Scared for 12 week NT scan, help

[MonkeyPlush94]

12 week scan is in 6 days and I’m SOOO nervous. Not so much for a MMC as I know baby is nice strong and healthy but more along the lines of “chromosome abnormalities” I’m so afraid of thickened Nuchal fold and for my first trimester screening to come back alarming (not the NIPT) why do I feel like there’s something wrong with baby and I’ll need to terminate? How do I get this thought out my head. Is there any other pregnant woman on here who’s had the same thoughts and it was just their anxiety not their intuition? Idk why I didn’t worry so much about it last pregnancy, I think because I’m 30 now 🤦‍♀️

I had my son at 31 and I’m pregnant again now at 33 and both had low results for the combined test. It’s just an age, it can happen to 20yr olds.

I think a lot of people have worries with the 12 week scan. For me it was if the baby still had a heartbeat because I had a mmc in my first pregnancy. I was more anxious for the 20 week scan for issues mostly because by then it’s half way through and would be harder for me to process if something was wrong.

The chances are it will all be ok. Good luck.

I’m also really anxious, I am a bit of a natural worrier, but so scared they will come back with bad news. Currently waiting for the results of my combined testing. I had my scan on Monday at 13 weeks. NT was 1.9 which is within normal range, I believe, they didn’t want to discuss it with me and told me to stop googling, which I have now tried to do , but cannot stay off mumsnet. I’m 37 and it’s my first baby.

It's natural to worry because it's fear of the unknown. By far, the majority of the time things are normal, so try to focus on that and not so much the negatives

@MonkeyPlush94 I was massively worried and it turned out fine. NT was 2mm. Where I live NIPT is covered by insurance if the risk is higher than 1 in 1000 and you're over a certain age (I'm 37), and it came back as low risk.

They (the doctors, before recommending NIPT or not) calculate risk based on your age, NT at the specific age of the baby, and the baby's heart rate. There's a website you can find online that they use (or at least, mine did). Bear in mind that your age is what will increase the "risk" the most, so even though my risk turned out to be really low, because of my age it was inflated. @Olivepearl your risk from the website will come back lower than mine was (based on NT and our age, I don't know your baby's heart rate), and mine was ok, so try not to worry!

You're only 30, the risk of DS or other chromosomal disorders is still extremely low. Most women nowadays aren't starting their families until 30, and the overwhelming majority will have healthy pregnancies.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/02/01/most-british-women-wait-until-32-to-have-first-child/

I'm currently pregnant at 37 with my first, which I appreciate is quite far above average (TTC for years, unexplained infertility, successful first round of IVF). For a person my age the age related risk of DS was 1 in 270. However, in % terms that's a 0.37% chance, so over 99% chance of no disorder! And when I did my combined screening, my individual tests came back at 1 in 5000 chance, which is the lowest possible risk factor.

The statistics are on your side - try to focus on that to ease your anxiety. Best of luck and congratulations on your pregnancy.

think positive, I am 39 and pregnant. all you need to stay calm and composed. I have anxiety issues so drinking relax calm tea instead of medicines to calm my nerves. take good prenatal vitamins. why don't you visit secrets of tea on my recommendation you will find many effective things

It's more likely everything will be fine than not. Mmy babys NT was 2.3mm and I had a panic even though it's classed as normal everyone else's seemed to be in the 1s but everything came back as low chance.

If you're feeling really anxious and you can afford it NIPT is a great option as it's a pretty quick and very reliable answer to any chromosomal issues. I have had both my pregnancies well past 30 so I agree with others - your age is a very small factor. But I did get NIPT this time just to know before I went for the 12 week scan x