What to expect at 12 week DS screening

[PipJoy]

Hello everyone

It's my first time on here so please forgive me if I fail to get the etiquette right!

I'm hoping somebody may be able to answer my question. I'm going for my dating scan tomorrow but also having the DS screen, and I didn't previously ask the right questions of my midwife and so have failed to understand what happens with the result of the DS screen.

Do they tell you your likely risk there and then or do you have to wait a few days for the result? And does it involve taking more blood?

Grateful for the info if anyone has experience.

Thank you!

If you are having a nuchal then they will do the dating scan as normal and at the same time they will measure the little fluid filled gap on the baby's neck. They will also take a blood sample, the scan measurements and blood tests results are put together to give a 'risk' factor'. In our PCT and risk 1/100 or higher is referred to the consultant for further discusssion, another scan and a chat about any further tests you may choose to have.

Is it the nuchal fold or the triple test? Is it at the sane time as your scan?

Either way you will have a blood test and then they will write to you with the results - we were told that if it showed anything they would call us within 48 hours. If we didn't hear then just wait fir the letter.

Hi there

Thanks for your responses - really helpful. I actually don't know which test it is - that's really bad isn't it? I've got a feeling it's the nuchal fold - think that's what I read in the screening info they gave me.

I'm not relishing the wait - got myself in a bit of a tizz waiting for HIV results last week and not looking forward to another agonising delay!

I also think my husband is under the impression that we get a result tomorrow... had better put him right as know he is worried about this one.

Thanks for your support, much appreciated.

It depends on the hospital- mine gave me the results there and then on the same day.

Ah okay there is hope then! I feel like I want to call the midwife and ask but is only tomorrow so guess can just wait.

I guess the triple test that some of you may have had is the one that doesnt just test for DS but other chromosomal abnormalities? I have read a couple of posts about them - is it Edwards and Patu or something? They sound more scary as they may mean it is not viable? I think there are worse things than DS really.

I think this is all just scary - hoping this whole pregnancy thing gets easier soon, is a bit of an anxious time!

The nuchal space can be enlaged for other reasons than Down syndrome.
Have you had a chance to think through what you would do if the scan did show a higher risk, and whether you would pursue further testing?

We're not sure about that. On paper, if it was viable and a risk of something that's not going to mean it's impossible to continue, then we are unlikely to consider termination, although I guess you can't say that for certain until you know about quality of life etc. But my husband is Catholic and I just don't think I could. So I guess then you wonder what the point of further testing is, but I can see the logic in preparing yourself, and also I'm so anxious I don't think I would be able to just leave it, think I would need to pursue it.

Is it normal to be nervous before this scan? Am also scared about the dating one - terrified something will have gone wrong since my early scan a month ago.

I'm a Christian and would not consider a termination in any circumstances (unless my life was immediately threatened perhaps), so you know where I am coming from.

We decided to have the NT done when I was pregnant with DD because we wanted to know about problems before. Sadly she did turn out to have significant problems, which I think they would have told me about anyway (her nuchal fold was 11.9mm). We had decided before that we wouldn't have invasive testing and felt no pressure to have it when we knew she had problems. Over the next few scans, it was clear that she was going to die before term, but the scans before then and later had she survived would have allowed decisions to be made about whether she was just for palliative care when she was born or whether we needed to deliver somewhere that could deal with babies with significant heart defects.

I do hope this isn't the case for you, and I can understand the worry, but there are things that the doctors can do to help assess the problems without invasive testing. I never felt under any pressure to consider invasive testing or termination.

I'm now 8/40 so about to start it all again but I know I'll be well looked after by fetal medicine whatever the next scans show.