12 week scan - 3.5mm NT

[Bearsy11]

Hello,

Just been to our 12 week scan - baby was wriggling around so much they struggled to take the measurements. We ended up having to go for two separate walks and tried three times to get the measurements right. Eventually another midwife came in and they messaged the NT at 3.5mm.

We were then told we’d be referred to a Dr for a follow up appointment due to this measurement being high. I was obviously upset and we were told to wait in another room for someone to chat with us. The midwife came and wasn’t overly sympathetic - just told us about the CVS scan and provided a leaflet on what this meant.

I am spiralling and have taken the rest of the day off work as I can’t think straight! Has anyone else been in this situation before and have any advice on getting through? I can see from the leaflet it can take a while for the test results to come through :(

I was due to have a blood test but the midwife said this was totally up to me - I decided to in the end but she seemed really negative and wondered if she knew something more but I imagine she would have told me?

Sorry for the long message just struggling a bit!

Hey @Bearsy11 is the blood test they offered the combined test, or the Nipt? The combined test (alongside the NT measurement) will give you a risk factor for the three main trisomies and if you get a high risk, they should offer you a NIPT for a higher accuracy screening test probability, and/or a Cvs - this is an ultrasound guided needle inserted into your placenta to take a small sample of cells to test which is an actual diagnosis tool, as opposed to a probability result, for the trisomies and I believe other conditions

She sounds really unhelpful and unsympathetic, they should explain everything to you clearly not leave you wondering!

Thank you so much for replying. I am not 100% sure - when we went into the appointment they said we’d go for a blood test afterwards as this was part of the checks we’d agreed to - sorry I am unsure of the name.

I think I need to stop crying and focus on the facts that we have so far and wait for the results. Luckily they have managed to get us an appointment tomorrow morning whereby we can have the CVS - I am reading into everything and wondering if they have offered us a sooner appointment because they know something is wrong :(

So sorry you’re going through this. Your nt of 3.5mm isn’t too bad compared. Mine was 6.6mm earlier this year and sadly she had pataus. But from a lot of reading most people under 4mm were fine. You will have your blood results back probably tomorrow and it is just a calculation. It prob will be a high chance of downs etc but it’s literally just a calculation and not a diagnosis. They will then ask if you want to have the nipt bloods which give around 93-99% accuracy on downs Edward pataus OR u have can invasive testing where they put the needle into your placenta for 100% accuracy. We went for invasive testing as wanted to be 100% sure. Hope it goes well for you x

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply.

We had our CVS today and the NT had gone up to 3.6mm. They also had suspicions of a heart defect so we are feeling that the outcome is quite bleak at this point :(

How did you manage the wait for the results? I am going out of my mind and just need to know. I’m so sorry you have had to go through this too xx

So sorry @Bearsy11

Did they give you any indication of how long you might need to wait for the CVS results? I got mine 2 days after having it done, but it may vary by hospital how quickly rather can get it back.

It's so hard waiting, I slept a lot and went for walks, and did mindless tasks to try and keep busy like reorganising my kitchen cupboards. It's really hard, sending love xx

So sorry but stay positive. I read soooo many positive stories. Even some with a nt of 4.5mm and all was ok. Including a friend of mine she had 4.4mm and now has a healthy one year old!

sadly as we got the cvs appointment her heart beat had already stopped. I then had a d & c a few days later and they tested my placenta to confirm patau.

keep us updated xx

So sorry you’re going through this OP. Hopefully you get the results back quickly, although our hospital says it can take up to 10 days for results in practice it is almost always within 48 hours x

Almost 14 years ago I had a NT reading of 3.6 with DD, which is right on the limit. We were very worried and went straight off for a CVS, I don’t think NIPT was a thing back then. The CVS was unpleasant but not painful and initial results came back within a couple of days then full result about 10 days later. All was clear and I now have a teenager.
Fingers crossed your results come back clear for you, 3.5 is only just on the cusp.

