Anyone not getting the NT scan?

FinallyMrsM · June 2011

My doctor said it was optional and was basically saying that unless you are going to terminate the pregnancy if there is a problem, then there is really no need to do it. DH and I talked and if there is something wrong, we still would not terminate, so we opted out. Any one else?

KatnisOnFire · June 2011

I've opted out. Yes, I would get another look at my bean, but I really dislike taking time off of work to go and have it done. And my first u/s took almost an hour to do. I'm happy waiting until the gender scan to see the bean again.

darters82 · June 2011

We haven't decided yet. We didn't do it with DS. I will have my first appt. on June 20, and I'm sure my doctor will discuss it, so we will probably decide after that. I also didn't really get a definitive answer from my insurance company regarding if it is covered or not, so that would factor in as well. I would only do it to be prepared; we wouldn't terminate.

goodgollie · June 2011

We are doing it more just to make sure everything looks good and to check my cysts on my ovary. We would never terminate, but if something were wrong I am the type of person that would like the time to adjust before the baby is born.

kle0113 · June 2011

We will not terminate either, but we want to see our little one so we will get it. My OB does not say to us that it is optional either so regardless we would get it. I like it also because they will give you a 'guess' of what the sex is.

cynasmin · June 2011

goodgollie:
We would never terminate, but if something were wrong I am the type of person that would like the time to adjust before the baby is born.

this, even more so w/ my DH, he wants as much info as is available.

NiniJ55 · June 2011

We would not terminate the pregnancy if something were to be found either -- but we still decided to do the NT scan. It was recomended to me and I get to see LO again - so I figured why not. I am also low risk so I was not really concerned about it or anything. It just gives you your odds - it's not a positive/ negative - pass/ fail type of test.

May524 · June 2011

We didn't do it with DS. I will talk more with my doc about it next week at our appt.

Melgor78 · June 2011

We won't be having one. We'll be getting a few u/s so well have chance to keep an eye on the lo, we wouldn't be anything different so why stress out over what could be.

califorever81 · June 2011

My H and I talked about it this morning and we are on the fence, leaning towards not getting it. I won't terminate and I don't see the reason to prematurely worry about something that might be a false/positive.

trackchik6 · June 2011

This is my second pregnancy and I have seen a different OB for each pregnancy. Each of them recommends the NT to all of their patients. I did it last time and I'm doing it again. I thought if there was a problem I would like to have as much time to prepare as possible.

shortstuff15 · June 2011

I won't be getting it. I am with a different OB this time so I don't know what she recommends, but my first OB basically asked if I would ever terminate and I said no, so he didn't even offer it to me. The amnio has too many risks for me and the anatomy scan can detect a lot of problems, so if anything shows up on the anatomy scan, then we'll discuss further testing posibilities.

katiejanie26 · June 2011

We opted out as well. We'll love the baby no matter what, and I don't know that I could handle the stress of it.

J&JSuiter070205 · June 2011

We are not.

JessieP76 · June 2011

We're doing it. I'm 35, so the risk is a bit higher for me.

sacarpenter2620 · June 2011

First off, I've been reading (on here) about the NT scan and everyone is talking 12 weeks - my doctor doesn't do any testing for it until between 15-17 weeks. Secondly, my doctor's office orders blood work and unless the blood work is questionable, he doesn't do the NT scan. My husband and I would not terminate but we're not worried because there is absolutely no history of anything like that in our families.

Good luck!!!!

MrsLeanna · June 2011

I have a friend who found out at the NT scan that her baby had a terminal condition. The baby would probably never make it to full term and would die in utero. Or if the baby did make it would die during or shortly after. She terminated because she didn't want to make her child suffer. If she hadn't done the NT she would not have known about this until her 20 week u/s and it would have been a MUCH more heartbreaking decision to be halfway through the pregnancy.

I'm getting it. Not trying to scare anyone, but just letting you know that there are more things that it looks for than Downs and spina bifida,conditions that could be lived with.

BritanyV · June 2011

finallyMrsM:
My doctor said it was optional and was basically saying that unless you are going to terminate the pregnancy if there is a problem, then there is really no need to do it. DH and I talked and if there is something wrong, we still would not terminate, so we opted out. Any one else?

