NIPT recommendations

[curliegirlie]

Hi,

I recently found out I’m pregnant and I’ll want to go for NIPT, as we want more accurate results than the standard NT and bloods give. We found out my daughter has Down’s hours after she was born, after having been given a 1 in 1,900 chance of DS, so we’d rather not run the risk of a similar surprise this time (it cast a huge shadow on what should have been an amazing day), and/or unnecessary assumptions of amnios etc. if the chance comes back as high, which it almost certainly would do this time round through the NHS tests. I’d like a better certainty of what to expect, and if the NIPT comes back as high chance for Down’s, it means the sonographers will conduct the scans with that in mind and look out for potential related issues etc.

Anyway...I’m after recommendations.

I’ve heard good things about FMC, but as I’m based in Bucks, I’m also wondering about Baby Bond, as that is a bit more local and I wouldn’t have to go into London for it, but the only thing that’s potentially putting me off there is that they seem to be better known for 3D scans, etc., so would the scans be as medically sound?

Also, do most packages include early scans, and if so, how early? Would they be conducted earlier than the NIPT bloods or at the same time?

Thanks all x

As far as I am aware all Babybond sonographers are NHS trained and the vast majority still work within the NHS so I wouldn’t worry about that

At babybond the NIPT involves a dating scan and bloods at the same appointment, I would assume most private clinics go the same

Sorry meant to say also that NIPT is performed from 10 weeks

Might be worth double checking with your doctor\mw that you can't get it on the NHS? I think some trusts do offer it already although it might only be to patients assessed as high risk after the 12 week scan. We had ours done by my ultra baby and it was the same sonographer we had for our 20week NHS scan (who was very good at the technical stuff)

Thanks all. It turns out we can get the Iona test through Stoke Mandeville (£300 as opposed to £400 for getting the Harmony test privately) so that’s what we’re going for.

I had the harmony test but as far as I'm aware they send the blood sample to the same lab regardless, so it's more a question of their ability to scan accurately to date it.

@curliegirlie how did you go about organising the IONA year at Stoke Mandeville please?

I just asked my midwife at booking in and she put me in touch with the screening midwives. I think I was a slightly special case because of my first daughter, and ordinarily they only offer it if you are given high chance through NT/combined bloods. No harm in asking though!