very confused

[NanBullen]

i'm 34 and had my dating and nt scan last week which showed a nt measurement of 3.7mm. Obviously high so had bloods taken and got the results today.

Apparently my bloods were good, above average apparently but my risk is still high, 1/35. last week my risk was 1/10 which i wasn't told at the time so the risk has gone down slightly.

I am now 12+3. My question is, if my bloods are so good, why hasn't it lowered my risk more? I've been reading threads on here from women of a similar age who had an even higher nt measurement but with good bloods this took their risk down to 1/250 or 1/850 etc

I opted for the cvs but the placenta was in the wrong place so have to wait a week to have it done.

tbh, i'm very upset, i almost wish i hadn't had any tests done at all but now i need to know. Just confused why my risk is so high. also the dr said a nasal bone was present but they do not factor this into the risk.

thanks

anyone?

Nan - I'm so sorry you've had a highish risk result and sorry you have to wait even longer for the CVS. Same happened to me last year and the wait was so hard.

I'm not sure exactly why the bloods haven't changed the result much, but I have seen this before. I think when the nuchal fold gets to a certain size, you're going to be pretty high risk whatever the bloods say. And the bloods say different things for different risks (Downs vs another chromosomal or heart problem for example) It's not really an exact science - just a set of correlations which help to tell you a risk factor. 1/35 is not as great as you'd like, but it really does still mean that 34 people given that same result will be ok. Try and concentrate on that. Nasal bone is another factor some places factor in, but I'm afraid my 12 week old had a perfectly good nasal bone but really was not so good on the chromosomal front.

Anyway, hang on tight in the meantime and try and find lots of ways to distract yourself this week while you wait for the CVS. DVD box sets are a common recommendation around here.....just a way to make time pass with as little time to think as possible. Fingers crossed for an easy cvs and some better news. x

Thanks LittlePoot, it's just the waiting thats the hard part isn't it?

I'm trying to take comfort from some of the posts on here that say they had higher nt measurements but the baby was ok.

Hi Nan

Good luck with the waiting, it is so very hard isn't it. Almost impossible to do when you are in the situation, but you just have to look at the stats and whilst 1/35 is worrying it is still so very very likely that things will be good. A large NF isn't always - or indeed often - bad news as is just a marker than triggers all the odds and stats. Unfortunately, like Littlepoot, my baby ended up having chromosome problems BUT the scan was fine, nasal bones present, nuchal fold around 2mm, it was my bloods that were awful and bought my risk down to 1/3. So there really isn't any absolute rhyme or reasson to it - unfortunately it is just a waiting game with the added temptation of Dr Google to send you beserk in the meantime!! Try to think that you probably woudn't bet your house - or even a few hundred quid - on a racehorse with those odds so fingers crossed all will be OK. Best wishes

thankyou, i've kind of resigned myself to bad news so maybe i'll be pleasantly suprised? I'm trying to focus on the good blood test results and not the nuchal fold measurement.

I hate waiting!

Hi nanbullen

my nuchal was 4.6 at my dating scan the nhs dont do a combined test in my area so I went for a private combined scan the following day with a sonographer who was acrredited by the FMC. She measured the nuchal at 3.2 combined with my bloods brought it down to 1:1128. Baby had a nasal bone and healthy tricuspid doppler. I then had my quad bloods done at 16+2 with nhs who have given me a 1:5 risk so the nhs are now saying I am high risk where the private said I am low risk.

I have chosen not to have amino due to personal reasons but to be honest with you I wish I hadn't had any tests done as it has caused nothing but worry and confusion. I had a scan done at 16 weeks all ok and my 20 week scan is tommorrow so hopefully all will be ok.

By the way am nearly 32, anyway hope this helps as your not on your own, take care. x

Thankyou janski31. I find myself being upbeat about it one minute, downbeat about it the next.