Hi, just want to give some hope. Our baby’s measurement was 3.9mm, lots of scares and worries. We had NIPT low risk, then amniocentesis which confirmed no genetic conditions found. Baby’s stomach measured very large, smaller femur. So a very nerve wracking pregnancy all in all, on top of lots of fainting sickness dizziness. Keep hope and opt for all the investigations you can.

This was the same NT measurement of my DD at 12 weeks. Combined with high hcg levels and my age it gave a high risk for Down syndrome. I had an amnio (NIPT wasn't really used at the time) and nothing was found. ARC is a very helpful charity for anyone who is worried about an antenatal result https://www.arc-uk.org/

Oh bless you I know exactly how you feel. I was you 16 years ago - NT of 3.5 and potential heart defect. We had the cvs and were referred to st Thomas’s in London for more tests and it was a truly terrifying time.
Baby is a strapping 6ft 1 zero health issues. I hope you have a similar positive outcome but do try to remember this isn’t a definitive just a risk factor.

They said around Tuesday/Wednesday next week. It's so scary waiting for these results and not sure how i'm going to get through the next 4/5 days.

I think my weekend is going to look similar! thanks for sharing your experience :) xx

Thank you so much for sharing and so pleased your story ended positively.

The wait is awful and I have already prepared myself for the worst! I think it's too painful to think everything may be ok at this point when the chances are it's not.

Thanks again for your message x

How are u getting on? X

Thanks so much for checking in! Still waiting to hear sadly! The midwife did say it would probably be around Wednesday time for the first set of results. We are trying to be patient but it is genuinely the worst thing I have ever been through.

I’m so sorry for your loss I can’t even imagine how difficult that must have been for you. I hope you’re doing ok xx

Hello,

just wanted share my update. Sadly the baby has triploidy and we will need to schedule a termination. Myself and partner are heart broken but we are relieved to know the outcome.

just wanted to thank everyone who took time out to reply to me - I can’t thank you enough! You have helped me get through this awful waiting period! X

I'm so sorry @Bearsy11. Sending you lots of love and solidarity at this incredibly hard time.

I had a TFMR 2 years ago at 14 weeks, and I understand that feeling of relief to not be waiting and wondering, but of course it's devastating.

As and when you are ready, I'd really recommend Arc and the worst girl gang ever for support from people who get it. My inbox is open if you want to chat too

Lots of love xx

Oh I’m so sorry. I was really hoping for a positive outcome for u. Just remember these things aren’t our fault. I went through it in may this year. Don’t do what I did and search online for answers. I spent months looking for a reason. It really is just bad luck. The midwife said to me. It’s like a cake baker making a cake and one day an ingredient is forgotten. We’re not robots and sadly these things happen to 1 in 4.
im now pregnant with rainbow baby and im 20 weeks and he’s all healthy. It’s very unlikely to happen to u again xx

So sorry @Bearsy11, I have been watching and hoping for you. Be kind to yourself and wishing you a speedy healing process ❤️

Thank you so much I appreciate your response so much.

I’ve had the procedure this morning and just waiting to go home. Looking forward to a weekend of relaxing at home! I will take your advice and avoid googling. It gives me peace of mind that this is bad luck and nothing we could have done to avoid this. I have been very up and down the last few days but right now feeling positive about the future - reading positive stories like yours makes me feel lots better and so pleased everything is going well for you. :) Im sure I’ll be crying on the way home - I’m expecting the hormones etc to be a bit wild the next few weeks.

That’s so sweet and kind that you would do that! 🥰 I really appreciate your lovely words - the healing journey begins today. X

That’s so kind, thank you. I am completely overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers this last week. My faith in humanity is restored!

It is a horrible club to be in. I have been listening to the the worst girl gang ever podcast and have found it incredibly helpful too. I have also checked out the arc website based on your recommendation - thank you ever so much!!

Appreicate the offer of your inbox too 🥰 xx