to. Of course, this is only my opinion. This is what we decided, and everyone has to make her/his own choices. Best of luck to you and your family.
meteoras69
New member
<p>My husband and I had no idea we were carriers and were shocked when our son, our only child was diagnosed with CF at three weeks of age. He will be turning two in a few days and is in really good health now. We decided soon after his birth that we would not plan on having any more children. If I accidentally became pregnant, I would not have prenatal testing or an abortion, but I do not think it is responsible to choose to have additional children knowing that there is a 1 in 4 chance the child might have CF. There is no way to know what my son's health will be like even one year from now, and there is no way to predict the health of any potential future children. There are definitely risks from cross contamination if you have two or more children with CF in the same household. I love my son more than I can describe, and am so glad he is in our lives, and I believe he's a very happy little boy, but I don't think I could feel like a responsible parent if I made the choice to attempt to have more children knowing that I could be doing something that could damage his health or contribute to another child's suffering. I know families with young children with CF who were healthy for a few years and then became really ill; I've known teenagers on the transplant wait list.......it's a risk I'm not comfortable taking if I don't have to. Of course, this is only my opinion. This is what we decided, and everyone has to make her/his own choices. Best of luck to you and your family.
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