Has anyone NOT done the NT scan?

lwyz · January 2015

kimmarie1105 said:

lwyz said:

bossybluejay said:
I don't really understand people's rationalization for skipping the genetic testing because they're low risk/don't have a genetic history of the diseases. My doctor said that typically, people who have a baby with downs syndrome don't have a history of it in their family...same for Trisomy 18. I specifically asked about that because I'm also low risk (young & healthy) and neither my husband nor I have any history of any birth defects or genetic disorders in our family. His response was "and you wouldn't need to". Also, he said that the defects the quad screen looks for, typically cannot be found during an A/S.
Downs and Trisomy 18 can usually be detected at your a/s. So it doesn't mean you're completely in the dark. Lots of time to research after 20 weeks.
Trisomy 18 is NOT something I'd want to wait to find out about.

--anticipated mobile quote fail---

Not trying to be argumentative, but just curious. What would you do with 30 weeks of the knowledge instead of 20? Just time to digest and research? I honestly kind of wish I'd been more informed on the subject when I made my decision. But I also think maybe we just don't test as extensively here in Canada as Americans do, because my doctor said I'd get a percentage chance, and even a super high positive of 1/4 seemed silly to me because there's still a 75% chance your baby will be fine and it'd be easy to freak out your whole pregnancy and convince yourself baby has 'x' when they likely won't. Many Bumpies have mentioned further testing that can 100% confirm, which makes more sense, but that was never mentioned to me here.

celliott72 · January 2015

We skipped all tests except the anatomy scan for personal choices.

missjenniebean · January 2015

We've opted out of all extra testing as well.

angielayne926 · January 2015

stephjhouston said:

We have decided not to do it either. This baby will be loved regardless, so we don't feel we need to know anything in advance. We have also seen too many friends who have had all joy sucked from the enjoyment of their pregnancies by false positives and their babies have always been fine. Most of the testing in the UK comes back with percentage rates of chance and without any definates, so why put ourselves through the doubt.

So people who chose to terminate their pregnancies for medical reasons don't love their children? This is a very personal choice @stephjhouston, please watch your word choices. There are women on this board that have been faced with this choice in the past or with their current pregnancy. Just because termination may be something you will not choose, you never know if someone is having to make that choice right now.

bossybluejay · January 2015

lwyz said:

I don't really understand people's rationalization for skipping the genetic testing because they're low risk/don't have a genetic history of the diseases. My doctor said that typically, people who have a baby with downs syndrome don't have a history of it in their family...same for Trisomy 18. I specifically asked about that because I'm also low risk (young & healthy) and neither my husband nor I have any history of any birth defects or genetic disorders in our family. His response was "and you wouldn't need to". Also, he said that the defects the quad screen looks for, typically cannot be found during an A/S.
Downs and Trisomy 18 can usually be detected at your a/s. So it doesn't mean you're completely in the dark. Lots of time to research after 20 weeks.
Trisomy 18 is NOT something I'd want to wait to find out about.
--anticipated mobile quote fail--- Not trying to be argumentative, but just curious. What would you do with 30 weeks of the knowledge instead of 20? Just time to digest and research? I honestly kind of wish I'd been more informed on the subject when I made my decision. But I also think maybe we just don't test as extensively here in Canada as Americans do, because my doctor said I'd get a percentage chance, and even a super high positive of 1/4 seemed silly to me because there's still a 75% chance your baby will be fine and it'd be easy to freak out your whole pregnancy and convince yourself baby has 'x' when they likely won't. Many Bumpies have mentioned further testing that can 100% confirm, which makes more sense, but that was never mentioned to me here.

They don't just do the screening and say that you have a 1/4 chance of your baby having Trisomy 18 and then let it be. They move onto a more thorough blood screening test such as the Harmony test and then they would do an amnio, if necessary. I can't imagine that's any different in Canada vs. the US. Maybe you just didn't specifically ask your doctor what the next steps after a positive screen result would be?

There are many reasons to find out about chromosomal abnormalities earlier on. Trisomy 18 is not something I would personally want to wait to find out about because it's extremely serious and many babies die either in utero or within minutes of being delivered. I would want to be prepared for something like that to be happen. My personal philosophy is, I want to know as much as I can about this child that I'm about to bring into the world. I understand that false positives are scary but your doctor isn't going to leave you high and dry to wonder for the next 20 weeks whether or not your baby will have a serious defect. They're going to determine that through further testing within weeks.

bossybluejay · January 2015

mamalmd said:

Strangely, my doctor never even offered a NT scan or first trimester screening...they just did the quad screen at around 16 weeks. I guess because they considered me low risk? I was getting worried because I kept reading on online forums that everyone else had at least been offered the tests in the first trimester. Luckily everything came out normal...but I still found it unusual (then again I'm a FTM so I didn't really know what to expect and when).

