S/O - Genetic disorders & procreation

ac_in_dc

It would depend on the severity of the disorder and the possibility of passing it on.Along the same lines - DH and I didn't have any genetic testing done on our baby. Most testing only tells you that there is a % chance that the baby would have the disorder, not that they do or don't. Even if we knew that there was a higher probability that the baby would be born with X disorder, we wouldn't have terminated the pregnancy - we would have just worried for 9 months about it, so we opted out. Yeah, DH and I decided the exact same thing. On the genetic disorder stuff, it really depends. For example, I understand the feelings about not reproducing if you're a CF carrier. On the other hand, though, one of my best friends has a very good family friend with CF who is an amazing person and has lived an incredible (though challenging) life into his mid-20s so far. She always talks about, after knowing Charles, she could never make a decision to abort a CF-positive fetus.

temerityjane

I want to add, after reading a bit more, that I don't have a physically painful or potentially deadly disorder. I would probably have a different mindset if that was the case.

mocha beans

Brooklyn, my thoughs EXACTLY.  Genetic disorders and major illnesses are our only natural enemy.  As much as I think people should be treated and cured, part of me thinks we're circumventing nature by going to extreme means to keep people alive.

squirrly

mery, I don't remember at all what it is.  But I know it's something that both my friend & her H would have had to be carriers to pass on at all, so they were just hoping for at least one to be 100% in the clear.  I haven't seen his siblings (they didn't come to the wedding, which was a 4 hour drive), and it's been a while since she & I talked about it. 

brookelynpaisley

My mom and friend looked at me like I'd given birth to an alien in front of them when I shared my view. I will never vote against stem cell research - I realize that lives can be made far better through research and cures. I however, would not personally support a cure for a disease that either renders an individual sterile at birth or causes death decidedly prior to child bearing age. Who's to say what I would do if it's my own kid, though? It'd be heartbreaking. It's a whole other discussion though.

thesuninherhead

Adopt.

skiingstark

As others say it depends on the genetic disorder. I think most likely I would try to have a child and then have the fetus tested then decide off the results if we would terminated it or not. If that does not work then I would adopt.I do plan on testing regardless,to me and my beliefs  that is being responsible. Not to knock anyone else's beliefs. I think people are not living any more when they need someone to take of them 100% of the time, so I would not want to put my child through that.  Also I would not want my child to suffer pain all their life.

MeaghanandMichael

I am late on this buttt autism runs in Mike's family and it really really scares me. Whatever happened I would love and care for my child to death and so would Mike but I know how hard it was for him growing up and I can barely imagine having him go through that with his own family

xnikki118x

I've thought about this a lot, because I'm really interested in genetic disorders and read/know a lot about them. I think it comes from the fact that I don't know anything at all about my biological father.DH's father has osteogenesis imperfecta, aka brittle bone disease. Our first baby is due January 7. We've had a lot of specialist appointments and a genetic consultation, which determined that our son (and any of our future children) has about a 25% chance of being born with the disease. If he is, we'll deal with it then, but I hope he's born with healthy bones.If DH and I were both carriers for cystic fibrosis, I don't think I'd want to take the chance having children. If either of us had huntington's disease, I absolutely would refuse to have children.