Couldn't do nuchal test at 12-week scan

[anniemay123]

Hi everyone,

just looking for thoughts - we had our 12-week scan today but the sonographer could not get the baby in the right position to do the nuchal translucency test or to check for risk of Edward's or Patau's syndrome.

They have said that we can return at 15 weeks to have a blood test for Down's - but that we would have to wait until the 20-week scan to check for Edward's or Patau's. As we were leaving, the midwife who was on training said we could consider doing Harmony testing.

Does anyone think it's worth doing a Harmony test (£350-560 depending on where you have it done)? - it gives a lot of certainty about things - but at the same time i'm not sure if this is going overboard - especially if the answers from the scan today would have been to tell us whether we were at low/high risk, at best.

Has anyone been in a similar position and what did they do? This is an IVF pregnancy so has been associated with a lot of anxiety at each stage - and i think it's going to be part of the pregnancy too :(.

We haven't told family or friends yet, but were planning to after getting the results of the nuchal test today - but now i'm not sure if we should wait until after we have the results of the 15-week blood test.

Any thoughts people have would be much appreciated - has anyone ever pushed for another scan close to 12 weeks or had a scan privately (before the nuchal test window closes)?

Thanks a lot!

Why haven't the hospital offered to rescan you?

If you have the money and are anxious why don't you book a private scan and/or pay for the harmony test?

I did the harmony test in my current pregnancy (but not before) as my Downs risk came back higher than previous pregnancy.

Not sure why the hospital haven't offered to rescan - we didn't ask about it either - but I might speak with the midwife and see whether we can have another scan booked in.

Hi

I experienced the same thing. I never got offered a rescan either but like you I didn’t question it. I had the blood test and I didn’t receive the results in the post like after the scan. When I went to see my midwife I had to ask her if she had the results and she just told me I was low risk. It seems you have to push push push to get what you want! I would most definitely ask if the hospital can rescan but I believe the nhs only do these tests between certain weeks (I might be wrong) so do this quickly.

In the end I ended up having lots of scans as I was consistently told baby was too small. DD was born at 8lbs. The anxiety was unbearable at times so take the harmony test if it helps with piece of mind

Hi Toolchest, thanks for your thoughts - we'll call the midwife tomorrow and see if we can push for retest. I don't really know why I'm worrying about it - i think I just wanted some reassurance today so that i feel more in control of what is happening - but maybe that's where i'm being naive - maybe you can never feel like you're in control!! :)

I had the same thing, I wanted to know my stats so I booked a private Michal scam a week later (£125)

Nuchal not Michal

Thanks, EmmaJR! What about Edward's and Patau's? Did you get any results for those conditions or did your clinic just focus on Down's?

Same happened to me. I decided after a lot of thought u have the quad test at 15 weeks and then go from there. If it came back low risk but still not low enough risk for me in my mind then I’d then opt to go for NIPT test. It came back 1:10,000 which is enough for me to be reassured

Hi they did all 3 - that was my main reason for paying private. I'm older so my risks were always going to be higher so I wanted to know either way.

It was money well spent.

I did the Harmony before my 12 week scan, i would try and push it pay private for a scan if they don't give you one on nhs though as the scan picks up on neck measurement which can also be an indication of heart problems. Mine was a pain during my 12 week scan he just wouldn't get in to position, in the end she did an internal and managed to get everything but he definitely wasn't keen on being scanned!

I have a retroverted uterus so in both pregnancies they were able to tell me everything looked ok at the 12week scan but couldn’t get the nuchal measurement with either. In both pregnancies I therefore had the quad test at 15weeks. It tests for downs, Edwards and can pick up neural tube defects I.e. spina bifida. I didn’t worry about having the harmony done, I considered it for about 5mins but then decided we were happy to wait for the quad given everything looked ok. As a poster about said I just had a text from my midwife saying it had come back ‘low risk’ and I had to call the office to get the actual ratio.