My doctor didnt offer it either. The quad screen was the only thing I was offered. I think some drs will wait because the quad screen also shows the risk of spina bifida.

lwyz · January 2015

bossybluejay said:

lwyz said:

kimmarie1105 said:

lwyz said:

bossybluejay said:
I don't really understand people's rationalization for skipping the genetic testing because they're low risk/don't have a genetic history of the diseases. My doctor said that typically, people who have a baby with downs syndrome don't have a history of it in their family...same for Trisomy 18. I specifically asked about that because I'm also low risk (young & healthy) and neither my husband nor I have any history of any birth defects or genetic disorders in our family. His response was "and you wouldn't need to". Also, he said that the defects the quad screen looks for, typically cannot be found during an A/S.
Downs and Trisomy 18 can usually be detected at your a/s. So it doesn't mean you're completely in the dark. Lots of time to research after 20 weeks.
Trisomy 18 is NOT something I'd want to wait to find out about.
--anticipated mobile quote fail---

Not trying to be argumentative, but just curious. What would you do with 30 weeks of the knowledge instead of 20? Just time to digest and research? I honestly kind of wish I'd been more informed on the subject when I made my decision. But I also think maybe we just don't test as extensively here in Canada as Americans do, because my doctor said I'd get a percentage chance, and even a super high positive of 1/4 seemed silly to me because there's still a 75% chance your baby will be fine and it'd be easy to freak out your whole pregnancy and convince yourself baby has 'x' when they likely won't. Many Bumpies have mentioned further testing that can 100% confirm, which makes more sense, but that was never mentioned to me here.

They don't just do the screening and say that you have a 1/4 chance of your baby having Trisomy 18 and then let it be. They move onto a more thorough blood screening test such as the Harmony test and then they would do an amnio, if necessary. I can't imagine that's any different in Canada vs. the US. Maybe you just didn't specifically ask your doctor what the next steps after a positive screen result would be?

There are many reasons to find out about chromosomal abnormalities earlier on. Trisomy 18 is not something I would personally want to wait to find out about because it's extremely serious and many babies die either in utero or within minutes of being delivered. I would want to be prepared for something like that to be happen. My personal philosophy is, I want to know as much as I can about this child that I'm about to bring into the world. I understand that false positives are scary but your doctor isn't going to leave you high and dry to wonder for the next 20 weeks whether or not your baby will have a serious defect. They're going to determine that through further testing within weeks.

Actually, he told me a lot of moms end up regretting getting the test because they worried through their pregnancy. In Canada we do a lot less testing and a lot less ultrasounds than what it sounds like you do in the States. It may not be what you're accustomed to but that doesn't mean it's not the way things are done here.

KonaCoffeeBean · January 2015

Due to insurance coverage we did the quad screen, but not the NT. If NT had been covered, we would have done it. For all the talk on here about false positives, false negatives are also really common, and I much more worried about that possibility.

bossybluejay · January 2015

lwyz said:
Actually, he told me a lot of moms end up regretting getting the test because they worried through their pregnancy. In Canada we do a lot less testing and a lot less ultrasounds than what it sounds like you do in the States. It may not be what you're accustomed to but that doesn't mean it's not the way things are done here.

Oooohhhk. This isn't a US vs. Canada argument. I simply stated that typically, a positive screening test is followed up with other tests to confirm and that many chromosomal abnormalities are not always discovered through a typical anatomy scan.

Erinrhea77 · January 2015

We didn't do it....this is baby #4 for us and even though I'm old (according to most OB's .....37) we decided not to. Mainly because of the false positives, but also because it wouldn't change to outcome for us.

janat1717 · January 2015

We chose not to do any additional testing

DolphinLover2002 · January 2015

We didn't do any extra screenings with ds or these guys. We had our initial dating u/s and the a/s. We didn't feel like paying out of pocket for the tests, because insurance didn't cover them. We'd also have to drive 3 hours round trip to get them done. We have no family history, so didn't feel the need to do them.

Trampslikeus · January 2015

Holy shit. I have no judgement towards those of you who opted out of screenings, but the misinformation in this thread is mind numbing... (Not directed at you at all, OP)

First of all, Downs and 18 have NOTHING TO DO WITH FAMILY HISTORY. They are completely random mutations.

Again, just to be clear, Downs and 18 have nothing to do with genetics, more than 98% of cases are RANDOM.

Secondly, the chance of getting a false positive on a SCREENING does not mean you will finish out your pregnancy with a high chance of a false positive. A positive screening result leads to usually immediate diagnostic testing (very different from a screening) that determines positive or negative with around 99% accuracy.

Third, the anatomy ultrasound CANNOT be used to diagnose a trisomy. All it can do is possibly identify soft markers, including NT and nasal bone development. But not all trisomy cases have soft markers. If a soft marker is seen, diagnostic testing will be recommended ( see second point).

