Re: INTRO

[Guest guest]

Welcome to the group! My husband and I have 4 children. Amy is 19 and in college, Kelsey will be 17 this month. Davey and Will just turned 7 in Feb. Davey has DS. We are in Reno, NV.

1. What is your name? Rashawn 2. What are the first names of your children and how old are they? I have

three beautiful children, they are B/G/B Triplets; Avery, Trinity & Xavier.They are 15 months old.3. Which child/children has Down syndrome? Avery4. Which state or country do you live in? I live in New Hope, PA

5. Anything else you want to tell us? I am happy to join the group and itwill be nice to converse with families dealing with similar challenges._________________________________________________________________

Don't miss your chance to WIN 10 hours of private jet travel from Microsoft®Office Live http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/mcrssaub0540002499mrt/direct/01/

[Guest guest]

Welcome Rashawn and family!!

We are Irene and , Jake 10, Zachary DS/ADHD,

, & 8, we live in Florida. You have

so much fun ahead of you, one day you will say, " how

did you get to be 8? "

Irene

INTRO

> 1. What is your name? Rashawn

> 2. What are the first names of your children and how old are they? I have

> three beautiful children, they are B/G/B Triplets; Avery, Trinity &

> Xavier.

> They are 15 months old.

> 3. Which child/children has Down syndrome? Avery

> 4. Which state or country do you live in? I live in New Hope, PA

> 5. Anything else you want to tell us? I am happy to join the group and it

> will be nice to converse with families dealing with similar challenges.

>

> _________________________________________________________________

> Don't miss your chance to WIN 10 hours of private jet travel from

> Microsoft®

> Office Live http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/mcrssaub0540002499mrt/direct/01/

>

>

>

>

> More pictures of our kids:

> http://www.pbase.com/urriegrl/multiplesds

>

[Guest guest]

Hi and Terry. Welcome to the group. I have 2 with DS but they're identical twins. Your situations are interesting to me. I'm going to ask my sister who is a microbiologist (and has a colleague that studied DS) about this. In the past, I was told that the propensity to birth another child with DS once you've had a child with DS is significantly increased but is not genetic. That made sense once they said that all of the eggs of an older women have been equally affected by whatever it is that made the chances for having a child with DS later in life go up and are therefore more apt to conceive a child with DS with each subsequent pregnancy. This also goes for younger women who conceive a child with DS. At least that's what I've been told.

xo maggie

Mom to Olivia ('01) and & ('05, IDs w/ DS)

www.walkonthehappyside.blogspot.com

To: Multiples-DS Sent: Sat, August 14, 2010 4:01:08 PMSubject: Re: Intro

Hi Terri,

Welcome to the group!

My name is . My husband and I also have two children with DS who are not twins. (Although we get asked if they're twins all the time). They are two and a half years apart. is 16 and Isaiah is almost 14. We've had genetic testing done where they checked 500 cells to see if either one of us has any DS cells (mosaic), but nothing. The crazy part is that I have two cousins, both on my mom's side that also have a child with DS. Although there's no proof, I seriously think there's something that the geneticist might have missed. Regardless, we think our kids are great and we wouldn't trade them for the world. Especially seeing what my typical teenage niece and nephew put their parents through.

Avena from Phoenix, AZ.

To: Multiples-DS Sent: Wed, August 11, 2010 3:22:23 PMSubject: Intro

Hello,My name is Terri, I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with my husband, Dave and two beautiful boys, Cameron who has T21 and just turned 4 and who is "typical" and is 2 1/2. Our baby girl who we learned also has T21 is due Oct. 30.Cameron was born with an AVSD and it was repaired at 3 months. Our baby girl unfortunately has the same heart defect and will also need surgery.Neither my husband nor I are carriers of T21 so we were shocked to find out that this baby also has Down syndrome.I'm glad to be here and would love to "meet" anyone else who has multiples who are not twins and are not adopted.

[Guest guest]

With prenatal testing, lots of the women who have been diagnosed with a child with DS are offered a "therapeutic" termination. We were offered one and we were over 5 months. Just awful. I am sure it must be hard to document just how many women have a child with DS. I have heard the figure that over 80% of women that get the DS diagnosis terminate. Love life and be gentle, Hi and Terry. Welcome to the group. I have 2 with DS but they're identical twins. Your situations are interesting to me. I'm going to ask my sister who is a microbiologist (and has a colleague that studied DS) about this. In the past, I was told that the propensity to birth another child with DS once you've had a child with DS is significantly increased but is not genetic. That made sense once they said that all of the eggs of an older women have been equally affected by whatever it is that made the chances for having a child with DS later in life go up and are therefore more apt to conceive a child with DS with each subsequent pregnancy. This also goes for younger women who conceive a child with DS. At least that's what I've been told. xo maggieMom to Olivia ('01) and & ('05, IDs w/ DS) www.walkonthehappyside.blogspot.comTo: Multiples-DS Sent: Sat, August 14, 2010 4:01:08 PMSubject: Re: Intro Hi Terri, Welcome to the group! My name is . My husband and I also have two children with DS who are not twins. (Although we get asked if they're twins all the time). They are two and a half years apart. is 16 and Isaiah is almost 14. We've had genetic testing done where they checked 500 cells to see if either one of us has any DS cells (mosaic), but nothing. The crazy part is that I have two cousins, both on my mom's side that also have a child with DS. Although there's no proof, I seriously think there's something that the geneticist might have missed. Regardless, we think our kids are great and we wouldn't trade them for the world. Especially seeing what my typical teenage niece and nephew put their parents through. Avena from Phoenix, AZ.To: Multiples-DS Sent: Wed, August 11, 2010 3:22:23 PMSubject: Intro Hello,My name is Terri, I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with my husband, Dave and two beautiful boys, Cameron who has T21 and just turned 4 and who is "typical" and is 2 1/2. Our baby girl who we learned also has T21 is due Oct. 30.Cameron was born with an AVSD and it was repaired at 3 months. Our baby girl unfortunately has the same heart defect and will also need surgery.Neither my husband nor I are carriers of T21 so we were shocked to find out that this baby also has Down syndrome.I'm glad to be here and would love to "meet" anyone else who has multiples who are not twins and are not adopted.

[Guest guest]

We were not diagnosed prenatally... but not for the lack of testing b/c of my age. They just didn't see it in the numerous tests they did over and over again. (The amnio was the only test I refused b/c of the risks to the babies and our insistence that we would not DO anything about any test reults.) Though they specifically did NOT see evidence of DS, still, with the potential issues they predicted -- NOT A SINGLE ONE OF WHICH CAME TO FRUITION -- they offered me termination right up to and including the 6-month mark. Needless to say I refused and have the most amazing and extraordinarily healthy little boys who happen to have an extra 21st chromosome each... a surprise to all! Born into 100% and immediate acceptance in our family. I was 42 when I had the boys (39 when I had my daughter... no DS). They asked if we wanted genetic testing after the boys were born and my hubby and I

declined since we were not having any more children. If my daughter chooses to test, I understand, but there's no reason to believe it's genetic. There's no DS in my or my hubby's families.

BTW - I understand from my sister's colleague that cell samples taken from various spots in a person -- brain, leg, abdomen, for example -- may or may not show the same number of affected cells (carrying the extra 21st chromosome) so the 500-cell testing may not show what you want to know. More importantly, they have found that the presence of that extra chromosomal material, where it attaches itself and it's developmental impact is MUCH more complicated and much more highly affected by environment than once thought. Our amazing children and all the other incredible self-advocates with DS are proof that this is true... and there's no limit to what is possible as they learn more about this genetic condition.