Oh my ob would have a field day chewing your doctor out! When we talked about the NT scan last year, I told her I wouldn't terminate and she got pissed and said "the purpose of the test is not to have you terminate the pregnancy if something is wrong, it is to prepare us for the future". She went on to talk about how if you have a high risk for a downs baby that downs babies carry risks of heart problems and they need to be born at a hospital with a higher level NICU and to have specialists on board at the birth to make sure the baby is taken care of correctly.

Yes, if you deliver at a regular hospital and find these things out at the birth they can transfer your baby to high level NICU hospital and get the specialists in but then you would be in a different hospital than your baby. There is the chance that they may have problems where time is of the essence and if you are having to transfer them to another hospital, who knows what may happen.

After hearing her views of things, I decided it is best to do the optional non-invasive testing.

lilpumpkin0729 · June 2011

BritanyV:
finallyMrsM:
My doctor said it was optional and was basically saying that unless you are going to terminate the pregnancy if there is a problem, then there is really no need to do it. DH and I talked and if there is something wrong, we still would not terminate, so we opted out. Any one else?

Oh my ob would have a field day chewing your doctor out! When we talked about the NT scan last year, I told her I wouldn't terminate and she got pissed and said "the purpose of the test is not to have you terminate the pregnancy if something is wrong, it is to prepare us for the future". She went on to talk about how if you have a high risk for a downs baby that downs babies carry risks of heart problems and they need to be born at a hospital with a higher level NICU and to have specialists on board at the birth to make sure the baby is taken care of correctly.
Yes, if you deliver at a regular hospital and find these things out at the birth they can transfer your baby to high level NICU hospital and get the specialists in but then you would be in a different hospital than your baby. There is the chance that they may have problems where time is of the essence and if you are having to transfer them to another hospital, who knows what may happen.
After hearing her views of things, I decided it is best to do the optional non-invasive testing.

Yes

The test is non-invasive and I see it as a means to prepare myself. I wish that I would have known about DS's condition before he was born (even though we had a NT scan, it could have never predicted it).

Additionally, in response to a PP, just because there is no history of genetic disorders in your family doesn't mean that it can't happen. We have no genetic disorders in our family.

thewayiam · June 2011

MrsLeanna:

I have a friend who found out at the NT scan that her baby had a terminal condition. The baby would probably never make it to full term and would die in utero. Or if the baby did make it would die during or shortly after. She terminated because she didn't want to make her child suffer. If she hadn't done the NT she would not have known about this until her 20 week u/s and it would have been a MUCH more heartbreaking decision to be halfway through the pregnancy.

I'm getting it. Not trying to scare anyone, but just letting you know that there are more things that it looks for than Downs and spina bifida,conditions that could be lived with.

I agree. Well said. We don't know what we'd do - most likely never terminate - but there are far worse conditions that won't make it past second tri or be stillbirth, so I never say never. We are doing the NT scan so that we can be prepared for a special needs child, if need be. Last pregnancy I found out at our NT scan that I'd had a missed miscarriage that week due to Trisomy 18. We wouldn't have known for a while, had we not had that scan. I am therefore scared as hell to have this (simple, non-invasive) procedure again, but I want all the information I can get.

To each their own, I guess, right?

live4thegiraffe · June 2011

From what I understand from talking with my OB, scans for genetic disorders have a high screen positive rate, but about 98% of those with positive results go on to have healthy babies. We ruled out the genetic disorders we are high risk for (ex: Cystic Fibrosis) before TTC, and we wouldn't terminate if LO did have a problem, so we're skipping the early scans. We'll see him/her in 2nd tri. But that's just us...we're young, healthy people with no past history of any problems. To each their own.

rebelina1 · June 2011

We are doing it because it is rec'd because I am of AMA. We have no plans to terminate the pregnancy but my OB says it is always best to prepare with as much info and early detection if there is a problem.

If the scan/bloodwork comes back in favor of downs we will opt out of the amnio. We wouldn't want to risk miscarriage with getting the amnio done.

baloneydisc · June 2011

My OB didn't even mention the NT scan. When I asked about it he said there was nothing in our family history indicating that we should do it. He said if we really wanted to he would have them check to see if our insurance would cover it. I think we're opting out, so my next appointment will be at 13-weeks.