Fourth, the decision to opt in or out of screening has literally ZERO bearing on how loved or wanted a baby is.

Please, actually know what you're opting in or out of before you make these decisions and then post like you know what you're talking about.

bossybluejay · January 2015

Trampslikeus said:

Holy shit. I have no judgement towards those of you who opted out of screenings, but the misinformation in this thread is mind numbing... (Not directed at you at all, OP) First of all, Downs and 18 have NOTHING TO DO WITH FAMILY HISTORY. They are completely random mutations. Again, just to be clear, Downs and 18 have nothing to do with genetics, more than 98% of cases are RANDOM. Secondly, the chance of getting a false positive on a SCREENING does not mean you will finish out your pregnancy with a high chance of a false positive. A positive screening result leads to usually immediate diagnostic testing (very different from a screening) that determines positive or negative with around 99% accuracy. Third, the anatomy ultrasound CANNOT be used to diagnose a trisomy. All it can do is possibly identify soft markers, including NT and nasal bone development. But not all trisomy cases have soft markers. If a soft marker is seen, diagnostic testing will be recommended ( see second point). Fourth, the decision to opt in or out of screening has literally ZERO bearing on how loved or wanted a baby is. Please, actually know what you're opting in or out of before you make these decisions and then post like you know what you're talking about.

THIS.

amooraxo · January 2015

We had the NT-- it wasn't really seen as an "option". The doctor said, let's schedule your next ultrasound and that's when they did the NT. However, I am in Qatar and the healthcare is very different here. I get an ultrasound and get to hear baby's heartbeat every month at my checkups, as it's included in the checkup. I don't even have insurance that covers maternity, I'm choosing to go to a private hospital (more expensive) and it's still cheaper than most of my friends/family have paid with insurance in the US. Monthly I pay 500 Qatari Riyals, equivalent to $135, and that includes my monthly checkup, ultrasound, tests (lab work). The NT was an additional cost but I believe it was the same cost. And the A/S will also be the same.

I just feel like, for the price, and it was another chance to see LO, it was worth it for me. Not sure what I would do if I was in the states and in a different situation.

lwyz · January 2015

Wow. Everyone who opted to do the screening is really angry about those who didn't. It's a personal choice. The OP asked about the reasoning for those who didn't. Yes, fine, family history doesn't necessarily have anything to do with a couple conditions. A couple conditions you can't actually do anything about, by the way. So I'm educating myself in case I have to make decisions regarding it, but don't see the point in 'knowing for sure'. I respect everyone who's decided to do it. But were I to go back and decide again I would do the same. Which my doctor was 100% okay with by the way, so clearly it's not as neglectful as some seem to think.

amooraxo · January 2015

lwyz said:

Wow. Everyone who opted to do the screening is really angry about those who didn't. It's a personal choice. The OP asked about the reasoning for those who didn't. Yes, fine, family history doesn't necessarily have anything to do with a couple conditions. A couple conditions you can't actually do anything about, by the way. So I'm educating myself in case I have to make decisions regarding it, but don't see the point in 'knowing for sure'. I respect everyone who's decided to do it. But were I to go back and decide again I would do the same. Which my doctor was 100% okay with by the way, so clearly it's not as neglectful as some seem to think.

I don't feel as though any of the PP's were "really angry" about people who don't. In my post, I was saying it wasn't a choice, as in, my doctor didn't bring it across to me as a choice.

Everyone is their own person, in charge of their own health, their own families and they LO's.

Trampslikeus · January 2015

@lwyz Read again. No one is angry about the screenings. If my insurance didn't cover it, I'm not sure I'd have had it.

But seeing 10 different people post that they "have no family history" as a rationale for opting out of a screening for disorders that have literally nothing to do with family history - is annoying and frustrating, because it is spreading completely false information to people.

jsusfeak · January 2015

We chose not to do either and here's why. One: a baby is a gift from God. Period. I'm a clergy person and I don't believe in abortion and I will love regardless. Also there is no history of genetic issues in my family. Everyone's decision is different and everyone has their reasons. It was frustrating that at every corner my obgyn was trying to push these test on me even knowing I was very firm in my beliefs.

FloGirl82 · January 2015

Family history or no family history, rates of false positives, or whatever rationale aside, it's a choice that some people elected to not take the test. Nobody is disputing that it's not beneficial or saying that it's a bad test/screening or anything. There are many factors that goes into one's choice whether or not to take the tests/scans/screenings.