My motto: BELIEVE.... No one can know the limitations of another! (History is full of outliers who overcame all odds and changed the world.)

xo maggie

Mom to Olivia '01 and & '05 (IDs w/ DS)

www.walkonthehappyside.blogspot.com

To: Multiples-DS Sent: Sun, August 22, 2010 10:47:30 PMSubject: Re: Intro

With prenatal testing, lots of the women who have been diagnosed with a child with DS are offered a "therapeutic" termination. We were offered one and we were over 5 months. Just awful. I am sure it must be hard to document just how many women have a child with DS. I have heard the figure that over 80% of women that get the DS diagnosis terminate.

Love life and be gentle,

Hi and Terry. Welcome to the group. I have 2 with DS but they're identical twins. Your situations are interesting to me. I'm going to ask my sister who is a microbiologist (and has a colleague that studied DS) about this. In the past, I was told that the propensity to birth another child with DS once you've had a child with DS is significantly increased but is not genetic. That made sense once they said that all of the eggs of an older women have been equally affected by whatever it is that made the chances for having a child with DS later in life go up and are therefore more apt to conceive a child with DS with each subsequent pregnancy. This also goes for younger women who conceive a child with DS. At least that's what I've been told.

xo maggie

Mom to Olivia ('01) and & ('05, IDs w/ DS)

www.walkonthehappyside.blogspot.com

To: Multiples-DS Sent: Sat, August 14, 2010 4:01:08 PMSubject: Re: Intro

Hi Terri,

Welcome to the group!

My name is . My husband and I also have two children with DS who are not twins. (Although we get asked if they're twins all the time). They are two and a half years apart. is 16 and Isaiah is almost 14. We've had genetic testing done where they checked 500 cells to see if either one of us has any DS cells (mosaic), but nothing. The crazy part is that I have two cousins, both on my mom's side that also have a child with DS. Although there's no proof, I seriously think there's something that the geneticist might have missed. Regardless, we think our kids are great and we wouldn't trade them for the world. Especially seeing what my typical teenage niece and nephew put their parents through.

Avena from Phoenix, AZ.

To: Multiples-DS Sent: Wed, August 11, 2010 3:22:23 PMSubject: Intro

Hello,My name is Terri, I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with my husband, Dave and two beautiful boys, Cameron who has T21 and just turned 4 and who is "typical" and is 2 1/2. Our baby girl who we learned also has T21 is due Oct. 30.Cameron was born with an AVSD and it was repaired at 3 months. Our baby girl unfortunately has the same heart defect and will also need surgery.Neither my husband nor I are carriers of T21 so we were shocked to find out that this baby also has Down syndrome.I'm glad to be here and would love to "meet" anyone else who has multiples who are not twins and are not adopted.

[Guest guest]

Interesting. I had my twins (one with down syndrome) at 22. I went on to have another child at 24 and then another at 31....neither have down syndrome but do have the same birthday. Four kids...two birthdays! Subject: Re: IntroTo: Multiples-DS Date: Sunday, August 22, 2010, 9:03 PM

Hi and Terry. Welcome to the group. I have 2 with DS but they're identical twins. Your situations are interesting to me. I'm going to ask my sister who is a microbiologist (and has a colleague that studied DS) about this. In the past, I was told that the propensity to birth another child with DS once you've had a child with DS is significantly increased but is not genetic. That made sense once they said that all of the eggs of an older women have been equally affected by whatever it is that made the chances for having a child with DS later in life go up and are therefore more apt to conceive a child with DS with each subsequent pregnancy. This also goes for younger women who conceive a child with DS. At least that's what I've been told.

xo maggie

Mom to Olivia ('01) and & ('05, IDs w/ DS)

www.walkonthehappyside.blogspot.com

To: Multiples-DS Sent: Sat, August 14, 2010 4:01:08 PMSubject: Re: Intro

Hi Terri,

Welcome to the group!

My name is . My husband and I also have two children with DS who are not twins. (Although we get asked if they're twins all the time). They are two and a half years apart. is 16 and Isaiah is almost 14. We've had genetic testing done where they checked 500 cells to see if either one of us has any DS cells (mosaic), but nothing. The crazy part is that I have two cousins, both on my mom's side that also have a child with DS. Although there's no proof, I seriously think there's something that the geneticist might have missed. Regardless, we think our kids are great and we wouldn't trade them for the world. Especially seeing what my typical teenage niece and nephew put their parents through.

Avena from Phoenix, AZ.

To: Multiples-DS Sent: Wed, August 11, 2010 3:22:23 PMSubject: Intro

Hello,My name is Terri, I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with my husband, Dave and two beautiful boys, Cameron who has T21 and just turned 4 and who is "typical" and is 2 1/2. Our baby girl who we learned also has T21 is due Oct. 30.Cameron was born with an AVSD and it was repaired at 3 months. Our baby girl unfortunately has the same heart defect and will also need surgery.Neither my husband nor I are carriers of T21 so we were shocked to find out that this baby also has Down syndrome.I'm glad to be here and would love to "meet" anyone else who has multiples who are not twins and are not adopted.

[Guest guest]

LOL on the birthdays. My sister has 2 children born on the same day 2 years apart. The first was a c-section, the 2nd was natural. Anyway, for me, being older than 35, the chances of birthing a child with DS was 1 in a 100 (We've all heard those odds and I thought that was a totally reasonable "gamble" either way. After the boys were diagnosed at birth, I was told to do the genetics testing b/c the chances for having another child with DS significantly increased now that I'd had 2/the boys (which technically counts as one, statistically). Not sure exactly what those odds become but I imagine the chances increase not so much so that another child with DS would still be less likely than having a child w/o DS. There are sooooo many more examples of women having one child with DS and going on to have more without DS so.... Regardless, I wasn't having any more kids

so the testing was never even a consideration. Statistics are so subjective. They never quite tell me just exactly what what it is I want to know. I've never seen any studies on any of this, mind you, just relating what was told to me in the hospital by the supposed "experts" (hmmmmm). xo maggie Mom to Olivia '01 and & '05 (IDs w/ DS)

www.walkonthehappyside.blogspot.com

To: Multiples-DS Sent: Mon, August 23, 2010 4:01:45 PMSubject: Re: Intro

Interesting. I had my twins (one with down syndrome) at 22. I went on to have another child at 24 and then another at 31....neither have down syndrome but do have the same birthday. Four kids...two birthdays!

Subject: Re: IntroTo: Multiples-DS Date: Sunday, August 22, 2010, 9:03 PM

Hi and Terry. Welcome to the group. I have 2 with DS but they're identical twins. Your situations are interesting to me. I'm going to ask my sister who is a microbiologist (and has a colleague that studied DS) about this. In the past, I was told that the propensity to birth another child with DS once you've had a child with DS is significantly increased but is not genetic. That made sense once they said that all of the eggs of an older women have been equally affected by whatever it is that made the chances for having a child with DS later in life go up and are therefore more apt to conceive a child with DS with each subsequent pregnancy. This also goes for younger women who conceive a child with DS. At least that's what I've been told.

xo maggie

Mom to Olivia ('01) and & ('05, IDs w/ DS)

www.walkonthehappyside.blogspot.com

To: Multiples-DS Sent: Sat, August 14, 2010 4:01:08 PMSubject: Re: Intro

Hi Terri,

Welcome to the group!

My name is . My husband and I also have two children with DS who are not twins. (Although we get asked if they're twins all the time). They are two and a half years apart. is 16 and Isaiah is almost 14. We've had genetic testing done where they checked 500 cells to see if either one of us has any DS cells (mosaic), but nothing. The crazy part is that I have two cousins, both on my mom's side that also have a child with DS. Although there's no proof, I seriously think there's something that the geneticist might have missed. Regardless, we think our kids are great and we wouldn't trade them for the world. Especially seeing what my typical teenage niece and nephew put their parents through.

