3.7mm NT, feeling worried

[LuckyMoonstone]

12 week scan today with baby number 4. Had two NT measurements of 3.5mm and 3.7mm so had my blood test fast tracked.
I know all I can do is wait for the results but I’m really worried and hoping for some reassurance.
For context I am 33 and husband is late 30s so age shouldn’t be a risk.
She said everything else looked normal.

Also, I’ve measured a whole week ahead of where I thought I was. I track ovulation and I really can’t believe it was a whole week earlier than I thought. I don’t even think I had sex around when that would have been. Is this a potential indicator of something being wrong, measuring so far ahead at this stage? I had an early scan at about 7 weeks and that was bang on where I thought it should be.

Bump

I’m really sorry @LuckyMoonstone but I don’t know. However, I’m hopefully bumping for you. I had similar, although was a lot older than you but all was well and hopefully will be for you as well. Are you coming back as 13 weeks?

Yeah I thought I was 12 but I’m 13, a full week ahead. Just seems so much, like it doesn’t add up

Hi @LuckyMoonstone I had exactly this with my DC a few years ago (she is 10). My NT measurement was nearly 5mm and I was a week ahead (13 weeks instead of 12) of what I thought I was (and I knew the exact date of conception!). I was 29 as well. Told just to terminate by the nurse in the scanning dept. Blood work indicated 1/19 chance of Down Syndrome, but ruled out Edward’s and Pataus based on bloods. I had an amniocentesis at 17 weeks and baby had a heart scan at 19 weeks. All was fine - the consultant said that my baby just had “a fat neck” and it was possible my son had exactly the same. My baby was born with zero issues. She does have an autoimmune condition (coeliac) but otherwise healthy.

Fingers crossed for you that it’s the same and nothing to worry about 💐

@JasmineJasmine74 thank you so much that’s really reassuring, you must have been so worried. Once you’d had your screening report back, was the next step straight to the amniocentesis or was there another step? I can’t remember what my midwife said to me.
Im considering paying for the NIPT.

Hi - I had the exact same measurement etc with my son. He was born with no issues. With my blood results I got the NIPT test for free at the hospital I was at. It took just under 2 weeks to get the results. I think you should be able to as well. Not sure if it depends where you live but it was in my case.

you can pay for the NIPT privately but it is very expensive, and you may only get those results back a few days earlier.

i know how stressful this can be so sending you a big virtual hand hold.

@LuckyMoonstone yes, IIRC it was blood test -> results -> amniocenteses -> heart scan. It was a very worrying time as we just read all negative stories, but please try and keep faith that all will be well 🙂 at the time, those 2 weeks waiting for the results felt like a lifetime. Will be thinking of you and that all will be well for you too x

3.7mm is only just above the cut off for normal range, don’t panic! In case it helps, ds1 had an NT of 3.8mm and I had all the tests under the sun (nipt, 3 heart scans, an mri AND weekly monitoring). He is 4 and completely healthy.

Question to all 3 of you- did you have all these tests becuse the combined screening said high risk? Or did you get encouraged to do it all anyway even if the report said low risk?
Did to go on to have amniocentesis because the nipt test also said high risk or just because it was encouraged to do both regardless?

I’d have the NIPT if finances allow @LuckyMoonstone . (It will also tell you the sex if you want to know.) I paid in both my pregnancies and it’s really reassuring.

@justlookatours I get it through the hospital if I turn out to be high risk, but even if it’s low I’m gonna pay for it myself

Yes - combined screening gave a 1:31 chance of DS. I was 30 at the time so age wasn’t skewing the result as it does in some cases. I was advised to have the nipt first for 2 reasons - it was a twin pregnancy and amnio poses a small risk of miscarriage to both twins, and there were no other structural issues found so suggested going for the non invasive test first. I was advised to have an amnio if the nipt came back high risk (it didn’t).

My combined screening came back with 1 in 18 chance of Down's syndrome, they offered me NIPT or the amnio procedure. I believe you are offered this free if your results come back as 1 in 150 or higher chance (lower second number). Keep the faith!

@Chica1990 thank you, I hope I hear back as early as possible tomorrow

still haven’t heard anything, I feel sick and keep crying on and off

1/35 chance of DS. Other two disorders are ok fortunately. Going for NIPT tomorrow.

I really hope you get a good outcome @LuckyMoonstone . It must be a horrible wait, I remember when I had this with DD and she’s now a perfectly healthy 20 month old running around the place.

@LuckyMoonstone Was this just based on the NT or a combination of your hormone levels too?

Waiting is the hardest part, it's a shame they couldn't see you today. I know this is so much easier said than done but please try not to panic just yet as the odds are very much in your favour. Looking at it from a % perspective I found was much more reassuring, I think for you it's around a 2-3% chance of DS being the outcome here.

Here is a thread from a couple of months ago with myself and two others who had higher risk results and we all had good outcomes: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/pregnancy/5260195-1-in-3-chance-of-downs-syndrome-on-combined-screening?page=1

sending you a hand hold as you wait

@Chica1990 it’s from the combined screening. But she said my bloods are all normal (hcg and pap A or whatever it’s called) so it seems like it’s just the NT measurement that’s throwing it out.

@Chica1990 sorry I forgot to say thank you for the link and the hand hold xx

NIPT done, and a good chat with the lovely midwife who is really helpful. Not a lot to do now except wait and update you all next week. Thank you for all your support x

Hospital rang this afternoon but I missed it and now the screening team have finished. Calling me after 4 days, on a Sunday, when it’s supposed to take at least a week… don’t feel like it’s good news.
Midwife left a message, don’t know what to think from her tone. Feel like if it was good news she’d sound happier 😕now I’ve got to spend all night worrying about this

It’s impossible to know. I know the waiting is so hard. It could just be the results are back, and it’s a quiet Sunday shift so they are catching up on admin hence contacting you today. I have everything crossed for tomorrow.

@anicecuppateaa thank you, I’m so anxious and tearful. DH knows and is looking after me.

Sorry to hear this @LuckyMoonstone . I wish I had something more helpful to say. Try not to read too much into the timings though; it’s unlikely they’d say ‘oh, good news, leave until tomorrow.’ But difficult not to over analyse everything, I know.