Pregnancy: Diagnosis And Down Syndrome

8.18.2025

02 - a personal blog

I remember this day — now, nearly two years ago.

“I’m sorry, but your prenatal genetic screening came back positive for Trisomy 21, also known as Down syndrome.”

In that moment, everything became a blur. One sentence replayed in my mind for weeks - the shock, the denial, the confusion.  I was only 10 weeks pregnant, and suddenly, my world felt like it was unraveling.

The NIPT, that non-invasive prenatal test was only a screening - not a diagnosis. And I clung to stories I read online, of women who went on that have healthy babies despite positive results. But still, the anxiety, the fear… it consumed me.

On March 20th, at my twelve-week ultrasound, my OB confirmed what I dreaded most. My nuchal translucency scan was abnormal - another marker for Down syndrome. Silence filled the room, echoing that first phone call. I left devastated, angry, questioning everything - even God. ‘Why me?’ I begged Him for a different plan. I couldn’t understand how this could possibly be better than the future I had imagined, or how He thought I was capable of raising a baby with special needs.

A week later, I had a chorionic villus sampling (CVS) performed for a definitive diagnosis. I prayed the results would prove the earlier signs wrong. Instead, thirteen long days later, the doctor confirmed what I had feared: my baby had Trisomy 21.

I sobbed as I hung up the phone. Even though I knew the chances were high, I had still been holding onto hope. For nearly five weeks, I grieved the loss of a ‘normal’ future - a thought I would no longer have with my little girl. My thoughts were dark. My heart was heavy.

But during those days… something began to shift.  Through tears and constant prayer, God slowly began to change my perspective. The longest thirty-one days of my life brought me closer to Him than I had ever been before. My fear began to turn into peace. My questions… into trust.

Looking back now, I am deeply grateful for every single person who prayed with me, cried with me, and stood beside me in those early weeks. Their love — and God‘s presence —carried me forward.

As I prepared for the next steps, the anatomy scans, the echocardiograms, and more follow-ups — my prayers changed too. I no longer prayed for a different story, but for strength, for healing, and the courage to walk faithfully in the story God had written for me, and my daughter.

From Ivy’s Branches,

My faith only grew stronger. I prayed so, so hard that God would protect and prepare me for the plans ahead - those coming from the experts around me — but in the longest thirty-one days of my life, He changed my heart instead. The call that broke me also became the moment that brought me closer to God. What began in shock and sorrow slowly grew into surrender, trust, and love for the daughter God chose for me.

I thought God had given me more than I could handle… but He was preparing me for more love than I could ever imagine.   

I’m grateful for His love for me and His perfect plans for my life. Even when I don’t understand it nor see the bigger picture,  I now know and trust the most important person - the one who knows it all, God. In His perfect timing —  all things will be beautiful.

My prayers during my first pregnancy post:

“Dear Lord,

First off, thank you for Your mercy, compassion, and unconditional love. Thank you for caring about every aspect of my life.  Lord, thank you that Your love for me is so much more than I can even fathom. Help me to experience the fullness of this love on a daily basis.

Lord, please continue to teach me to come to You in prayer for all things. Lord, help me to seek You first because I know the gifts that come from seeking You - are nothing compared to the gift of knowing You. Remind me of Your word - to “seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”

Lord, I will continue to praise You because I know You are a faithful God.  Thank you for making a way for me to move through this difficult time, now, without being fearful.  I ask that when negative and anxious thoughts begin to flood my mind, you replace that fear with faith.  Please continue to remind me of Your word, “do not be afraid, for I am with you.  I will strengthen you and help you.”

Lord, I ask that You give me strength and guidance on this journey.  Please never let me lose sight of You and all Your promises. Even on my darkest days, God, I ask that Your light still shines through, for You are the light of the world.  Remind me of Your word, “For I know the plans I have for you… They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Lord, remind me that Your timing and plans for me are far more perfect and better than my greatest imagination.  Help me to remain still and be patient while You work.  I put my faith and trust in You God, even if that means waiting a little bit longer - I know that there is purpose in the waiting. Lord, even when life doesn’t make sense, I trust in Your sovereignty.  Your Word provides all the answers I will need in this life.

Lord, help me to allow this trial to serve as a growth opportunity for great joy.  I know that the suffering I am facing now, compares nothing to the glory that You will reveal to me later.  It is so refreshing to know that every challenge I face, You will be with me every step of the way.  Lord, whenever I grow weary and tired, remind me to place my trust and confidence in Your hands. I know You are greater than any challenge I confront on this earth.

Lastly,

Lord, use me.  Use my current circumstances to create something beautiful.  Let this serve as my testimony. I know that “in all things, You work together to bring about the good”.  Lord, I know You chose this path for me for a reason.  For even when I do not understand, remind me to lean on You.  Lord, help me trust Your authorship and embrace the challenges in my life because I know they can bring me closer to the future You have in store for me.

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