Avena from Phoenix, AZ.

To: Multiples-DS Sent: Wed, August 11, 2010 3:22:23 PMSubject: Intro

Hello,My name is Terri, I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with my husband, Dave and two beautiful boys, Cameron who has T21 and just turned 4 and who is "typical" and is 2 1/2. Our baby girl who we learned also has T21 is due Oct. 30.Cameron was born with an AVSD and it was repaired at 3 months. Our baby girl unfortunately has the same heart defect and will also need surgery.Neither my husband nor I are carriers of T21 so we were shocked to find out that this baby also has Down syndrome.I'm glad to be here and would love to "meet" anyone else who has multiples who are not twins and are not adopted.

[Guest guest]

HaHaHa ,

You and I have something else in common..  I have five children and

only three birthdays to celebrate.  My girls are four years apart,

both born on September 11th (one born on THE September 11th), my son

Elijah and then the twins.  Elijah is the only on with a birthday

all to himself

~

Mom to Five

Tristin (12)

Camille (8)

Elijah (7)

Caleb and Isaac (4) Twins with Ds

 

Interesting. 

I had my twins (one with down syndrome) at 22.  I

went on to have another child at 24 and then

another at 31....neither have down syndrome but do

have the same birthday.  Four kids...two

birthdays!

 

From: Margaret M Hagan

Subject: Re: Intro

To: Multiples-DS

Date: Sunday, August 22, 2010, 9:03 PM

 

Hi and Terry.  Welcome to the

group.  I have 2 with DS but they're

identical twins.  Your situations are

interesting to me.  I'm going to ask my

sister who is a microbiologist (and has

a colleague that studied DS) about

this.  In the past, I was told that the

propensity to birth another child with

DS once you've had a child with DS is

significantly increased but is not

genetic.  That made sense once they said

that all of the eggs of an older

women have been equally affected by

whatever it is that made the chances for

having a child with DS later in life go

up and are therefore more apt to

conceive a child with DS with each

subsequent pregnancy.  This also goes

for younger women who conceive a child

with DS.  At least that's what I've been

told.

 

xo maggie

Mom to Olivia ('01) and  &

('05, IDs w/ DS) 

www.walkonthehappyside.blogspot.com

From:

Avena

To:

Multiples-DS

Sent: Sat,

August 14, 2010 4:01:08 PM

Subject: Re:

Intro

 

Hi Terri,

 

Welcome to the group!

 

My name is .  My

husband and I also have two

children with DS who are not

twins.  (Although we get asked

if they're twins all the

time).  They are two and a

half years apart. 

is 16 and Isaiah is almost

14.  We've had genetic testing

done where they checked 500

cells to see if either one of

us has any DS cells (mosaic),

but nothing.  The crazy part

is that I have two cousins,

both on my mom's side that

also have a child with

DS.   Although there's no

proof, I seriously think

there's something that the

geneticist might have missed. 

Regardless, we think our kids

are great and we wouldn't

trade them for the world. 

Especially seeing what my

typical teenage niece and

nephew put their parents

through. 

 

 

 

 

Avena from Phoenix,

AZ.

From:

Terri H

To:

Multiples-DS

Sent:

Wed, August 11, 2010

3:22:23 PM

Subject:

Intro

 

Hello,

My name is Terri, I live

in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

with my husband, Dave

and two beautiful boys,

Cameron who has T21 and

just turned 4 and

who is

"typical" and is 2 1/2.

Our baby girl who we

learned also has T21 is

due Oct. 30.

Cameron was born with an

AVSD and it was repaired

at 3 months. Our baby

girl unfortunately has

the same heart defect

and will also need

surgery.

Neither my husband nor I

are carriers of T21 so

we were shocked to find

out that this baby also

has Down syndrome.

I'm glad to be here and

would love to "meet"

anyone else who has

multiples who are not

twins and are not

adopted.

[Guest guest]

Hi, Maggie,

It will be interesting to hear what she thinks. After was born, I was told I'd have a 10% chance of having a second child with DS. I miscarried between Jess and Isaiah, I have a feeling that that baby would of had DS also. (Not sure why, just a feeling.) I was 24 yrs old when she was born. The doctor said that that was the age when women had the least chance of having a baby with DS. Then at 27 I had Isaiah. Then the doctor said I should play the lottery.

To: Multiples-DS Sent: Sun, August 22, 2010 6:03:10 PMSubject: Re: Intro

Hi and Terry. Welcome to the group. I have 2 with DS but they're identical twins. Your situations are interesting to me. I'm going to ask my sister who is a microbiologist (and has a colleague that studied DS) about this. In the past, I was told that the propensity to birth another child with DS once you've had a child with DS is significantly increased but is not genetic. That made sense once they said that all of the eggs of an older women have been equally affected by whatever it is that made the chances for having a child with DS later in life go up and are therefore more apt to conceive a child with DS with each subsequent pregnancy. This also goes for younger women who conceive a child with DS. At least that's what I've been told.

xo maggie

Mom to Olivia ('01) and & ('05, IDs w/ DS)

www.walkonthehappyside.blogspot.com

To: Multiples-DS Sent: Sat, August 14, 2010 4:01:08 PMSubject: Re: Intro

Hi Terri,

Welcome to the group!

My name is . My husband and I also have two children with DS who are not twins. (Although we get asked if they're twins all the time). They are two and a half years apart. is 16 and Isaiah is almost 14. We've had genetic testing done where they checked 500 cells to see if either one of us has any DS cells (mosaic), but nothing. The crazy part is that I have two cousins, both on my mom's side that also have a child with DS. Although there's no proof, I seriously think there's something that the geneticist might have missed. Regardless, we think our kids are great and we wouldn't trade them for the world. Especially seeing what my typical teenage niece and nephew put their parents through.

Avena from Phoenix, AZ.

To: Multiples-DS Sent: Wed, August 11, 2010 3:22:23 PMSubject: Intro

Hello,My name is Terri, I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with my husband, Dave and two beautiful boys, Cameron who has T21 and just turned 4 and who is "typical" and is 2 1/2. Our baby girl who we learned also has T21 is due Oct. 30.Cameron was born with an AVSD and it was repaired at 3 months. Our baby girl unfortunately has the same heart defect and will also need surgery.Neither my husband nor I are carriers of T21 so we were shocked to find out that this baby also has Down syndrome.I'm glad to be here and would love to "meet" anyone else who has multiples who are not twins and are not adopted.

[Guest guest]

Haven't gotten to chat with sis yet but I agree with the doc, you sure have hit the jackpot. In studies of parental satisfaction, parents of a child with DS reported the most satisfaction than any other group. Having a child with DS -- or 2, like you and I have -- has brought me such incredible joy and satisfaction. Can't say why, it just does. When I get my sister's take on this, I'll let you know. xo maggie

www.walkonthehappyside.blogspot.com

To: Multiples-DS Sent: Mon, August 23, 2010 7:43:34 PMSubject: Re: Intro

Hi, Maggie,

It will be interesting to hear what she thinks. After was born, I was told I'd have a 10% chance of having a second child with DS. I miscarried between Jess and Isaiah, I have a feeling that that baby would of had DS also. (Not sure why, just a feeling.) I was 24 yrs old when she was born. The doctor said that that was the age when women had the least chance of having a baby with DS. Then at 27 I had Isaiah. Then the doctor said I should play the lottery.