I wish i had the money to go private! But then i would still wan the cvs anyway just to be sure so there's probably not much point.

good luck for tomorrow

xx

Hi Nanbullen

Just seeing how you are? How did you get on with everything?x

Nanbullen

No doubt you have read my thread where my initial nuchal fold reading was 6.7mm (at 13 wks)and to be honest, we were told to expect the worst and the outcome was very poor. Anyway, I am now 18 weeks and we're still here, had CVS - chromosomes normal and am awaiting a detailed heart scan a week on Tuesday. Basically, what I am saying is do not give up hope. It's bloody tough going through the process of invasive testing and they prepare you for the worst. At the end of the day, the measurements are just soft markers and not diagnosis'. When I went for a scan 2 weeks ago (as I was told at one point the baby probably wouldn't survive 16 weeks), the consultant told me that years ago, they didn't even flag up nuchal fold readings and looked at the whole picture. I think all this measurement and blood ratios scare the living daylights out of pregnant women and their families.

We're not out of the woods yet but it has been the most stressful and desperate time of my whole life, not to mention the strain it has put on my family. I have only started t relax and actually bring myself to read baby books this last fortnight.

To be given the option of termination at 13 weeks and told that they couldn't even give us a "1 in ?" chance as the situation looked so bad, to be told 2 weeks ago that the baby looked fine is a massive difference. Unfortunately there are some people where the news isn't so great and there has been problems, but there are people who have come through the other side with perfectly healthy babies. Its a tough process, but please be positive and keep strong.

Janski - please let us know how you get on.

Hi peelprincess

I am now 24 weeks and all looks ok so far, nothing was picked up on my 20 week scan and we found out we was having a little girl!

Am seeing the community midwife every couple of weeks so she can keep an eye on me so far so good, fingers crossed.

I still have days where I have a bit of a wobble and panic, like today am convinced she isnt moving about as much as she should the worry is just never ending!!

Will be thinking of you on Tuesday x

Hi Janski - did you not have any further, more detailled scans such as the cardio etc?

I'll be glad when Tuesday arrives to be honest - we have been waiting 7 weeks for it. x

The only scans I had with were the dating scan at 12 weeks which showed thick nuchal, scan at 16 weeks to check how things were progressing and scan at 20 weeks ( the sonographer was the head of dept) so I am assuming she did a indepth scan and was very experianced as she knew we were 'high risk'.

After my scan at 16 weeks I still panicked until my scan at 20 weeks but one of the other posters oldmum42 made me feel better by saying they should be able to tell a lot at 16 weeks especially any major abnormalities. Your 16 week scan was ok?

Let us know how you get on Tuesday I will be thinking of you, so far it all looks positive though x

That is positive news from your 16 and 20 week scans then. You were very brave to opt out of invasive testing.

My 16 week scan was all normal but it was at my local hospital and not at the FMU. I expect, like you said they could still see if something majorly was wrong though. I saw the registrar after my 16wk scan and he said they would be able to see if there was a major problem with the baby so again that confirms what oldmum42 posted.

Thanks for your kind words, I will let you know how I get on. x

I dont know about being brave!! Like i said I do have a wobble every so often but then I just try and think what will be will be.

Everyone is different but one of the reasons I refused any testing was I had a mmc in jan this year which was so upsetting as I thought I was 13 weeks pregant but when I went for scan little buba had stopped growing at 7-8 weeks. It took me a ages to get over it and still have a panic attacke every time I see a scanning machine. I am a born worrier so just knew would have got myself into a right state if I had the invasive testing thinking I was having a miscarriage every 5 minutes and sadly there is always that one it happens to.

Sometimes I think have I just buried my head in the sand? But I also just had a feeling that I needed to let fate be in charge so fingers crossed my baby girl will arrive happy and healthy in December whatever that means.

Take care x

sorry janski31 just found this thread again!

Well, had the cvs and got the results the next day, good news The baby is completely fine and i'm now 23 weeks! I still have to have fetal heart scans (all fine so far) and have another one tomorrow actually. But it was such a relief to get the all clear for chromasomal abnormalities.

Oh, and it's a girl!

Hope you're doing ok

xx