Prenatal screening / tests

[hypeman]

Hi all,

I'm currently 9/10 weeks pregnant. 10 weeks by dates but an early scan at 8 weeks due to bleeding showed me measuring 7 and a bit weeks so possibly a week behind. No EDD given yet.

I've not had my booking appointment yet or a scan date confirmed so until I can discuss with midwife thought I'd turn to Mumsnet for advice.

I am considering paying for the harmony test. This would mainly be for the screening for downs and other conditions. I don't believe I have any specific risk factors but I am very worried.

Both my siblings had high risk results. One of their children did have one of the conditions and the other didn't. I don't know if this puts me at risk or not.

I didn't have additional screening in my first pregnancy. I had a low risk result from the 12 week combined screening first time around and didn't think any more of it. The situation with my siblings occurred between my pregnancies so I feel like it's a scarier thing now.

What is holding me back is purely financial. The test is expensive and I don't know how I'd afford it but I could probably shove it on a credit card.

I've talked at length with my partner and he feels we should just wait for the combined screening and go from there but has said it's ultimately my choice and we'd manage if I wanted to go ahead with it.

Has anyone had or not had the test and be happy to share their experience to help me decide?

Post 12 week scan my risk factor for DS was high (mostly due to my age). I had NIPT paid for by the NHS - they started providing it last summer a couple of weeks before I was offered - so you may be able to get it provided by your hospital

I think my main issue is waiting until after 12 weeks.
My booking appointment isn't until almost 11 weeks. So my scan is likely to be 13/14 weeks. Results by perhaps 15 weeks.

If I did need further tests I'd be getting along with the pregnancy making everything all the more difficult.

I guess it's about early knowledge.

I wanted the harmony test because I was late 30's and I booked it just before my 12 week scan. I'm glad I did because my combined test came back high risk (partly because of my age) and sent me into a spin. Luckily I'd had the harmony test by that point and was waiting on the results. The results came back low risk thankfully. For me, the money was worth it for the peace of mind it gave me. An added extra was finding out the sex of my baby early, but that really wasn't a factor in why I opted for it.

I do wonder if I'd had the harmony test results BEFORE my high risk combined screening results, if I'd have still felt worried. I think I may have done, even though I know the harmony test is far more accurate. So for that reason, I'd maybe say get your combined results first and then the harmony (if you still feel you want it).

I didn't enquire, but maybe you can opt out the combined screening if you've had the harmony? It would make sense that that was an option...

I'm not going to find out the gender anyway so it's not a consideration for me.

My worry is just around knowing sooner rather than later. If I wait for the combined screening I'm going to be pushing 17/18 weeks by the time I have the results etc.

I'm booked in for the NIPT test on Monday, I'm 40, and like you didn't want to wait until much later on for the results, if I'd gone through NHS my results would have to come back as 1:150 risk to have the NIPT on the NHS, anything above that and they don't do it, plus if a decision did need to be made I'd want it to be earlier on. With the private NIPT test I will receive my results within 7 days. My midwife has marked.me as a decline on the NHS screening as said NIPT will be more accurate.

@annlee3817 that's interesting thanks.

What's the difference between the NIPT and the harmony do you know?

Just brand name, they're the same tests

NIPT is the type of test. Harmony is a brand name, Panorama is another for example.

The combined test can’t be done after 14 weeks so if you’re genuinely looking at an NHS scan date of around then plus you’re also unsure on dates, then you might have to have the less accurate downs only quad test instead. Personally I would not be happy with that so would definitely go for private NIPT instead. But if you get a scan date through earlier then I possibly wouldn’t bother if it would be a big financial stretch.