To: Multiples-DS Sent: Sun, August 22, 2010 6:03:10 PMSubject: Re: Intro

Hi and Terry. Welcome to the group. I have 2 with DS but they're identical twins. Your situations are interesting to me. I'm going to ask my sister who is a microbiologist (and has a colleague that studied DS) about this. In the past, I was told that the propensity to birth another child with DS once you've had a child with DS is significantly increased but is not genetic. That made sense once they said that all of the eggs of an older women have been equally affected by whatever it is that made the chances for having a child with DS later in life go up and are therefore more apt to conceive a child with DS with each subsequent pregnancy. This also goes for younger women who conceive a child with DS. At least that's what I've been told.

xo maggie

Mom to Olivia ('01) and & ('05, IDs w/ DS)

www.walkonthehappyside.blogspot.com

To: Multiples-DS Sent: Sat, August 14, 2010 4:01:08 PMSubject: Re: Intro

Hi Terri,

Welcome to the group!

My name is . My husband and I also have two children with DS who are not twins. (Although we get asked if they're twins all the time). They are two and a half years apart. is 16 and Isaiah is almost 14. We've had genetic testing done where they checked 500 cells to see if either one of us has any DS cells (mosaic), but nothing. The crazy part is that I have two cousins, both on my mom's side that also have a child with DS. Although there's no proof, I seriously think there's something that the geneticist might have missed. Regardless, we think our kids are great and we wouldn't trade them for the world. Especially seeing what my typical teenage niece and nephew put their parents through.

Avena from Phoenix, AZ.

To: Multiples-DS Sent: Wed, August 11, 2010 3:22:23 PMSubject: Intro

Hello,My name is Terri, I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with my husband, Dave and two beautiful boys, Cameron who has T21 and just turned 4 and who is "typical" and is 2 1/2. Our baby girl who we learned also has T21 is due Oct. 30.Cameron was born with an AVSD and it was repaired at 3 months. Our baby girl unfortunately has the same heart defect and will also need surgery.Neither my husband nor I are carriers of T21 so we were shocked to find out that this baby also has Down syndrome.I'm glad to be here and would love to "meet" anyone else who has multiples who are not twins and are not adopted.

[Guest guest]

Beautiful pictures & children!

~ mom to Caden & (DS) 5 yrs old

http://shipleytwins.blogspot.com

Intro

Hello everyone! My name is Kim and I live in Massachusetts. I thought I'd share my story. Maddie and Will were born in October. Shortly after birth, Will was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. My husband and I have been married for 7 years, and have spent many years struggling to conceive. The journey to our family has included miscarriages, unsuccessful ivf attempts, and lots of heartache along the way. Ivf finally worked for us and we learned we were having TWINS last Spring! The early risk assessment revealed that twin b (Will) had a 1:43 chance of having Down Syndrome. We struggled with whether to do an amniocentesis, but in the end decided not to because we didn't want to put our little miracles at any risk. The 18-week ultrasound looked good, but did show an echogenic focus on Will's heart. Once again, we passed on the amnio. I spent the whole pregnancy with the fear that Will had Down Syndrome, but not really believing it could 'happen' to us. I started to do some reading online, but I would stop and say to myself, "Now Kim, you're just being paranoid...he's fine.". Though I worried a lot, I am glad we didn't know before the birth. I would have just worried more. I had a c- section and we thought Will looked like he did not have DS when he came out. In the recovery room, he started looking purple while on my chest and the nurse had to take him over to her station to revive him. A pediatrician came in to examine him and told me that sometimes babies just forget to breath. That's when I told her that he was at an increased risk for having DS and asked if he looked O.K. "That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about.". Right then our hearts sank and we knew. The rest of that day is a blur. Between the anesthesia and the shock, it was hard to remember or process anything they were telling me. I know we met with a cardiologist and a geneticist. Family came trickling in to red, crying eyes. Poor Will had an infection and had to stay in the nicu, where he spent 11 days. Going home without Will was like leaving your heart at the hospital. To this day, I don't know how I survived those first couple of weeks.

Fast forward to today. The twins are 11 weeks old and are thriving. Will had a cardiology follow up and his heart looks good. So far he has no health problems and we realize how fortunate we are. They are precious beyond belief. Of course I worry about the future, and I am looking forward to gaining insights from all of you who are a little further down this path.

My friend is an amazing photographer and did their newborn shots. You can check them out on her blog.

http://bellinipics.com/blog/archives/3567

Thank you,

Kim

Sent from my iPad

[Guest guest]

Hello Kim,

Thank you for sharing your story and your pictures. You are a beautiful writer and your babies are beautiful, also. Your story took me back 17 years ago, when my twins were born. Sara had Down Syndrome and did not. We knew, through amneocentisis, when I was about 16 weeks pregnant that our baby girl would have down syndrome. It has been quite the journey, challenges, yes, sometimes, but our Sara is a blessing to all of us. She is currently a sophomore in high school and keeps busy with swimming once a week, dancing twice a week, cheerleader practice and get togethers with friends.

Keep in touch with all of us and feel free to ask any questions you might have, as at least someone can likely relate to whatever question you might have.

Marcia

Mom to Sara (DS) and 17 and Lucas 21

Marcia Rietmann

rrietmann@...

(541)815-4828

(541)548-2136

Intro

Hello everyone! My name is Kim and I live in Massachusetts. I thought I'd share my story. Maddie and Will were born in October. Shortly after birth, Will was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. My husband and I have been married for 7 years, and have spent many years struggling to conceive. The journey to our family has included miscarriages, unsuccessful ivf attempts, and lots of heartache along the way. Ivf finally worked for us and we learned we were having TWINS last Spring! The early risk assessment revealed that twin b (Will) had a 1:43 chance of having Down Syndrome. We struggled with whether to do an amniocentesis, but in the end decided not to because we didn't want to put our little miracles at any risk. The 18-week ultrasound looked good, but did show an echogenic focus on Will's heart. Once again, we passed on the amnio. I spent the whole pregnancy with the fear that Will had Down Syndrome, but not really believing it could 'happen' to us. I started to do so

me reading online, but I would stop and say to myself, "Now Kim, you're just being paranoid...he's fine.". Though I worried a lot, I am glad we didn't know before the birth. I would have just worried more. I had a c- section and we thought Will looked like he did not have DS when he came out. In the recovery room, he started looking purple while on my chest and the nurse had to take him over to her station to revive him. A pediatrician came in to examine him and told me that sometimes babies just forget to breath. That's when I told her that he was at an increased risk for having DS and asked if he looked O.K. "That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about.". Right then our hearts sank and we knew. The rest of that day is a blur. Between the anesthesia and the shock, it was hard to remember or process anything they were telling me. I know we met with a cardiologist and a geneticist. Family came trickling in to red, crying eyes. Poor Will had an infection an

d had to stay in the nicu, where he spent 11 days. Going home without Will was like leaving your heart at the hospital. To this day, I don't know how I survived those first couple of weeks. Fast forward to today. The twins are 11 weeks old and are thriving. Will had a cardiology follow up and his heart looks good. So far he has no health problems and we realize how fortunate we are. They are precious beyond belief. Of course I worry about the future, and I am looking forward to gaining insights from all of you who are a little further down this path.

