Prenatal Tests I Refused (and why)

There are an inordinate amount of prenatal related tests from blood work to vaginal checks and beyond. I strongly believe that every women should be informed of the tests being performed, and thus with careful consideration and research these are the ones I decided were not for me.

1. Any genetic testing. Most of the genetic testing is very invasive and carries a risk of miscarriage. I'm not talking about the basic blood work that your doctor schedules in your first trimester. I opted out of chorionic villus sampling, Tay-Sachs, the cystic fibrosis test, down syndrome, amniocentesis and sickle cell anemia. These tests were extra, and many just seemed unnecessary to me.
2. Another test I will be opting out of (it hasn't been done yet, they do this one at or around 24 weeks, I'm at 16 weeks) is the Gestational Diabetes test. Now, I will take this test if my doctor allows me to drink or eat something other then the Glucola. I won't be consuming the Glucola because the ingredient list is basically corn syrup, 50 grams of sugar polymer and lots of food coloring. I do not eat corn or drink corn syrup (its GMO!) and I never eat anything with food coloring it. I can't imagine changing this--in fact, I watch what I eat more now that I am expecting. This is just a personal preference towards nutrition for me.
3. The Tdap and flu shot. Personally, I don't think it is safe to administer a vaccine while pregnant. Since I've had previous seizures from vaccines, I will be avoiding this. This is personal to me because I know I have had serious reactions to vaccines in the past.
4. I will be refusing the group B streptococcus screening. If you don't know, group B step is a common bacteria found in the intestines and sometimes vaginas of women. If you test positive for group B, you must get antibiotics during delivery. I really don't want a IV during labor and I don't feel worried that group B will harm my baby if I happen to test positive. Only 2% of babies born to group B positive women get sick from group B, and of those 2% only .6% have serious complications. Also, in my research I saw that even if antibodies are administered, a baby can still catch group B.  
5. Any vaginal checks in the third trimester. I want to avoid introducing anything foreign into my vagina and I'm not worried about seeing if I'm dilated or not. When I dilate, I'm sure I'll eventually find out. 

Every expectant mother must make their own decision and do their own research about tests that their provider will be giving during pregnancy. These are the tests I felt were not safe for me.

What about you? Where there any tests you decided not to do?