Blood results

[raindrop84]

So I had all my bloods taken at my 12 week scan and was told to expect the results in the post within a week...I was just wondering how much info the letter goes into? Will it be easy to understand? They took so much blood so I know they test for so many different things!

@raindrop84 I think the amount of detail in the letter depends on where you live but it will definitely be easy to understand. Mine also had a contact number on it to phone if I had any questions and the lady on there was able to talk me through everything in detail when I asked a few questions.

Just a heads up...I was told results were usually expected within a week by post if low risk and if anything was high risk then they would phone within a few days. Thankfully got no phonecall but my low risk letter took 16 days to arrive due to delays because of Coronavirus. Hopefully you’ll get yours within a week but just to prepare you incase you don’t!!

Mine only took one vial at the 12 week. It does three tests- Downs, Edwards and Patau- but it comes back with a risk for downs and a risk for Edwards/Patau. Mine just said what the risk for both was and then said low risk.

@FourPlasticRings Wow, mine took 5! They said that some of it is usually taken at the 8 week booking appointment but mine was over the phone.

@WK29 Thanks, I was thinking it might be longer due to the virus and then there's also the bank holiday on Monday. I'll go with no news is good news...

@raindrop84 currently they are doing bloods that they would do at 8 weeks, the 8 weeks bloods are just general bloods to check iron levels, blood type and STIs, the 12 week bloods are the down syndrome, Edwards and Patau, the letter usually just states your risk for these, mine came back written as 1 in 10,000 for them, sometimes it just says low risk

@raindrop84 I was told that no news is good news by the midwife that took my bloods. Same situation as you, booking app over the phone so I had full bloods done at 12 weeks. None of “your” results will come back to you, unless they find any issues (blood type, STI, blood counts etc) - these just go in your file. Only the screening for Downs etc comes back to you.

Might be common knowledge to most but wasn’t to me...in Scotland they only screen for Downs, not Edwards and Pataus. They also don’t give a figure of 1 in 1000 or whatever. I was expecting full results back and got a letter that just said “your baby has a low risk of Down’s syndrome”.

All information on the screening process is meant to be given at booking but obviously with it being over the phone I didn’t have it. And when they took my bloods I was just asked to sign to consent to full testing (while they had a needle in the other arm 😂🙈) and sent out of the room within about 3 minutes with a whole folder of info. They couldn’t have got me out of there any quicker (obviously understandable due to current situation but I wasn’t even given the chance to ask any questions etc). I assumed based on what I’d read online that full screening was for all 3 syndromes but turns out I’d been reading up on the English system accidentally. My own fault obviously, but just incase anyone else finds themselves in the same situation with the lack of face to face contact.

OP, I was told the results were taking up to 3 weeks at the moment due to covid, but I had them back in 10 days. My trust uses an app for maternity notes and was told they would phone within 3 days if there was an issue, otherwise results on the app. My results were displayed as the syndrome and then the 1:....... figure.

@WK29 I'm also in Scotland, if you use the maternity notes app, you will get the 1:...... figure.

@wannabebump I don’t think I’ve been given any information on an app? Do you know if it’s only used in some areas?

@WK29 sorry not sure if all NHS areas use it - I was asked at the booking in appointment if I wanted to use it.

@wannabebump Ohhh ok, my booking appointment was literally 10 minutes maximum over the phone. Definitely wasn’t mentioned there so maybe it’s not available in my area.

@WK29 maybe. My booking was face to face and took over an hour so maybe different (it was the week of lockdown). You'll defo be able to get the results number if you want to see it though rather than just high/low risk x

That app sounds like a great idea, unfortunately we've got nothing like that where I am. I've been shocked at how old school everything is! 🤣

@wannabebump I did phone them to ask out some other things and they told me the number over the phone so that was ok. I have my first face to face appointment with one of the midwives from my area (although still not my midwife) at 22 weeks so hopefully I’ll be able to ask her a few questions and not be so rushed at that appointment!

DC1 and 2 it gave a detailed breakdown of the levels 'x' and then risk of DS, PS and ES. Subsequent DC the letter has just stated low risk or high risk.

How common is it that there's issues? Feeling really nervous just waiting especially if the wait might be longer than usual...

@raindrop84 it's dependant on a lot of different factors - age, medical history, etc so I don't think there is a %, but generally I think the risk is low x

Assuming you had the nuchal measurement taken at the scan? I believe if that measurement is good you have a high chance of baby not having DS, PS or ES.

@namechangeonehundred Yeah they took that although it doesn't seem to be recorded in my notes or anything? Not sure if they normally do that? She said everything is looking normal so far, not sure if they tell you there and then if there's a issue? This is my first so it's all new to me!

@raindrop84 they might not be that long, I had my bloods/12 week scan done Monday and my letter arrived today so less then 48 hours later. I'm in the south west

I am in Scotland and had my 12 week (though I was actually 13 weeks) last Thursday. They told me normally 3 weeks for downs results but probably 4 at the moment!! I will be not far off 20 weeks if there are issues which doesn't bear thinking about. And I am 41!

I had a private NIPT test but the first sample didn't have enough fetal DNA so was back this morning for another sample. It is taking about a week. Just hoping this sample is fine. It also screens for the other chromosomal abnormalities.

Going to be a looooong week. Xx

@Sheera1 my 12 weeks scan was 3 weeks ago and I was told the blood results were taking 3 weeks - but they were back within 10 days. I believe they also phone you quite quickly (within 3 days according to some other posts on MN) if there is potentially an issue. X

@wannabebump thank you. That is good to hear. Bloods were a week ago today. I am classed as a geriatric mum so more likely to get a high result. Fingers crossed all is ok. X