Cranang · June 2011

live4thegiraffe:

From what I understand from talking with my OB, scans for genetic disorders have a high screen positive rate, but about 98% of those with positive results go on to have healthy babies. We ruled out the genetic disorders we are high risk for (ex: Cystic Fibrosis) before TTC, and we wouldn't terminate if LO did have a problem, so we're skipping the early scans. We'll see him/her in 2nd tri. But that's just us...we're young, healthy people with no past history of any problems. To each their own.

Ok, this is just wrong. Sorry. The NT scan does NOT test for genetic disorders. It tests for 3 trimsomies: Down Syndrome, Trisomy 13 and Trisomy 18. These are NOT genetic. These don't run in the family; if someone in the family had one of these, it does NOT mean you have an increased risk of your baby having it. Conversely, if no one in either family has these, it DOESN'T mean that your baby isn't at risk.

Also, there aren't "false positives". The results are given to you in a ratio: 1:2000; 1:10,000 etc. If you come back "at risk", say 1:25, it's NOT a confirmation that the baby has one of these. Only an amnio can confirm.

But as to whether you get the scan, that's up to the individual couple. I wanted to be prepared, but that's just me. It was non-invasive and gave me real piece of mind.

CalMum_Momma · June 2011

We did not get it for DS and won't for this LO either. I know 3 people who've had it done, and two of them were told they had high risk, and neither ended up with a baby with difficulties, just a pregnancy filled with more stress than was necessary. The other, who was the only one, IMO, where it was warranted, given a family Hx of Down's, had theirs come up low rish, which was a huge relief for them. Our insurance does not cover the screening, but I also decided that I would be unwilling to the the further testing that would be recommended should they get a high risk result, including amnio, which carries a risk for miscarriage. DH and I know that there are a multitude of things that could be wrong with the baby when it comes, and even that it could develop later, many of which can't be tested for in advance. We saw no reason to test for this one.

MrsSteelerTeacherLady · June 2011

I didn't do it with Jackson and I won't do it with this one. There are a lot more issues found through the NT scan that often times aren't really an issues (might have this, might have that). I think it would just cause a lot of unnecessary stress in my life.

CalMum_Momma · June 2011

Cranang:
live4thegiraffe:

From what I understand from talking with my OB, scans for genetic disorders have a high screen positive rate, but about 98% of those with positive results go on to have healthy babies. We ruled out the genetic disorders we are high risk for (ex: Cystic Fibrosis) before TTC, and we wouldn't terminate if LO did have a problem, so we're skipping the early scans. We'll see him/her in 2nd tri. But that's just us...we're young, healthy people with no past history of any problems. To each their own.

Ok, this is just wrong. Sorry. The NT scan does NOT test for genetic disorders. It tests for 3 trimsomies: Down Syndrome, Trisomy 13 and Trisomy 18. These are NOT genetic. These don't run in the family; if someone in the family had one of these, it does NOT mean you have an increased risk of your baby having it. Conversely, if no one in either family has these, it DOESN'T mean that your baby isn't at risk.

Also, there aren't "false positives". The results are given to you in a ratio: 1:2000; 1:10,000 etc. If you come back "at risk", say 1:25, it's NOT a confirmation that the baby has one of these. Only an amnio can confirm.

But as to whether you get the scan, that's up to the individual couple. I wanted to be prepared, but that's just me. It was non-invasive and gave me real piece of mind.

I don't know where you're getting your info from, but having a family Hx of Down's does indeed put you at a higher risk for having a baby with Downs, and more OB's will strongly recommend the testing if you do have a family Hx. Maybe it gave you peace of mind, but like I mentioned in my earlier post, it also gives some people undue stress and anxiety.

Cranang · June 2011

There is a miniscule risk of a translocation at that gene site running in the family. But 99.5% of Down Syndrome babies are born to parents with NO family history of it. I've done PLENTY of research on this, as well as studied in college about it, so I feel pretty confident in my original statement. The "higher risk" you speak of is almost negligible.

Want a personalized experience?

Anyone not getting the NT scan?

Re: Anyone not getting the NT scan?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards