Private scans/NIPT

[Khanga27]

Hi there

I am 35 years old and currently 5 weeks pregnant. I have my midwife appointment next week (it was moved forward a week due to my midwife no longer being available on the original scheduled week), and we have decided to have an 8 week scan.

However I wondered whether anyone had experience of whether a private NIPT test was also worth doing? The one I have found locally is £400 including a scan and can be done from 10 weeks. I think the test would give me earlier information that the NHS route, but I'm conscious however that I'm perhaps being overly cautious by having 2 scans before my NHS scan?

Thanks

Hi,

I did just this. I am 36 and this is my 2nd child. I had a reassurance scan at 7 weeks + 3, saw heartbeat etc. I did the NIPT test and scan at 10 weeks.

I had the results about 12 days later all fine and about 2-3 weeks before NHS results. Had all mine with Ultrasound Direct.

I have not had any further private scans since and I have my 20 week NHS scan next week.

I didn't do this with my first pregnancy as I was 32 then and felt the risks were lower but wanted the reassurance this time x

I had an early scan at 8 weeks, just to check everything was in the correct place, however I didn’t have the private NIPT test as I had this at 12 weeks on the NHS and got the results back in the same week.

Private scans are okay but they tell you very limited information but it’s just nice to see baby and the quality was better than my NHS scans.

Why are you getting it done? Do you know what it is?

You had an NIPT test on the nhs without a previous high risk result of the combined serum screening test?

Hi OP, I was older when pregnant and paid for NIPT both times.

The NHS in my trust only offer it if you've already come back as high risk in the combined test. I didn't want to do it that way as it felt too stressful - no good for me or the baby! :)

What I like about the NIPT option is that a negative result is VERY likely to mean a healthy baby. The combined screen can often raise false red flags with scary sounding numbers...

For me it was worth the peace of mind.

Thank you for all the helpful insight @Tryingtoconceivenumber2 and @Glitterb it's really helpful.

@strongtsandcs I understand what it is, is a blood test to check the baby's dna in your blood for risks of downs syndrome, Edwards syndrome or patau syndrome.
This is my first pregnancy and I understand that from age 35 there could be higher risk. I have also read that the NIPT is more accurate than the initial blood test done by the NHS at the same time as my first scan. Based on this reading, my anxiety being high and the helpful responses I have had, I think I would rather have the peace of mind for my pregnancy. I was keen to see people's experiences of whether they opted for a private NIPT as well as an earlier private scan.

@WoolyMammoth55 thanks for your reply. I think the peace of mind will do me good. I have been working hard to manage my anxiety about things but I do think that an earlier test would be best rather than waiting longer via nhs.

Correct. There is a risk at any age but there is an increased risk as you get older.

I got the NIPT done as I'm 38. I knew the nhs wasn't as accurate and I didn't want to wait that long to have to terminate. It took longer for the NIPT tests to come back anyway, so I got both test results the same week - week 13.

It's not a negative results - it's a high or low risk that the baby has the condition.

Baby can still have the condition at low risk.

Scary sounding figures - some trusts say low or high risk.
A 1:1250 isn't scary?

Where I live the NHS only offers NIPT if you’re high risk. I wasn’t, so I wasn’t offered it. That’s why I paid for it privately. I wanted to have it to make sure, because I wasn’t happy with the NHS saying “you’re low risk” and just leaving it at that. For me it was worth it, I got peace of mind and the test told me the sex as well.

I am 42 and had my NIPT done privately at ten weeks (three weeks ago). This is what I went for. Results took a matter of days and I also had a reassurance scan. I didn't want to wait for the nhs x

@Khanga27 I'm 12 weeks and have had 6 private scans :) no sign of any nhs scan as yet so I feel I can't rely on that, my scans are through ultrasound direct. I did the NIPT test through Concepto Diagnostics at 10 weeks.

Hi OP, how sure are you on dates? And have you checked the place you are looking at for a private scan does transabdominal and/or transvaginal?

It is incredibly common to be even a week out. At 7 weeks you may not see much. Even at 8 weeks they sometimes need to do a vaginal scan to be able to see anything. Especially if you carry a little extra weight on your stomach, bladder not quite full enough, uterus tilted, baby hiding towards back etc. Some private places only do abdominal scans and will very much just tell you they can't see anything and chuck you out on the street with a go see GP you may have miscarried. Then you face an anxious wait while the NHS tries to fit you in it's already overstretched services when everything is perfectly fine! This is why they don't like private scans. People are told they can't see anything then they're left to pick up the pieces.

7/8 weeks is also so early that if what you expect isn't there, all they can do is tell you to come back in a week or two. While a good scan may provide reassurance, these scans can also cause more anxiety.

Considering 10 weeks is the very earliest you can have a NIPT, and earlier you are the higher chance there isn't enough fetal DNA in the sample, I'd recommend pushing back a week. Have the private scan at 9 weeks. You'll see much more of you're right, and be more guaranteed to see at least a heartbeat if dates are off. Then do NIPT at 11 weeks, higher chance of getting results first time. Alternatively wait until you get the combined screening at your 12 week scan. If results come back very low (e.g 1:5000) then you don't need to do it. If it comes back high risk (1:150) you'll be offered NIPT free on NHS. If its not high enough for further testing on NHS but higher than you'd like (e.g. 1:350) then you can still have the private one after.

