Higher reading for Nuchal translucency scan - feeling panicked!

[linspins]

Hi all, Just been for our 12 week scan today and had the nuchal scan to test for Downs. The reading was 2.8mm. They said this was high, but not high enough to be classed as high risk without doing a blood test. I had a blood test afterwards, but the results won't be in til Friday. I am just really worried now that there is something wrong with the baby. I'm 36, so no spring chicken, and had a heartbreaking time with my first pg, after severe abnormalities were diagnosed at the 20 wk scan and we had a termination. I have since had a healthy lovely little girl, but I'm scared again. Has anyone else had high nuchal reading, was it ok?

Hello all,

I've only just seen this note and thought I'd add my experience for anyone else that has to go through these agonising decisions and tests.

I am 34 and PG with my first baby after MC at 5 weeks, 6 weeks before this little one was conceived.

After the MC we were so overjoyed to be PG again and didn't imagine that anything could go wrong. We had opted for the Nuchal Scan and it came back as a 1:750 risk for Downs. However, the combined blood test came back as 1:35 which gave us a combined risk of 1:59!! We were both so devestated and receiving that initial call with the results was possibly the worst call I've ever taken in my life...

I opted for the CVS because I didn't want to wait. I found it painful, but it was nice in a way to get an extra ultrasound to see our little one. Two days later I had a call from the hospital saying that they hadn't managed to get enough blood and I would need to have another CVS or an Amnio aswell!! I spoke to ARC who confirmed my fears that it would be risky to have another CVS so soon and decided to wait for the Amnio. So we had to get through Xmas, with a growing bump, not knowing whether our little one would still be with us. It was awful and I know how you all feel.

Well, we had the Amnio on 29th December and on New Years Eve we had the call to tell us that we had the all clear!! and Linspins, like someone else already mentioned, we were told to almost not worry at all about the final results as some hospitals don't even bother giving them as they're nearly always clear aswell. When we received the letter to confirm the final results, we phoned the hospital to find out the sex and we're having a little girl!!!

I'm now nearly 25 weeks. We had the anomoly scan at 21 weeks as sometimes my bad blood results show up the risk of having a small baby, but our little Jelly, is bang on average on the chart and is kicking her Mum like mad. As a first-time Mum, it is the most amazing feeling ever and is all the more precious because of the worries that we've had.

So, I hope everyone that goes through this, can take some comfort and good wishes from this story. I do think that these tests can sometimes cause more worry than is necessary as the percentage that come back with Downs from initial high-risk results is very low, something like 2%.

ARC are wonderful, I called them several times and they were amazing.

Hope you all continue to have happy, healthy pregnancies.

xxx

Lins - really happy for you about the initial results - that's one weight off your mind!

I know it will probably be on your mind until you've had your 20-week scan but here's hoping everything will work out fine. It appears many heart problems can be worked out.

I have my CVS tomorrow after my 1:13 odds. Am very nervous as despite reading up on it I have no real idea what to expect. But am trying to stay positive.

x

My update:

Went in for the amnio last week and all went well. It scared me more than it actually hurt. I actually started to cry when I watched the doc taking out the amniotic fluid... for some reason it just really bothered me. Anyway, afterwards I felt a little crampy on and off for the day. I was happy when the 24 hour period was up and I felt no pain or anything. We then got the prelim results back 3 days later, and it showed we were all clear for Downs. What a relief! Although I never want to go through that again, I am glad its done and I can now relax for the rest of the pregnancy.

Lins - hopefully your results come back quick and they are good. I agree with you about your LO's heart. I am sure that it is just so small and still has so much growing and changing to do, that they can't possibly make any diagnosis yet. Keeping my fingers crossed for you. I know about feeling ill... I am 18 weeks and still have morning sickness... not to mention the countless flu bugs and colds my DC bring home to me on a weekly basis. Its tough... but hang in there! xx

sorry for the duplicat post... my computer has been misbehaving for a few days now... sigh... one more thing to think about.. LOL

Hi All...
Still over a week to go for the final CVS results to come through. I know that its only a tiny weny percentage that have problems with this final round....but I can't help worrying as my first baby was one of the tiny percentage. We had an amnio for her after the 20 week scan showed real problems, and although the initial results said no Downs etc, the results 2 weeks later confirmed what the detailed scans said.

So its very hard for me and I can't bear the thought of losing another baby.

It's so nice though to have so many lovely Mums out there wishing me well. Sometimes I feel like I'm stuck in a bubble of horribleness, but all your kind words help. sniff!

Sending hugs to those going through this all too. ((()))

Lins xx

Dawnas great news for you! What a trauma to go through, hope its plain sailing now!! xx

Babyblue Yay!!! A good result for you. Brill news. Breathe a sigh of relief and revel in the blossoming bit?!!

Musicmaiden fingers crossed for you, I know it's so hard. Just gotta treat yourself to anything you want. Keep us posted. Thinking of you during 'the wait'. xxx
Lins xx

Tuesday morning, still in this waiting game. My tummy is turning somersaults.

Good news - INTIAL RESULTS NORMAL

That's wonderful news, bebetrois!

I am glad everyone is getting such wonderful news!

Hopefully this thread will continue to bring luck to the others

Got my computer working normally again... phew... what a pain viruses are!

Bebetrois - Hurrah!!! Getting that phone call is so nerve wracking, I'm so pleased for you it was a good call.

