On the day that I suspected I might be pregnant with baby number two, I went out and bought a Clearblue Digital Pregnancy Test.

I got it home, read the instructions, and, as soon as I was ready, went to the bathroom and ‘used’ it. I think the stick is supposed to respond within a couple of minutes, but I’d only just finished doing what I had to do when ‘bling’ the thing started flashing ‘pregnant’ at me!

My husband and I were absolutely over the moon. We had only recently started trying for our second baby, after months of deliberation, and ‘should we/ shouldn’t we’ type discussions. I’d had a miscarriage a couple of years before, and felt scared at the potential prospect of it happening again. The stark truth was, I was 42 years old, and so the risk of another miscarriage was considerably higher than it would have been 10 years earlier. Still, we desperately wanted a sibling for our daughter, and in the end decided to give ourselves 6 months to see whether or not it happened.

After our positive result, we hugged the news to ourselves for a week or two; giggling with each other whenever we were on our own, and secretly making plans for our little one. Would it be another girl, or a boy this time? What would we call him or her? Where would he or she sleep? That sort of thing.

A couple of weeks further into my pregnancy, I thought I perhaps ought to go to the doctors and, at least register the fact that I was pregnant. He was absolutely charming, and filled out all the relevant forms for me. He referred me to the midwife, and explained all about the free prescriptions, and anything and everything else I might need to know about being pregnant again.

Then came the crunch. “About your age,” he said. “You do realise that you’re in a higher risk age group for chromosomal abnormalities?” I did realise that, of course, but my husband and I were in complete agreement that “even if the worse happened” we would want to keep our baby. So what was the point in having any obtrusive tests? Still the doctor was insistent. He wanted to refer me to a Consultant at the local hospital to discuss the various options.

Now the option available fairly immediately was to have a triple test. This blood test basically works out how likely it is that your baby is going to have a chromosomal abnormality. However, we had been informed that they weren’t always to be relied upon. Our midwife confirmed that she’d had patients who were high risk who had gone on to have perfectly “normal” babies, and others who had had a 1:4000 chance, who had had a child with Down Syndrome.

If the triple test comes back with a high risk factor you are routinely offered an amniocentesis. During this procedure, amniotic fluid is removed from the uterus (using a huge needle, I hasten to add), and analysed. This test will confirm whether or not there is any abnormality in your baby, and will also determine its sex.

We duly went along for our appointment and explained to the Consultant that we understood the advantages of having the tests done, but that we felt it pointless to undergo an obtrusive examination and risk the life of our unborn child (there is a risk of miscarriage with amnio), when we were 100% certain that we would want to keep it, regardless of the outcome.

The Consultant seemed perfectly happy with our decision, although all of my notes were marked to the effect that I had been offered the various tests and had declined them – I guess that’s so that they’re covered in the event of anyone deciding to sue!

So, my pregnancy continued with no intervention at all. Of course, I had to visit my midwife regularly for the usual blood and urine checks., and I had to have a couple of scans, when my baby was measured and assessed to be growing normally. But that was nothing out of the ordinary, and certainly in no way connected to my age! It’s just what midwives do!

Anyway, at 38 weeks I went into labour, and 5 hours later (and with virtually no pain relief, apart from a bit of gas and air at the transition stage) our gorgeous son was born, weighing 6 lbs 7 oz.

Shortly after his birth, my husband and I were given the heart-breaking news that Zac has Down Syndrome – a chromosomal abnormality that would have been detected by amniocentesis.

So, do we regret not going ahead with the offered tests? Not at all. Our son is an absolute delight and an adored addition to our family. The fact that he has Down Syndrome is neither here nor there – it’s part of who he is, just as his blue eyes are! Of course, we are aware that Down Syndrome causes learning disabilities (sometimes severe), and some major health problems, although, thankfully, Zac is growing well, he is bright and alert, and his heart is perfectly normal.

We are grateful to have had Zac in the 21st Century - it is remarkable how attitudes towards the condition have changed even in the last 20 years. Today, children with DS can expect to go to a mainstream school, pass their GCSE’s, get a job and maintain an independent lifestyle as adults. I know Zac won’t ever be a brain surgeon, but then again, how many of us actually are?

As his parents, my husband and I actually feel very blessed that we know what some of the challenges of bringing Zac up are going to be. How many parents know that? We have friends whose children have suffered intolerably over the years, only to be diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 10 or 11. How much more of a disability is that?

Statistics show that 2 babies are born every day with Down Syndrome, although no records exist to show how many babies are aborted or miscarried following amniocentesis. I imagine that a lot of decisions to terminate come about as a result of parents “freaking out” at the idea of bringing a child into the world who is not “normal”. It certainly sounds a scary prospect, but I have to say that, in practice, it’s not so bad. Zac is still my son, and I love him, regardless of what label is put on him.

Had I had the tests that were offered to me, I can honestly say that the rest of my pregnancy would have been traumatic for me – and indeed the rest of our family. I know that we wouldn’t have opted for a termination, but even so, we would have dreaded the birth, and we would have been robbed of all the excitement that impending parenthood brings. We wouldn’t have coped with the idea of having a child with Down Syndrome, and in our ignorance would have imagined the very worse. In this respect, I can empathise with those who do make the decision to have the test, and then have to make a life-changing decision off the back of that. As it is, we’ve been thrown into the deep end, and are having to deal with it!

We know there are going to be challenges ahead. For a start, we don’t yet know the extent of Zac’s disability as he won’t be assessed until he is 6 months old. Even then, a lot of it will be a waiting game. We have had to learn to take each day as it comes, and to let Zac go at his own speed. I’ve chucked out all of the baby books which tell you what your child should be doing at what age, as I don’t need to put that sort of pressure on myself.

Our precious son is gorgeous, an absolute gift to our family, and in our eyes he is perfect. We wouldn’t change him for the world.