My friend is an amazing photographer and did their newborn shots. You can check them out on her blog.

http://bellinipics.com/blog/archives/3567 Thank you,

Kim

Sent from my iPad

------------------------------------

More pictures of our kids:

http://www.pbase.com/urriegrl/multiplesds

[Guest guest]

Welcome Kim- congrats on your twins! I am in a very similar situation as you were. I conceived twins via IVF and found out during my nuchal translucency ultrasound at 11 weeks that my baby girl was at increased risk for DS (1/48 chance). Her nuchal was 3.mm. At our 20 week scan the doctor noticed she had an EIF and had increased our chances to 1/30. We also opted out of amnio so we are waiting it out till birth. It hasn't been easy but find that by assuming she does have DS and joining support groups like this has been very helpful! Sent from my iPhone

Hello everyone! My name is Kim and I live in Massachusetts. I thought I'd share my story. Maddie and Will were born in October. Shortly after birth, Will was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. My husband and I have been married for 7 years, and have spent many years struggling to conceive. The journey to our family has included miscarriages, unsuccessful ivf attempts, and lots of heartache along the way. Ivf finally worked for us and we learned we were having TWINS last Spring! The early risk assessment revealed that twin b (Will) had a 1:43 chance of having Down Syndrome. We struggled with whether to do an amniocentesis, but in the end decided not to because we didn't want to put our little miracles at any risk. The 18-week ultrasound looked good, but did show an echogenic focus on Will's heart. Once again, we passed on the amnio. I spent the whole pregnancy with the fear that Will had Down Syndrome, but not really believing it could 'happen' to us. I started to do some reading online, but I would stop and say to myself, "Now Kim, you're just being paranoid...he's fine.". Though I worried a lot, I am glad we didn't know before the birth. I would have just worried more. I had a c- section and we thought Will looked like he did not have DS when he came out. In the recovery room, he started looking purple while on my chest and the nurse had to take him over to her station to revive him. A pediatrician came in to examine him and told me that sometimes babies just forget to breath. That's when I told her that he was at an increased risk for having DS and asked if he looked O.K. "That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about.". Right then our hearts sank and we knew. The rest of that day is a blur. Between the anesthesia and the shock, it was hard to remember or process anything they were telling me. I know we met with a cardiologist and a geneticist. Family came trickling in to red, crying eyes. Poor Will had an infection and had to stay in the nicu, where he spent 11 days. Going home without Will was like leaving your heart at the hospital. To this day, I don't know how I survived those first couple of weeks.

Fast forward to today. The twins are 11 weeks old and are thriving. Will had a cardiology follow up and his heart looks good. So far he has no health problems and we realize how fortunate we are. They are precious beyond belief. Of course I worry about the future, and I am looking forward to gaining insights from all of you who are a little further down this path.

My friend is an amazing photographer and did their newborn shots. You can check them out on her blog.

http://bellinipics.com/blog/archives/3567

Thank you,

Kim

Sent from my iPad

[Guest guest]

What a BEAUTIFUL family you have!  Your babies are gorgeous!We came about the 'multiples' in a bit different way, but we have a bio daughter with Down syndrome that was diagnosed at 8 weeks old.  That " thinking they don't have it " then realizing that it's there is somewhat of a shock... but not knowing until birth (or later) was also something I am glad about in our experience.

Our 'multiples' is through adoption.  We have adopted 4 children with Down syndrome in the last 4 years (and one with Cerebral Palsy).  Our daughter opened our eyes to a world we didn't know we needed to be a part of until we were gifted HER!  Now she has two brothers that are 7 and 8 months younger, and two sisters that are 2 and 2 1/2 years older that all have Down syndrome.  

Congratulations on your babies!Blessings,Meredith

-- Meredith Cornish

www.mcornish.org 

Married to my high school sweetheart CornishMom toAleksa (9, Ds) Emma (8, Ds)

Kristopher (7)Wesley (6, CP)na (5, Ds) (5, Ds)Micah (5, Ds)Lynae (2)

[Guest guest]

Hello Kim and welcome. Your babies are beautiful I am so happy all is well for both babies especially Will. Our children are blessingsI am mother to two sons with DS one is 8 years old and the other is 13 months. They are very healthy little guys and they have truly changed my world for the better. proud mom to Jamal 30, Mitri 22, Nilsa 20, Marco 10, (DS) 8, Cruz (DS) 13 mos To: "Multiples-DS " <Multiples-DS > Sent: Friday, December 30, 2011 5:55 PM Subject: Intro

Hello everyone! My name is Kim and I live in Massachusetts. I thought I'd share my story. Maddie and Will were born in October. Shortly after birth, Will was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. My husband and I have been married for 7 years, and have spent many years struggling to conceive. The journey to our family has included miscarriages, unsuccessful ivf attempts, and lots of heartache along the way. Ivf finally worked for us and we learned we were having TWINS last Spring! The early risk assessment revealed that twin b (Will) had a 1:43 chance of having Down Syndrome. We struggled with whether to do an amniocentesis, but in the end decided not to because we didn't want to put our little miracles at any risk. The 18-week ultrasound looked good, but did show an echogenic focus on Will's heart. Once again, we passed on the amnio. I spent the whole pregnancy with the fear that Will had Down Syndrome, but not really believing it could

'happen' to us. I started to do some reading online, but I would stop and say to myself, "Now Kim, you're just being paranoid...he's fine.". Though I worried a lot, I am glad we didn't know before the birth. I would have just worried more. I had a c- section and we thought Will looked like he did not have DS when he came out. In the recovery room, he started looking purple while on my chest and the nurse had to take him over to her station to revive him. A pediatrician came in to examine him and told me that sometimes babies just forget to breath. That's when I told her that he was at an increased risk for having DS and asked if he looked O.K. "That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about.". Right then our hearts sank and we knew. The rest of that day is a blur. Between the anesthesia and the shock, it was hard to remember or process anything they were telling me. I know we met with a cardiologist and a geneticist. Family came

trickling in to red, crying eyes. Poor Will had an infection and had to stay in the nicu, where he spent 11 days. Going home without Will was like leaving your heart at the hospital. To this day, I don't know how I survived those first couple of weeks.

Fast forward to today. The twins are 11 weeks old and are thriving. Will had a cardiology follow up and his heart looks good. So far he has no health problems and we realize how fortunate we are. They are precious beyond belief. Of course I worry about the future, and I am looking forward to gaining insights from all of you who are a little further down this path.

My friend is an amazing photographer and did their newborn shots. You can check them out on her blog.

http://bellinipics.com/blog/archives/3567

Thank you,

Kim

Sent from my iPad

[Guest guest]

Hi Kim,Thanks for sharing your story. Mine is quite similar; my twins, Wyatt and Zoe are almost (!) 11 mos now.I too knew that Wyatt had a higher chance (statistically) and met with genetic consultants, etc but chose not to have amnio as I did not want to risk both babies. I found out a month before they were born (prematurely) that Wyatt has AVSD and that he had a 75% chance of having DS. That one hit me hard, but we were hoping for the 25%. My C section was a bit of a drama fest (it's all there on my blog) but I knew from the stillness and hush around Wyatt's warming bed that he had DS. I'm glad to hear that you've gotten through the first little bit. It can be tricky in spots... dealing with your own feelings, dealing with multiple babies... learning as much as you can (which also includes what you can "handle" at any sleep deprived moment). Congratulations and the babies look completely nibble-able.Take care,Jen [Mom of Quinn, 5, Wyatt (DS) and Zoe, 10 mos.]Author of Down Wit Dat >> Hello everyone! My name is Kim and I live in Massachusetts. I thought I'd share my story. Maddie and Will were born in October. Shortly after birth, Will was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. My husband and I have been married for 7 years, and have spent many years struggling to conceive. The journey to our family has included miscarriages, unsuccessful ivf attempts, and lots of heartache along the way. Ivf finally worked for us and we learned we were having TWINS last Spring! The early risk assessment revealed that twin b (Will) had a 1:43 chance of having Down Syndrome. We struggled with whether to do an amniocentesis, but in the end decided not to because we didn't want to put our little miracles at any risk. The 18-week ultrasound looked good, but did show an echogenic focus on Will's heart. Once again, we passed on the amnio. I spent the whole pregnancy with the fear that Will had Down Syndrome, but not really believing it could 'happen' to us. I started to do some reading online, but I would stop and say to myself, "Now Kim, you're just being paranoid...he's fine.". Though I worried a lot, I am glad we didn't know before the birth. I would have just worried more. I had a c- section and we thought Will looked like he did not have DS when he came out. In the recovery room, he started looking purple while on my chest and the nurse had to take him over to her station to revive him. A pediatrician came in to examine him and told me that sometimes babies just forget to breath. That's when I told her that he was at an increased risk for having DS and asked if he looked O.K. "That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about.". Right then our hearts sank and we knew. The rest of that day is a blur. Between the anesthesia and the shock, it was hard to remember or process anything they were telling me. I know we met with a cardiologist and a geneticist. Family came trickling in to red, crying eyes. Poor Will had an infection and had to stay in the nicu, where he spent 11 days. Going home without Will was like leaving your heart at the hospital. To this day, I don't know how I survived those first couple of weeks. > > Fast forward to today. The twins are 11 weeks old and are thriving. Will had a cardiology follow up and his heart looks good. So far he has no health problems and we realize how fortunate we are. They are precious beyond belief. Of course I worry about the future, and I am looking forward to gaining insights from all of you who are a little further down this path.> > My friend is an amazing photographer and did their newborn shots. You can check them out on her blog.> > http://bellinipics.com/blog/archives/3567 > > Thank you,> Kim> > Sent from my iPad>

