Pregnant after 35
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NT Scan results, need some stress help......
I haven't been on this board before, I am 40 and almost 12 weeks pregnant. We got our NT results and they came back positive. I am a little freaked out and was wanting someone who has maybe already gone through this to talk me down from the hormonal "proverbial" edge.
Any words of wisdom? Thanks in advance.
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Re: NT Scan results, need some stress help......
I got "positive" results on Tuesday - 1:29 when normal was 1:56. We meet with a high risk doctor tomorrow and may get the amino then.
I wish I could give you some reassurance but I think the emotional ride is something everyone goes through on their own. For me, the waiting is the most stressful. I appreciate that my OB and the HR docs understand the waiting is tough and try to make these appointments a priority. Then its just wait for results.
What did your doctor say was your next step? Amino? Counseling?
T&P
Don't freak out too much just yet! These tests are notoriously inaccurate and can yield lots of false positives. I would think that your next step would possibly be a CVS? What did doc say? The good news about a CVS is that you get more accurate results very early in the pregnancy, and you can also find out the gender about 10 weeks early!
Hang in there!
Hi - can you clarify what you mean by positive? My NT scan and first tri bloodwork came back with odds of 1 in 64 for Downs. I'm 38, and the age based risk for me was 1 in 126 so I guess that would be considered positive, but I didn't think of it that way since it is really just odds - it isn't like the test could tell me for sure that my baby had Downs.
We opted for an amnio (it was already too late for a CVS) and just tried hard to remember that 1 in 64 is basically a 98.5% chance that the baby did NOT have Downs. It was hard not to worry about the possibility of a problem, but thinking about the high chance of everything being fine was really helpful. We were very happy to learn from the amnio that our baby is perfectly healthy and there are no abnormalities.
Are you planning to have a diagnostic test to confirm the results for sure? It sounds like you might want to since you are concerned; that is the only way to get a definite answer unless you are able to wait until delivery. In the meantime, think positively and remember that the NT scan is just a screening test - and hopefully everything will turn out to be just fine!!
I have been through these test two times. I freaked out both times. And I am still not sure how I feel about them. If I didn't take this test with my first pregnancy I would have never been referred for the level II u/s that showed some horrbile things and of course that tirggered an amnio that revealed the baby had Trisomy 18.
So of course I did it test again the second time around. And again it came up positive, but way better numbers than the first time. I still freaked out, until I could get the level II u/s, and the baby looks perfect.
Alot of women don't believe in the blood tests and just recommend if you are worried to just get the CVS or amnio and skip the blood work.
I don't mean to sound like a downer by sharing my experience but I wanted to be real! It is very stressful to get positive results and then have to wait a bit to get further testing, but the only thing you can do is stay positive and believe that all will be perfect with your little one.
DD#1 - January 2008
DD#2 - September 2010
I still lurk around here and rarely chime in.. but I will on this topic....
NT scans are only as good as the tech taking the measurements. I don't quite understand getting the "positive" terminology, since all the scan is is a possible predictor that there might be a problem. It's not a positive/negative, yes/no kind of thing, so the fact that they told you "positive" makes me very suspicious of their diagnosis.
We had a great NT Scan but horrible bloodwork. I was 1:5 for Downs and 1:52 for other chromosomal issues. Opted not to have additional testing since the 20w US was great and showed no issues, no heart problems, no markers. Long story short, our boy is perfect.
Looking back at it now, I always thought they were off by about 2 weeks on our conception date. Which may have skewwed some of the numbers. C was technically two weeks early, but I'm pretty sure he was really right on time. He had always measured at least a week ahead or more.
My best advice is to try and relax. An NT Scan is by no means a definite diagnosis.
Mine was 1 in 3. I had the CVS, which rules out any DNA issues. I was the lucky two in three. I had several additional test to rule out heart defects, ect. Ultrasounds really. If I ever had another child and got results less than in the thousands, I would do the CVS again. A good friend of mine had a baby with DS, her odds were 1 in 650. It was a total surprise. Someone has to be the one. I would rather know. No matter the outcome, that information made a big difference in the rest of my pregnancy. The risk is lower than what you actually see, since the babies having the CVS have already been ID'd as having possible issues, yet any miscarriage after CVS is counted.
There are a lot of reasons why I think knowing is good, the first is choice, the second is grieving before your child is born, the third is medical, a lot of kids with defects have treatment that can be preplanned, so it is not a shock that you are not coming home with your child, the fourth is childcare, there is a big difference in taking care of a child with a heart defect, like TOFs which my nephew has, verses a "regular" baby. Knowing in advance allows for planning both physically and financially, lessening the stress in an already stressful situation. My friend had to quit her job, I know another mom who got a job because she needed to be able to pay for therapy that they could not afford that was offered at a local child care center for free, but she could not get at home.
Thanks all, you have really helped calm me down. I don't "feel" that there is anything wrong, bt it is scary. I really apprecaite all who have shared thier experiences with me.
P.S. Wonder woman is my hero!!!
Lurker here. I wanted to echo PP who suggested getting the CVS or an amnio. My risk was 1/16 for T18... we postponed the amnio until the last possible moment, then decided we needed to know. Everything turned out fine for us.
There are windows for optimal safety for both tests - I believe 14-16 weeks for CVS and 16-18 weeks for amnio. I know I girl who was talked out of an amnio, and now regrets it. If it will ease your mind and help you either a) help you prepare if there is a problem or b) get through the rest of the pregnancy without worry, it's worth it.
FYI, when they did the amnio I was able to watch the u/s the whole time and see the needle on one side while the baby was far away on the other. It made me feel much much better about it. Risk of m/c from the amnio is 1/200, but we had a high risk doctor do it, and he said their unit's odds were closer to 1/1000.
I'm going to make an AWESOME big brother.
Hi! I hope the OP has had further testing and reached some sort of conclusions by now, but I figured I'd still post (my first on the bump!!!) in case anyone comes across this thread with their own worries.
I'm 35 and received horrible NT results after my blood work (the ultra sound was slightly high, but nothing alarming). They told me my odds for DS were 1:3 and Trisomy 18 were 1:200. I was terrified, but was thankfully able to get in for genetic counseling the very next morning at 8am. After meeting w/ the counselor, DH and I decided to have the CVS. I felt safe as I knew I was at an incredibly reputable hospitable where each doctor performs over 200 such procedures a year. It hurt, but it was over quickly. The next evening they called w/ the FISH results that everything was normal (and we're having a girl!). I'm still on edge as the "official" results won't be in for another week, but I am definitely breathing easier. There is nothing quite like crying for 3 days straight to put things into perspective.
~My Married Bio~