Prenatal Genetic Testing

LadyRosey

Hi Mamas,

First time older Mom here,39, who is considered high risk due to age and worried about the screening results in a few weeks. Anyone else dealing with nerves too?  

bajan_girl

Same here. I'm 38, this is my first pregnancy, I'm scheduled for my labs soon and nervous about the results

bananapancakes

While this is my second pregnancy, I’m 36 and my only child is 12 so it’s been a while since I’ve been pregnant. We will be doing some of the genetic testing around 9 weeks - I love that this is an option! When I was pregnant last time, the only way to get genetic testing done (that was offered to me) was through amniocentesis and we declined. But having it available through lab work is a huge relief and one that we will take advantage of. At this point, I feel like having as much info as possible will be helpful in alleviating concerns and preparing. 

chuckle_sandwich

Yes! I’ll be 37 in a month. Is it fairly standard to have the screening now? Or should I ask about it?

bananapancakes

@chuckle_sandwich I think it’s pretty standard; however, I’d recommend asking specifically about it! Supposedly, some insurances don’t cover it BUT I’ve been told that if you’re above age 35, most insurances will. The one I’m going to get will check for Down’s syndrome, Trisomy 18, Trisomy 13, and will also give gender.

mflowers929

I'm not AMA yet, but got genetic testing done for my last two pregnancies anyways (It's free here, and I wanted to know if there was a chance our child would have something so we could prepare). I was very nervous the first time, but I wound up getting a shock because at 30 my chances of having a child with Downs was the same as a 17 year old having a child. Similar for the other things they checked, but I don't remember the exact ages for those.
It's okay to be nervous, but the best thing to do going in is to know what your plan is should the tests show something. For us, like I said, we would love any child and just wanted to be prepared but there are some people who choose to terminate and while I wouldn't do that, it's a perfectly valid choice especially if you don't feel that you're capable of providing the support that a child with an genetic disorder would need.

database6

I will be 37 when I deliver, and I was high risk with my last two pregnancies because of a blood disorder. I have not gotten a baby to term yet, I had one induction at 37 weeks due to low fluid and one emergency C-section at 38 weeks due to baby being in distress. I am nervous about getting this baby fully baked mostly and of course anxious about the NIPT. 

chuckle_sandwich

@BananaPancake Thanks! I feel like I had it done with my son 5 years ago but was never told it could give gender as well. Not that that would be my main reason to get the testing, I want some reassurance to help with any concerns and anxiety of potential heath concerns.

ponyoisfun

@chuckle_sandwich I am not sure if this would help with your anxiety per se, but what works for me is to know the numbers (the actual amount of risk and what it looks like) and to really try to think larger about how that risk compares to other things.  I also remind myself that with genetics it is not in my control all I can do is make the best choice if something does come up. 
It may also help that I do/ and have worked for a long time with children and families dealing with severe disabilities.  It doesn't seem so scary when you see that the disability or challenge just becomes part of their lives. It's not easy for them, but it doesn't diminish their ability to love or be a parent. I am pro testing and knowing because the sooner you know the sooner you can wrap your head around an unexpected outcome. 

clee5711

I didn’t do the extra testing with my first three pregnancies. Mostly because it wasn’t covered by insurance. This time thanks to being AMA it is so I’ll do it. 

ashnicell

I was given the option of doing NIPT screening today at my appointment. The information packet said if it's not covered by my insurance, the out of pocket cash price would only be $99. I decided to go ahead and do it. 

knottie874017e1345493f1

How long did results take for those of you who did it? 

mcva79

I got my results in 13-14 days. We did NIPT and genetic carrier screening. NIPT was all good and we’re having a boy! However, the next day we found out that I carry the gene for spinal muscular atrophy, so now we are waiting again to get my husbands results to see if we need to do anything further after that, which at that point would be amniocentesis. I had no idea this even existed in my family and the news was just so unexpected and upsetting. It feels like this whole pregnancy is just two week cycles of waiting on things.

bkk2cville

It took 6 days to get my NIPT results back - much faster than I was expecting!

sunshine2417

Had my NT ultrasound today plus bloodwork. Hoping for good results in a week or so… 

jayc21

I checked online this morning and my results were there. I had it done on May 3rd, so that's 8 days and with everything at low risk. I can finally stop stressing myself out!

beach2mtns2desert

I did my NIPT blood draw on April  29 and received my results verbally from the nurse on May 3… which I thought was very quick. The nurse stated that my NIPT results were low risk and we are having a girl. I am only 34 but we wanted to make sure just in case. This was not covered by my insurance but I was able to sign up for a program to help cover the costs. So it cost around $300 which I felt was worth it to know whether or not we were high risk or not. 

PurplePumpernickel

I had my blood draws April 25 and had my meeting with the genetic counselor yesterday. The results had posted on mychart, but I'm not a medical professional and didn't want to try to parse them without an expert.

goldenmom00

I had my blood drawn on 4/27, with the sample received on 5/3. We are still waiting to receive the results…has this taken this long for anyone else?! I’m nervous something is wrong which is what is taking so long.