HI OP

For baby 1 I just had the NHS 12 week scan and was low risk.

for baby 2 I was on the cusp of high risk for Down’s syndrome. Just outside the NHS threshold where they pay for NIPT. So I paid £250 private (just for downs screening because if you have high downs risk then you have low Edwards and the other one risk because they are either side of the indicator factors). I didn’t see the point in paying for all three as I knew my Edwards and the other one (can’t remember the name) was really low.
anyway, saved myself £150!

I wouldn’t bother paying for NIPT unless you’ve been given an indication you need it personally :)

Great advice.

I would say don't even bother for the viability scan if you are getting the NIPT scan. The baby will be further along and it will be assessed for abnormalities.

@FlyingHighFlyingLow so my last period was 2nd June and based on my ovulation tests I ovulated around 14th June so according to my Flo app I am 4 weeks and 6 days counting from 1st day of last period (midwife that I am booked with confirmed this). Could there be some fluctuation?

I tested by chance on 25th June using a first response and got a surprisingly solid positive line. I tested again later that week in case it was false using a first response and also.a boots test (not early tester), both again solid positives, then a test the following weekend which again was a solid positive line. That was my nerves doing the 4th test because of how surprised I was at how solid the previous lines were for where I thought i was in my cycle. I've been surprised how early my symptoms have been to be honest and that also has me a bit of a bag of nerves.

The early scan we have provisionally booked is at 8 weeks and 3 days (based on what the flo app is telling us) - the clinic we contacted (all 5* reviews) advised between 8 and 9 weeks when I was concerned 6 weeks was too early for a scan. I figured if we did the NIPT we would go for 11 weeks (on basis that it states from 10 weeks and as you mention dates might fluctuate)

@Khanga27 my specialist wanted me to have a scan at 6.5 weeks which is when I had my first, the heart beat should be visible by then. They were able to see everything via an abdominal scan in me but a transvaginal is the clearest at this time.

Your 'peak' on LH ovulation tests isn't you ovulating. After your peak you ovulate within 48 hours (so there is 2 days variability) plus implantation can occur between 8 and 12 dpo so there is more. Even twins can measure a couple days apart early on. There's so much room for variability especially that early.

Your 8+3 could be perfectly spot on. Just bear in mind if you're actually 7+3 you might struggle to see much. I had an EPU scan at 7+5 based on LMP (7+2 according to measurement) and honestly didn't see much. I saw a blob with a heartbeat, could just about tell by shape which end was which 😂. I had a private scan at 10+1 by LMP (measured 9+5) before I told family, mainly for reassurance as I was still bleeding etc. Could see it's little arms and legs moving about, looked like it had the hiccups! Could see a lot more. 12 week scan at 12+5, once again measured 12+2 so that moved my due date officially. I've always measured 3 days behind and the midwives etc never so much as batted and eyelid at it. I have my 20 week scan tomorrow so I'm currently very anxiously waiting!

Basically you could have an amazing scan at your current date. Just bear in mind there are plenty of reasons why you might not see much that don't necessarily mean anything is wrong with baby.

@FlyingHighFlyingLow yeah so I got my peak on the morning of 13th so thats why I say around the 14th I think I ovulated.

To be honest if I do proceed with the 8+3 scan, I would be happy just to have a heartbeat so I know there is something there at least. We are currently trying to decide whether tell family after that point or later (unless my symptoms get much worse in which case they may guess anyway...)

Thanks it's really helpful to understand things

Thanks for the insight its very much appreciated. Its my first pregnancy any my anxiety has been quite high about little things so I think the reassurance will hopefully help me

Definitely @Khanga27 I've had a long and complicated journey with a lot of IVF, the wait between the positive test and the first scan was hard. So much rides on it, I just had so many fears and was so relieved once it was done, at the early scan they look for a gestational sac and then inside it a fetal pole (the baby) with a heart beat and the yolk sac. So you may want to have a look at some Google images so you know what you're looking at.

I got NIPT done in my first pregnancy despite being 30 and no reason to think I'd be high risk. I have anxiety and it put my mind at ease more than the NHS tests would have.

I am 38 and opted in to do NIPT privately at 11 week. I did Panorama test which gives more accurate result rates (lower false positives) and lower chances of no results compared to Harmony test. With Panorama, you even have the option of checking for sex chromosome abnormalities and a few other conditions (available on extended panel option which for us costed an extra 150). The scan I did along with the blood test was very thorough and done by a fatal medicine specialist. It was way better quality and longer than the 12 week scan at NHS. If you are in London check London pregnancy clinic in Shoreditch. That's where I did NIPT and the result came back in exactly 1 week although for Panorama it had to be sent to the US for processing.

Overall, I am very happy that we went for the test. I wouldn't have done it any other way,