[Guest guest]

Hi Kim,Thanks for sharing your story. Mine is quite similar; my twins, Wyatt and Zoe are almost (!) 11 mos now.I too knew that Wyatt had a higher chance (statistically) and met with genetic consultants, etc but chose not to have amnio as I did not want to risk both babies. I found out a month before they were born (prematurely) that Wyatt has AVSD and that he had a 75% chance of having DS. That one hit me hard, but we were hoping for the 25%. My C section was a bit of a drama fest (it's all there on my blog) but I knew from the stillness and hush around Wyatt's warming bed that he had DS. I'm glad to hear that you've gotten through the first little bit. It can be tricky in spots... dealing with your own feelings, dealing with multiple babies... learning

as much as you can (which also includes what you can "handle" at any sleep deprived moment). Congratulations and the babies look completely nibble-able.Take care,Jen (Mom of Quinn, 5, Wyatt (DS) and Zoe, 10 mos.- JenDown Wit Dathttp://downwitdat.blogspot.comJoin DwD on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/DownWitDat To: "Multiples-DS " <Multiples-DS > Sent: Friday, December 30, 2011 8:55:34 PM Subject: Intro

Hello everyone! My name is Kim and I live in Massachusetts. I thought I'd share my story. Maddie and Will were born in October. Shortly after birth, Will was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. My husband and I have been married for 7 years, and have spent many years struggling to conceive. The journey to our family has included miscarriages, unsuccessful ivf attempts, and lots of heartache along the way. Ivf finally worked for us and we learned we were having TWINS last Spring! The early risk assessment revealed that twin b (Will) had a 1:43 chance of having Down Syndrome. We struggled with whether to do an amniocentesis, but in the end decided not to because we didn't want to put our little miracles at any risk. The 18-week ultrasound looked good, but did show an echogenic focus on Will's heart. Once again, we passed on the amnio. I spent the whole pregnancy with the fear that Will had Down Syndrome, but not really believing it could

'happen' to us. I started to do some reading online, but I would stop and say to myself, "Now Kim, you're just being paranoid...he's fine.". Though I worried a lot, I am glad we didn't know before the birth. I would have just worried more. I had a c- section and we thought Will looked like he did not have DS when he came out. In the recovery room, he started looking purple while on my chest and the nurse had to take him over to her station to revive him. A pediatrician came in to examine him and told me that sometimes babies just forget to breath. That's when I told her that he was at an increased risk for having DS and asked if he looked O.K. "That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about.". Right then our hearts sank and we knew. The rest of that day is a blur. Between the anesthesia and the shock, it was hard to remember or process anything they were telling me. I know we met with a cardiologist and a geneticist. Family came

trickling in to red, crying eyes. Poor Will had an infection and had to stay in the nicu, where he spent 11 days. Going home without Will was like leaving your heart at the hospital. To this day, I don't know how I survived those first couple of weeks.

Fast forward to today. The twins are 11 weeks old and are thriving. Will had a cardiology follow up and his heart looks good. So far he has no health problems and we realize how fortunate we are. They are precious beyond belief. Of course I worry about the future, and I am looking forward to gaining insights from all of you who are a little further down this path.

My friend is an amazing photographer and did their newborn shots. You can check them out on her blog.

http://bellinipics.com/blog/archives/3567

Thank you,

Kim

Sent from my iPad

[Guest guest]

Welcome Kim! Those are some of the most amazing newborn pictures I have ever seen! Your children are so beautiful! As I was reading your story I remembered ours all too well. Unlike you, we had no indication that both of our sons would have DS and I recall the blur of the early weeks. I know we visited with a geneticist and cardiologist but they are more like shadows of memories. My boys stayed in the NICU for 12 days and I know what you mean about leaving your heart. Actually I posted something very similar to that on FaceBook when we left them at the hospital. I am so glad that at 11 weeks they are both doing well. I hope you and your husband are also adjusting well to the new path before you. This group is a great source of support. I am glad you found us! Again,

Welcome and congratulations on two gorgeous babies. You are blessed. Meghan Wilkinson proud mommy to Casey and Connor (2! year old, ids with DS)Remember to give thanks for all the blessings in your life- no matter how small they may seem. http://caseynconnor12409.blogspot.com/2010/02/2.htmlGod doesn't give children with special needs to strong people; He gives children with special needs to ordinary, weak people and then gives them strength. Raising a child with Down syndrome doesn't TAKE a special family, it MAKES a special family.... To: "Multiples-DS " <Multiples-DS > Sent: Friday, December 30, 2011 8:55 PM Subject: Intro

Hello everyone! My name is Kim and I live in Massachusetts. I thought I'd share my story. Maddie and Will were born in October. Shortly after birth, Will was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. My husband and I have been married for 7 years, and have spent many years struggling to conceive. The journey to our family has included miscarriages, unsuccessful ivf attempts, and lots of heartache along the way. Ivf finally worked for us and we learned we were having TWINS last Spring! The early risk assessment revealed that twin b (Will) had a 1:43 chance of having Down Syndrome. We struggled with whether to do an amniocentesis, but in the end decided not to because we didn't want to put our little miracles at any risk. The 18-week ultrasound looked good, but did show an echogenic focus on Will's heart. Once again, we passed on the amnio. I spent the whole pregnancy with the fear that Will had Down Syndrome, but not really believing it could

'happen' to us. I started to do some reading online, but I would stop and say to myself, "Now Kim, you're just being paranoid...he's fine.". Though I worried a lot, I am glad we didn't know before the birth. I would have just worried more. I had a c- section and we thought Will looked like he did not have DS when he came out. In the recovery room, he started looking purple while on my chest and the nurse had to take him over to her station to revive him. A pediatrician came in to examine him and told me that sometimes babies just forget to breath. That's when I told her that he was at an increased risk for having DS and asked if he looked O.K. "That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about.". Right then our hearts sank and we knew. The rest of that day is a blur. Between the anesthesia and the shock, it was hard to remember or process anything they were telling me. I know we met with a cardiologist and a geneticist. Family came

trickling in to red, crying eyes. Poor Will had an infection and had to stay in the nicu, where he spent 11 days. Going home without Will was like leaving your heart at the hospital. To this day, I don't know how I survived those first couple of weeks.

Fast forward to today. The twins are 11 weeks old and are thriving. Will had a cardiology follow up and his heart looks good. So far he has no health problems and we realize how fortunate we are. They are precious beyond belief. Of course I worry about the future, and I am looking forward to gaining insights from all of you who are a little further down this path.

