To do the NT scan or not?

Hooper88 · October 2013

I know its a personal decision. My DH and I are still in the midst of discussions. Just curious what the May moms think about NT scans? Are you planning on doing one?

We are leaning toward not doing it as I hear there are a lot of false positives and I am not sure I want to be un necessarily stressed during my whole pregnancy...

sthomas1222 · October 2013

We didn't do it last time & won't this time. There's just too many false negatives & for us it wouldn't make a difference anyways.

sisterjanet · October 2013

I agree with the way you're leaning. The test isn't accurate enough to interest me. I would just stress about whether it was a false positive or false negative, and it wouldn't change whether DH and I would keep the baby. I feel like they check for the same things at 20 weeks but with greater accuracy and certainty in the results, and I'm fine with waiting until then to know how the baby's doing.

alphalyrae · October 2013

We will doing it, my appointment is in 6 days. I'm aware of the false negative to positives ratio, but if there was a change that it did indicate something, DH and I want to be able to pursue additional testing to prepare ourselves in the event we need to make alternative hospital arrangements/find specialists. We won't terminate, even if the baby is deemed incompatible with life. But if they have any issues, we'd like to give them the best chance possible from the start.

lovelylauren86 · October 2013

I'm doing it just so I can get an extra US

jfletcher3113 · October 2013

I'm doing one next week. It was more like my doctor said, "OK so let's schedule your NT scan for next Friday" and I said, "OK, sounds good." To me it sort of just felt like the next step. There wasn't much discussion and no matter what is found, we won't be testing further (e.g. amnio). This seemed like a simple test with no risk to the baby that might give us some good info.

I haven't heard of false positives so much as interpreting the findings can be scary/confusing. I could absolutely be wrong about that, though. It was mentioned to me they give you a ratio versus a "yes" or "no". So I can see how getting bad news could be very stressful because the result is not definitive either way.

I'm the type of person I'd rather know what I can, even if it's not 100 percent, so I can mentally prepare for the possibility. I'd just say listen to your gut and go with whatever you're comfortable with.

mrsbtobe20122 · October 2013

We are doing it. That is when we found out our Twin A was in heart failure. Additionally, I'm in the boat that I'd rather know and be able to be prepared--than to be surprised at delivery....that never goes well because there can be many, many decisions to make in a short amount of time.

kristine526 · October 2013

We won't be doing it for the same false positive reason. Also, even if the markers are truly positive, we wouldn't terminate any way no matter what, so it just seemed unnecessary in our opinion.

getitdone · October 2013

We are not doing it. We don't see any reason to.

typeset · October 2013

Doing it. I like having as much information as possible. I also like being able to check on the baby's development. I would not want to carry longer or to term if they found a condition incompatible with life, but that's something you have to decide for yourself or may not want to consider unless you have to.

We're possibly doing further testing given the kid's autism; we meet with the geneticist in a few weeks and will discuss an amnio versus a newborn CMA then.

MMason12 · October 2013

We elected not to have it done. We have no family history or other indicators that suggest we **need** to have the NT scan done. I know knowledge is power, but the false positive rate is pretty high. DH and I talked a lot about it and in the end we both felt comfortable skipping it.

kramja01 · October 2013

We won't be doing it. My OB doesn't offer it to low-risk women under 35.

dragossoul84 · October 2013

I'm not doing it this time but I did do the Harmony blood test which should be more accurate, just waiting on my results

typeset · October 2013

@kitchencolors

I read your responses every time. They're heartfelt, well thought out, and valuable. Thank you for sharing.

MCH77 · October 2013

We will be doing it.

Junebug060609 · October 2013

The test doesnt give "false positives" or "false negatives", it gives odds. This is a pet peeve of mine since I was one of the "false positives" with my sons pg. He got 1:10 results for T21 (normal for my age then was 1:500). He doesnt have it, but the test did provide valuable info to my ob about my increased chance of getting pre-e due to skewed papp-a numbers.