Musismaiden, hope it all went smoothly today, and that you are not too sore. Take it easy. xx

Hi everyone

Lovely to hear bebetrois and others having great results - hang in there everyone! I'm thinking of you all every day.

My CVS - man, it was pretty painful! I didn't look at the needle but I certainly felt it. But as Dawn AS says above, it was nice to see the LO again, jumping around without a care, little heartbeat etc.

Am sore now, especially around the needle area (I'm the sort who bruises at blood tests) but DH is not letting me do a thing and have day off tomorrow.

Please everyone keep your fingers crossed as I wait and wait....

xx

Thank you everyone for your continued support. It is great to air your thoughts to people in the same boat. Don't think I can totally relax til the full cell culture results come in a week or so but my doctor siad that it would be very unusual for things to change. I know I will keep stressing the whole pregnancy but at least having the amnio has reduced my anxiety. I won't be happy til I am holding this little girl in my arms in July but I don't think there are many people out there who don't feel the same way.

Take care everyone!

Musicmaiden - let DH spoil you for the next couple of days! I took a few days off after my amnio, even though the doc said I could return to work the following day. Made me feel like I was taking care of my baby.

I definitely understand about stressing for the rest of the pregnancy. I will feel better when my full results are back, but it won't stop me from worrying about other stuff. My big worry right now is not really feeling the baby move. I am 18.5 weeks along, and have only felt the baby a handfull of times. Considering this is #4 for me, and that I felt the others by 16 weeks, its making me concerned.

Its nice to be able to talk to people here, since I don't really do it in RL. Not too many people know about the amnio, which is just fine. You ladies know whatit is like, which helps settle my mind!

Hi all,
just been sent the appt for the Cardio scan - it is this Friday! I was very surprised cos I thought I had to wait until 16 weeks but the cardiologist booked it himself and thinks 14weeks+3 will be ok. I really hope they don't scan then say 'well we know a bit but really need to wait now for the baby to be bigger.'
It's such a gruelling trek up to Kings in London, and I dread going there as bad things always happen.
Hey ho. Isn't having babies the hardest thing. I think I might have pre natal depression I am finding life so hard to cope with and on top of that I feel SO ill. Can I just say AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!. Ok, got that out of my system.

xx

Lins - glad you are getting your scan over and done with. Hopefully the baby will be big enough for them to get a good look at. I know what you mean about being sick. Between all the bugs my other DC bring home, I am still dealing with morning (all day) sickness at almost 19 weeks. Its hard. Pregnancy is such a blessing, but not always as enjoyable as we would like.

I have my scan on Wednesday, so I am looking forward to seeing my little bean under less stressful conditions. Hopefully the little bugger will cooperate and I can find out the sex. If not... I still have a couple of weeks left to wait for the final amnio results.

My news - I'm delighted to say I can add to the so far very positive results here to say my initial results have also come back normal. Like Lins I still have the other tests in the back of my mind but to get a happy result after 1:13 odds is such a big relief. I feel like I can relax a bit and maybe even tell some friends that I'm pregnant!

Lins - big hugs to you, sorry you are feeling so down. I am sure the consultant wouldn't book the scan so early if he thought he couldn't see what he wanted. He probably also doesn't want you to have to wait too long for answers. Sending many good vibes to you for tomorrow.

I have a urinary tract infection now so have been feeling really rubbish too this week. I agree, pregnancy so far has just been a lot of hard work!

xx

Musicmaiden - glad to hear the good news! Brilliant! What other tests do you have to do?

Musicmaiden, that's great news and as I said to my family, a good step in the right direction. Lets's hope the trend for good news continues!
Eek, husband is cooking dinner and the smell of onions is so YUCKY! But then everything smells so vile at the moment...

I'm so worried for the scan tomorrow, what if we find out its really serious? Fingers crossed...

Crossing my fingers for you Lins... keep us posted!

Been thinking of you Lins. How did it go?

sadnews ...
We went for our cardio scan and its not good news at all. The artery that should be taking oxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs has no flow at all and the main artery into the heart is in the wrong place. So the baby's lungs won't be growing properly. So even if the poor mite made it to term and survived delivery we would be looking at many major heart surgeries, and even then the lungs can't be mended and wouldn't support a normal life.

We still don't have the full chromosomal report back but when the consultant looked at the post mortem of our first baby, she said the heart problems were so similar that it may mean they have the same chromosomal problem too. This was such a shock as it had been thought that our first baby's problems were just a rare, random thing.
Both my husband and I have already been genetically screened and are not carriers for anything, so the only explanation she could give was that may be some of my eggs contain bad genetic material, which has scary implications for future pregnancies.

Anyway, we'll wait for the final report but even if it's clear, the outlook for this bubba is so dire. I think we will be looking at making the saddest of decisions.

I just can't believe this is happening again and that we will end up with 2 angels in heaven. I don't have the strength to cope with this.

So, that's my news.
Take care everyone .
Lins xxx

linspins, I simply don't know what to say. What terrible news. My thoughts are with you and your dh.

Hi linspins, I have been following this thread and just wanted to say how terribly sorry I am to hear your news. Wishing you lots of love to get you through this awful time x

Oh Lins, I am so sorry, what devastating news. How utterly unfair the world can be.

My thoughts are with you both.

xxx