My friend is an amazing photographer and did their newborn shots. You can check them out on her blog.

http://bellinipics.com/blog/archives/3567

Thank you,

Kim

Sent from my iPad

[Guest guest]

Hi Kim, Congratulations on your twins….they are beautiful! We also are in Massachusetts (Holliston) and have boy/girl twins that just turned 4, along with a 7-year-old and 9-year-old. Our 4-yr-old son, Colin, has Ds. They also saw soft markers during the 18-wk ultrasound and we chose not to have the amnio for the same reasons you mentioned. Our twins were born 5 weeks early, and Colin spent a total of 3 weeks in the hospital while his twin spent 9 days. Both were healthy but were “feeders and growers.” It was absolutely heartbreaking leaving them both, and then again leaving Colin when we took home. I think the first weeks (year?!) with twins are a blur no matter what, but particularly when going back and forth to the hospital. The first year, especially, the twin thing was a lot more challenging than the Down syndrome. I tried to enjoy the infant stage as much as I could in my sleep-deprived state! I have a lot of pictures of my twins sleeping up next to each other like you have, holding hands. Putting them down to a nap and seeing them curl into each other made me smile every time. So precious! My twins still share a room and rely on having each other there to go to sleep. They are now in the same preschool class and Colin is doing really, really well. You have a lot to look forward to, and worry is there for all children it’s just what you worry about that is different for each child. Enjoy every minute! EileenMom to Owen (9), Maeve (7), Colin (4/Ds) and (4) From: Multiples-DS [mailto:Multiples-DS ] On Behalf Of Kim HomeSent: Friday, December 30, 2011 8:56 PMTo: Multiples-DS Subject: Intro Hello everyone! My name is Kim and I live in Massachusetts. I thought I'd share my story. Maddie and Will were born in October. Shortly after birth, Will was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. My husband and I have been married for 7 years, and have spent many years struggling to conceive. The journey to our family has included miscarriages, unsuccessful ivf attempts, and lots of heartache along the way. Ivf finally worked for us and we learned we were having TWINS last Spring! The early risk assessment revealed that twin b (Will) had a 1:43 chance of having Down Syndrome. We struggled with whether to do an amniocentesis, but in the end decided not to because we didn't want to put our little miracles at any risk. The 18-week ultrasound looked good, but did show an echogenic focus on Will's heart. Once again, we passed on the amnio. I spent the whole pregnancy with the fear that Will had Down Syndrome, but not really believing it could 'happen' to us. I started to do some reading online, but I would stop and say to myself, " Now Kim, you're just being paranoid...he's fine. " . Though I worried a lot, I am glad we didn't know before the birth. I would have just worried more. I had a c- section and we thought Will looked like he did not have DS when he came out. In the recovery room, he started looking purple while on my chest and the nurse had to take him over to her station to revive him. A pediatrician came in to examine him and told me that sometimes babies just forget to breath. That's when I told her that he was at an increased risk for having DS and asked if he looked O.K. " That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. " . Right then our hearts sank and we knew. The rest of that day is a blur. Between the anesthesia and the shock, it was hard to remember or process anything they were telling me. I know we met with a cardiologist and a geneticist. Family came trickling in to red, crying eyes. Poor Will had an infection and had to stay in the nicu, where he spent 11 days. Going home without Will was like leaving your heart at the hospital. To this day, I don't know how I survived those first couple of weeks. Fast forward to today. The twins are 11 weeks old and are thriving. Will had a cardiology follow up and his heart looks good. So far he has no health problems and we realize how fortunate we are. They are precious beyond belief. Of course I worry about the future, and I am looking forward to gaining insights from all of you who are a little further down this path.My friend is an amazing photographer and did their newborn shots. You can check them out on her blog.http://bellinipics.com/blog/archives/3567 Thank you,KimSent from my iPad

[Guest guest]

OMG those pics are just precious!!!!!! From my perspective, welcome to a wonderful and joyful life (if not sometimes a bit chaotic). I have now 6 1/2-year-old identical twin boys with Down syndrome, and , and their lovely 10-year-old big sister, Olivia. We did not test and had none of the markers. My boys are happy and healthy and doing well! Ask any questions... VERY open and honest (and upbeat) group. Welcome! Best Regards, Maggiewww.walkonthehappyside.wordpress.com From: Kim Home

To: "Multiples-DS " <Multiples-DS > Sent: Friday, December 30, 2011 8:55 PM Subject: Intro

Hello everyone! My name is Kim and I live in Massachusetts. I thought I'd share my story. Maddie and Will were born in October. Shortly after birth, Will was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. My husband and I have been married for 7 years, and have spent many years struggling to conceive. The journey to our family has included miscarriages, unsuccessful ivf attempts, and lots of heartache along the way. Ivf finally worked for us and we learned we were having TWINS last Spring! The early risk assessment revealed that twin b (Will) had a 1:43 chance of having Down Syndrome. We struggled with whether to do an amniocentesis, but in the end decided not to because we didn't want to put our little miracles at any risk. The 18-week ultrasound looked good, but did show an echogenic focus on Will's heart. Once again, we passed on the amnio. I spent the whole pregnancy with the fear that Will had Down Syndrome, but not really believing it could

'happen' to us. I started to do

some reading online, but I would stop and say to myself, "Now Kim, you're just being paranoid...he's fine.". Though I worried a lot, I am glad we didn't know before the birth. I would have just worried more. I had a c- section and we thought Will looked like he did not have DS when he came out. In the recovery room, he started looking purple while on my chest and the nurse had to take him over to her station to revive him. A pediatrician came in to examine him and told me that sometimes babies just forget to breath. That's when I told her that he was at an increased risk for having DS and asked if he looked O.K. "That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about.". Right then our hearts sank and we knew. The rest of that day is a blur. Between the anesthesia and the shock, it was hard to remember or process anything they were telling me. I know we met with a cardiologist and a geneticist. Family came trickling in to red, crying eyes. Poor

Will had

an infection and had to stay in the nicu, where he spent 11 days. Going home without Will was like leaving your heart at the hospital. To this day, I don't know how I survived those first couple of weeks.

Fast forward to today. The twins are 11 weeks old and are thriving. Will had a cardiology follow up and his heart looks good. So far he has no health problems and we realize how fortunate we are. They are precious beyond belief. Of course I worry about the future, and I am looking forward to gaining insights from all of you who are a little further down this path.

My friend is an amazing photographer and did their newborn shots. You can check them out on her blog.

http://bellinipics.com/blog/archives/3567

Thank you,

Kim

Sent from my iPad

[Guest guest]

Hello Kim,

Thank you for sharing the beautiful pictures!

I knew before my son was born that he would have DS, so I had time to do some

research. It's one of those things in life that we don't plan on, but I can tell

you I love my son just as much as my other 2 children. Although there have been

challenges, he brings so much joy to my life. I would just say enjoy your

children and meet other families of children with DS. I belong to an

organization here called The Upside of Downs.

You are blessed,

B. mom to , 8 and 6 (DS, hydrocephalus) and , 6.

>

> Hello everyone! My name is Kim and I live in Massachusetts. I thought I'd

share my story. Maddie and Will were born in October. Shortly after birth, Will

was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. My husband and I have been married for 7

years, and have spent many years struggling to conceive. The journey to our

family has included miscarriages, unsuccessful ivf attempts, and lots of

heartache along the way. Ivf finally worked for us and we learned we were

having TWINS last Spring! The early risk assessment revealed that twin b (Will)

had a 1:43 chance of having Down Syndrome. We struggled with whether to do an

amniocentesis, but in the end decided not to because we didn't want to put our

little miracles at any risk. The 18-week ultrasound looked good, but did show

an echogenic focus on Will's heart. Once again, we passed on the amnio. I

spent the whole pregnancy with the fear that Will had Down Syndrome, but not

really believing it could 'happen' to us. I started to do some reading online,

but I would stop and say to myself, " Now Kim, you're just being paranoid...he's

fine. " . Though I worried a lot, I am glad we didn't know before the birth. I

would have just worried more. I had a c- section and we thought Will looked

like he did not have DS when he came out. In the recovery room, he started

looking purple while on my chest and the nurse had to take him over to her

station to revive him. A pediatrician came in to examine him and told me that

sometimes babies just forget to breath. That's when I told her that he was at

an increased risk for having DS and asked if he looked O.K. " That's the other

thing I wanted to talk to you about. " . Right then our hearts sank and we knew.