Even though the wait on amnio results (before MaterniT21 was available) was awful, I will be doing it again. The scan picks up on so much more than just Down Syndrome...they can find anencephaly, spina bifida, several trisomies, and so much more...not to mention I would love a heads up if pre-e is likely to come back. I am in the knowledge is power camp.

LindsayB0505 · October 2013

I hummed and hawed a bit, but decided to do it. Mine is Monday. We wouldn't terminate the pregnancy, but I'd like to be prepared and the longer I have to mentally and emotionally prepare the better. If it comes back "positive" or higher risk we will likely then have further testing done.

flowerx2 · October 2013

My DH and I talked about it and decided not to do it. We would keep the pregnancy regardless so it didn't seem like something we needed to do. So we opted out.

Meg&Austin · October 2013

We were the same as kkari81.

elizabethb3 · October 2013

I will be doing it. I want to have as much information as I can, as early as possible. If everything looks good, we'll be announcing soon after. If our odds are high for a problem, we'll probably be looking into doing a cell free DNA test.

alyssajanell5 · October 2013

We won't be doing it. We are going to be glad with whatever we get:)

rainydayluck · October 2013

We will be doing it. If baby had some issue that was incompatible with life we would think about terminating and we would rather make that decision earlier than later.

blazinangel1702 · October 2013

sthomas1222 said:
We didn't do it last time & won't this time. There's just too many false negatives & for us it wouldn't make a difference anyways.

Same for us. Didn't do it with our son either.

LilyGracesMommy · October 2013

Doing it. Did it with both DS and DD. DS I had abnormal results(I believe it was an elevated alpha feta protein from my lab work , the sono part was normal) and followed up with an amino, he was perfectly healthy and I was relieved to know that for certain. Again, if it had went the other way, I would have liked the time to process whatever diagnosis he would have had.

typeset · October 2013

alyssajanell5 said:

We are going to be glad with whatever we get:)

Dude.

Jessy336 · October 2013

I saw my new OB yesterday & he asked if we wanted to do the "first trimester screening" which sounds like the NT scan. He suggested it & DH and I scheduled an appointment for 11/20. Makes me nervous, especially because I know that there can be false results. Whatever the test says, we will take it from there.

Christinaruth74 · October 2013

we won't be doing it. i am prone to elevated anxiety as it is, so for the health of myself and my little Poppy, we will opt out. we don't have a history of birth defects/disabilities in my family, but even if we did, i am confident that DH and i are committed to love this child through whatever may come.

mirdamae03 · October 2013

We chose not to do the testing when I was pregnant with DS, but will be doing it with this child.

awknyc · October 2013

We are doing it. DH originally did not want to do it because he said it wouldn't matter b/c we would never consider terminating, but I convinced him that it might be more beneficial in case we do need to be better prepared and educated for what's to come.

LDQAM516 · October 2013

We dont see the benefit in doing it. We are low risk...under 35 and would not change the pregnancy if something were to be discovered that early. Plus the stress of all the numbers...and numbers....and numbers....

mrstavk · October 2013

Doing it. This is my first after two m/c's. So every opportunity I have to see the little peanut, I'm taking it. Either way it turns out, It doesn't matter to us. We are going to love this child no matter what. We won't go on with further testing if it comes up not in our favor though.

Themetastic · October 2013

Junebug060609 - interested to know more about how this test can tell you if you are more susceptible to pre-e? I developed it at 38 weeks with my son and am very afraid of developing it again. I am taking as many precautions as I can to avoid it this time around, but I thought it was something that just came out of nowhere.. you are saying this test can give tell tale signs ahead of time?

Junebug060609 · October 2013

Themetastic said:
Junebug060609 - interested to know more about how this test can tell you if you are more susceptible to pre-e? I developed it at 38 weeks with my son and am very afraid of developing it again. I am taking as many precautions as I can to avoid it this time around, but I thought it was something that just came out of nowhere.. you are saying this test can give tell tale signs ahead of time?

Papp-a numbers. There have been links found between really low papp-a and an increased likelihood of pre-e. My papp-a was ridiculously low, so low it completely tanked my odds. I heard about this from a friend who delivered her daughter at like 27w due to HELLP and a lightbulb went off in my head.

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