Second Thoughts about NT scan...

BeautyfromAshes

My scan is scheduled for Thursday, and I am starting to rethink it. My doctor recommended it so I agreed, and at the time my thoughts were "It is non-invasive and another chance to check on baby". But if something did come up abnormal...dh and I would deny any further testing (because of the risk of miscarriage and our unwillingness to abort). Which makes me wonder why I am getting one...I really want the reassurance that everything is okay, but if it comes back that there might be something wrong, the stress of that would be so much for me.

 What are your thoughts? My sister, a pediatrician, really wants me to get it. I'm only 27 so the possibility is very low, but still. Ugh. Decisions decisions...

SamSam31

I'm 29 and I'm getting an NT in a couple of weeks.  For me, it's more so because my DH is older.  But that's about as "invasive" as I want to get.  I just need to be prepared if anything might be wrong so we can be better prepared for it.  Either way I would stress myself out, if I knew or if I didn't know, so I elect to know.

Think about it and do some more research.  I hope it helps you to come to a better decision.

dukestar5

I think we will probably not opt to do the NT scan.  I think the information you receive from it is not that helpful either.  My SIL did the test with her first baby because the doctor really encouraged her.  They called her to say she was at high risk for down syndrome.  She was a wreck.  Then they called two days later to say that they made a mistake and miscalcuted how far along she was and that her risk was actually pretty low.  My SIL says she knows at least 5 other friends who were given incorrect results and made them worry unnecessarily.

It's usually recommended for women who are 34+ or who have a history of problems in their family.

KateCollins11

We had ours done last week and i don't regret it for a second. It was amazing to see the baby and the risk of getting false results is really low.. 5%.  You do what YOU feel comfortable doing though. Don't let other people sway your decision. 

magel050485

We arent getting one just because the results would not change our love for the child. Plus, our good friend got one (her sister has Downs) and they called her to tell her that the baby had Downs and a couple other defects and strongly urged her to abort.  She got a phone call two weeks later that her scan was read wrong and everything was okay.With that being said, I think every couple needs to make their own decision and do what they are comfortable with.

lmobley311

I just scheduled mine for the first week of May.  I think of it as a way to see the baby and give me some reassurance.  My husband and I are both only 30 but we don't have any medical history for him at all since he is adopted.  Since his history is unknown, I think its a good idea.  I work with kids with disabilities and would like to be prepared and have as much information as a I can.  I probably wouldn't do further screening because of the risk involved.  I feel like I'm still pretty low risk for genetic problems because my family history is clean, but I just can turn down an opportunity to check on the baby.  There is just something about seeing the baby on the monitor that will put my mind at ease.

smilelari

KateCollins11:

We had ours done last week and i don't regret it for a second. It was amazing to see the baby and the risk of getting false results is really low.. 5%.  You do what YOU feel comfortable doing though. Don't let other people sway your decision. 

The results aren't false, but they also aren't terribly helpful if you aren't continuing with testing.  For example, a 1 in 17 risk for Down's Syndrome would be considered elevated risk (and it's quite a bit higher than the rest of the population), but even with that high risk, there's still a 94% chance of having a perfectly healthy baby.

We skipped it last time and we're skipping it this time.  Just too much ambiguity if you don't plan on doing more invasive testing.

sea3668rn

Just do what feels right to you. I am absolutely getting one because I am 35.  Even if I were younger I'd be getting one.  For me it is more about preparation and not about terminating the pregnancy.  I have a good friend who had a DS baby at age 26 (no risk factors) and she told me she was so, so grateful that she had the time to mentally prepare for the birth and what was to come.  I know I would need that time as well.  Ultimately, I am obviously hoping for a good scan so I can put that area of worry behind me.

KateCollins11

smilelari:

KateCollins11:

We had ours done last week and i don't regret it for a second. It was amazing to see the baby and the risk of getting false results is really low.. 5%.  You do what YOU feel comfortable doing though. Don't let other people sway your decision. 

The results aren't false, but they also aren't terribly helpful if you aren't continuing with testing.  For example, a 1 in 17 risk for Down's Syndrome would be considered elevated risk (and it's quite a bit higher than the rest of the population), but even with that high risk, there's still a 94% chance of having a perfectly healthy baby.

We skipped it last time and we're skipping it this time.  Just too much ambiguity if you don't plan on doing more invasive testing.

 

Sometimes, a screening test can suggest that a normal baby has a high risk of having Down's syndrome. This is called a false positive. The false positive rate for an NT scan is 5%.

alyss0nl

DH and I just literally talked about this,,, we decided against testing mainly because we're young and healthy, and that God forbid anything was wrong, we would not want to worry or stress the rest of the pregnancy. We want to enjoy this amazing time and our love for our peanut will not change, no matter if he/she has a disorder or is perfectly healthy. It would be an unecessary stress for me.

MrsAtch

Our sequential screen is Wednesday. DH and I would not abort either- but our doctor strongly advised that we have the scan done. With a history of loss it's always good to have another check. And for us, knowing there is something wrong with the baby would give us the time to process and prepare- unlike just waiting it out. That's why we're doing it.

jb2rn

sea3668rn:

Just do what feels right to you. I am absolutely getting one because I am 35.  Even if I were younger I'd be getting one.  For me it is more about preparation and not about terminating the pregnancy.  I have a good friend who had a DS baby at age 26 (no risk factors) and she told me she was so, so grateful that she had the time to mentally prepare for the birth and what was to come.  I know I would need that time as well.  Ultimately, I am obviously hoping for a good scan so I can put that area of worry behind me.

this, exactly.

MrsG.060708

This is a really personal decision and you really need to think about what you want to do...no one else can make that decision for you.

Personally, we skipped it with DD and skipped it with this baby too. We didn't want to worry unnecessarily and we wouldn't have done any further testing anyway.

Coastiewife06

At first DH and I decided to do the scan.. after researching it a bit DH and I decided that we are not going to get the scan. It wouldnt change the way we feel about the child. 

kristen!

We are doing it because a) we get an extra ultrasound b) my doctor recommended it (not strongly, but it was brought up) and c) I like to plan as much as humanly possible. I would want to prepare if there is a risk. However, if results come back positive, we will not do CVS.

All that said, I would never tell someone they should/shouldn't. It's a personal decision, and it's not my place to tell anyone what to do. Having/not having doesn't do any harm so to each their own.