The rest of that day is a blur. Between the anesthesia and the shock, it was

hard to remember or process anything they were telling me. I know we met with a

cardiologist and a geneticist. Family came trickling in to red, crying eyes.

Poor Will had an infection and had to stay in the nicu, where he spent 11 days.

Going home without Will was like leaving your heart at the hospital. To this

day, I don't know how I survived those first couple of weeks.

>

> Fast forward to today. The twins are 11 weeks old and are thriving. Will had

a cardiology follow up and his heart looks good. So far he has no health

problems and we realize how fortunate we are. They are precious beyond belief.

Of course I worry about the future, and I am looking forward to gaining insights

from all of you who are a little further down this path.

>

> My friend is an amazing photographer and did their newborn shots. You can

check them out on her blog.

>

> http://bellinipics.com/blog/archives/3567

>

> Thank you,

> Kim

>

> Sent from my iPad

>

[Guest guest]

Welcome, Kim! We have identical twin boys with Ds and love them to pieces! You are so blessed to have your son! Dana Haedge- Brenan and Brice -7yrs oldSent from my iPhone

Hello everyone! My name is Kim and I live in Massachusetts. I thought I'd share my story. Maddie and Will were born in October. Shortly after birth, Will was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. My husband and I have been married for 7 years, and have spent many years struggling to conceive. The journey to our family has included miscarriages, unsuccessful ivf attempts, and lots of heartache along the way. Ivf finally worked for us and we learned we were having TWINS last Spring! The early risk assessment revealed that twin b (Will) had a 1:43 chance of having Down Syndrome. We struggled with whether to do an amniocentesis, but in the end decided not to because we didn't want to put our little miracles at any risk. The 18-week ultrasound looked good, but did show an echogenic focus on Will's heart. Once again, we passed on the amnio. I spent the whole pregnancy with the fear that Will had Down Syndrome, but not really believing it could 'happen' to us. I started to do some reading online, but I would stop and say to myself, "Now Kim, you're just being paranoid...he's fine.". Though I worried a lot, I am glad we didn't know before the birth. I would have just worried more. I had a c- section and we thought Will looked like he did not have DS when he came out. In the recovery room, he started looking purple while on my chest and the nurse had to take him over to her station to revive him. A pediatrician came in to examine him and told me that sometimes babies just forget to breath. That's when I told her that he was at an increased risk for having DS and asked if he looked O.K. "That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about.". Right then our hearts sank and we knew. The rest of that day is a blur. Between the anesthesia and the shock, it was hard to remember or process anything they were telling me. I know we met with a cardiologist and a geneticist. Family came trickling in to red, crying eyes. Poor Will had an infection and had to stay in the nicu, where he spent 11 days. Going home without Will was like leaving your heart at the hospital. To this day, I don't know how I survived those first couple of weeks.

Fast forward to today. The twins are 11 weeks old and are thriving. Will had a cardiology follow up and his heart looks good. So far he has no health problems and we realize how fortunate we are. They are precious beyond belief. Of course I worry about the future, and I am looking forward to gaining insights from all of you who are a little further down this path.

My friend is an amazing photographer and did their newborn shots. You can check them out on her blog.

http://bellinipics.com/blog/archives/3567

Thank you,

Kim

Sent from my iPad

[Guest guest]

Kim, your children are beautiful, the pictures are amazing. Congratulations! We have three daughters with Ds, one born to us and two adopted, and they have 6 siblings without Ds ) Our blog links are below, click on the girls names. Hugs,KrisVisit Meghan, Kara, and 's blogs by clicking on their names

[Guest guest]

Hi there

Your story is so similar to ours in NZ and we chose exactly the same path as

you. IE. One of our twins (from IVF) had an increased risk of DS and we

chose not to have the amnio too. Like you getting to pregnant stage had

been a tough journey and we did not want to jeapardise are precious bundle.

I too was glad I did not know before birth as I would have worried my guts

out!

We have two 9 year old boys and our lives are very busy. Hamish (who has

DS) is a lovely little boy and keeps us on our toes just like his brother

Sam, but in different ways. Just take one day at a time, would be my

advise.

All the best

from New Zealand

[Guest guest]

Welcome Kim to this group. I have been on

here for awhile as well as others.

I have 18 year old twin boys Neil and

who both have Down Syndrome.

I adopted them when they were nine months

old and I would do it all over again if I had the chance.

Neil and are typical teenagers now

and they changed almost everyone’s lives who meet them.

You lives may change because of the

diagnosis but your lives will change for the better not the negative. Yes it

may be a little scary sometimes because of the unknown but trust me when I say

you are going to love every minute of your children’s lives.

Enjoy them because they grow up really

fast

Congratulations

Thanks Caroline Mavridis

And I live in

BC Canada

From:

Multiples-DS

[mailto:Multiples-DS ]

On Behalf Of Kim Home

Sent: December-30-11 5:56 PM

To: Multiples-DS

Subject: Intro

Hello

everyone! My name is Kim and I live in Massachusetts.

I thought I'd share my story. Maddie and Will were born in October. Shortly

after birth, Will was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. My husband and I have been

married for 7 years, and have spent many years struggling to conceive. The

journey to our family has included miscarriages, unsuccessful ivf attempts, and

lots of heartache along the way. Ivf finally worked for us and we learned we

were having TWINS last Spring! The early risk assessment revealed that twin b

(Will) had a 1:43 chance of having Down Syndrome. We struggled with whether to

do an amniocentesis, but in the end decided not to because we didn't want to

put our little miracles at any risk. The 18-week ultrasound looked good, but

did show an echogenic focus on Will's heart. Once again, we passed on the

amnio. I spent the whole pregnancy with the fear that Will had Down Syndrome,

but not really believing it could 'happen' to us. I started to do some reading

online, but I would stop and say to myself, " Now Kim, you're just being

paranoid...he's fine. " . Though I worried a lot, I am glad we didn't know

before the birth. I would have just worried more. I had a c- section and we thought

Will looked like he did not have DS when he came out. In the recovery room, he

started looking purple while on my chest and the nurse had to take him over to

her station to revive him. A pediatrician came in to examine him and told me

that sometimes babies just forget to breath. That's when I told her that he was

at an increased risk for having DS and asked if he looked O.K. " That's the

other thing I wanted to talk to you about. " . Right then our hearts sank

and we knew. The rest of that day is a blur. Between the anesthesia and the

shock, it was hard to remember or process anything they were telling me. I know

we met with a cardiologist and a geneticist. Family came trickling in to red,

crying eyes. Poor Will had an infection and had to stay in the nicu, where he

spent 11 days. Going home without Will was like leaving your heart at the

hospital. To this day, I don't know how I survived those first couple of weeks.

Fast forward to today. The twins are 11 weeks old and are thriving. Will had a

cardiology follow up and his heart looks good. So far he has no health problems

and we realize how fortunate we are. They are precious beyond belief. Of course

I worry about the future, and I am looking forward to gaining insights from all

of you who are a little further down this path.

My friend is an amazing photographer and did their newborn shots. You can check

them out on her blog.

http://bellinipics.com/blog/archives/3567

Thank you,

Kim

Sent from my iPad

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