Just my thoughts. Hopefully whatever choice was made, someone did educate themselves about what the tests/screenings and results entailed-I know I did. (I did not do any screenings or tests as stated before).

kimmarie1105 · January 2015

lwyz said:

kimmarie1105 said:

lwyz said:

bossybluejay said:
I don't really understand people's rationalization for skipping the genetic testing because they're low risk/don't have a genetic history of the diseases. My doctor said that typically, people who have a baby with downs syndrome don't have a history of it in their family...same for Trisomy 18. I specifically asked about that because I'm also low risk (young & healthy) and neither my husband nor I have any history of any birth defects or genetic disorders in our family. His response was "and you wouldn't need to". Also, he said that the defects the quad screen looks for, typically cannot be found during an A/S.
Downs and Trisomy 18 can usually be detected at your a/s. So it doesn't mean you're completely in the dark. Lots of time to research after 20 weeks.
Trisomy 18 is NOT something I'd want to wait to find out about.
--anticipated mobile quote fail---

Not trying to be argumentative, but just curious. What would you do with 30 weeks of the knowledge instead of 20? Just time to digest and research? I honestly kind of wish I'd been more informed on the subject when I made my decision. But I also think maybe we just don't test as extensively here in Canada as Americans do, because my doctor said I'd get a percentage chance, and even a super high positive of 1/4 seemed silly to me because there's still a 75% chance your baby will be fine and it'd be easy to freak out your whole pregnancy and convince yourself baby has 'x' when they likely won't. Many Bumpies have mentioned further testing that can 100% confirm, which makes more sense, but that was never mentioned to me here.

Many times, with trisomy 18, there are other health issues that will be picked up during the NT scan. Knowing that your baby will most likely not make it to term, or that your pregnancy will result in still birth, or, in the very rare chance that you actual do go full term and deliver, the baby will need special surgeries and equipment, and will most likely die shortly after is knowledge that I would never turn down. Having options in this situation is crucial.

kimmarie1105 · January 2015

jsusfeak said:
We chose not to do either and here's why. One: a baby is a gift from God. Period. I'm a clergy person and I don't believe in abortion and I will love regardless. Also there is no history of genetic issues in my family. Everyone's decision is different and everyone has their reasons. It was frustrating that at every corner my obgyn was trying to push these test on me even knowing I was very firm in my beliefs. </blockquote

Stuck in a box
I believe in God too. I also believe in having mercy on a soul. Don't "preach" about a situation that you luckily haven't been faced with.

bossybluejay · January 2015

jsusfeak said:
We chose not to do either and here's why. One: a baby is a gift from God. Period. I'm a clergy person and I don't believe in abortion and I will love regardless. Also there is no history of genetic issues in my family. Everyone's decision is different and everyone has their reasons. It was frustrating that at every corner my obgyn was trying to push these test on me even knowing I was very firm in my beliefs.

Are you f%^*?#$ kidding me right now? Yes, your doctor was trying to push those tests because they hate God & don't believe babies are a gift from him. And everyone who had genetic testing thinks the same thing. That statement can go eff off.

Trampslikeus · January 2015

Yeah.... God must hate it when spina bifida is identified at the earliest possible point so that a prenatal neurosurgery specialist can be referred and scheduled ASAP and the baby is operated on before even being born, decreasing pain and post op complications, increasing quality of life, and increasing life expectancy by a decade or so. God hates that shit.

Aceybaby · January 2015

I decided not to have the nt scan done.

My insurance did cover the scan, but the way I look at it im gonna love her either way! Also there is nothin that can be done while pregnant beside terminate and that wasn't an option for me. I go for an anatomy scan tomorrow though wootwooo! Also I saw her kick from the outside last night! She's amazing!

Wishing yall the best!

kimmarie1105 · January 2015

Aceybaby said:
I decided not to have the nt scan

! Also there is nothin that can be done while pregnant beside terminate and that wasn't an option for me.

Wishing yall the best!

Actually, given the situation, there are things that can be done while pregnant BESIDES termination. IF you were smart enough to empower yourself with the knowledge of what ifs, you would know this. Fuck, simply reading the response right before yours from @Trampslikeus‌ would even give you an eye opener.
Furthermore, sometimes termination is necessary because there are rare cases where your baby could be suffering or having a negative impact on your body. I remember someone from this board having a situation like that. I don't remember her name or her exact situation but God bless her.
And lastly, calling termination an option is hurtful, but I don't blame you for not understanding that. Until you actually live through it, you really wouldn't get it.

Trampslikeus · January 2015

@kimmarie1105‌ I'm so sorry you have to even see this kind of crap, even if it's not directed at you...

As for these posts, what a perfect demonstration of the complete and utter failure of the medical profession to make sure patients are making INFORMED decisions about prenatal health. This makes me really sad actually. I have nothing negative to say about someone who opted out - if they knew what they were opting out of. But yikes man...the number of people who think no family history and not considering abortion are reasons to opt out of these screenings.... Not good. That people think "nothing can be done" is even scarier. One of my Downs patients had prenatal heart surgery - he'd have likely died within minutes of birth without it.

bossybluejay · January 2015

The best thing about this entire post is that it's clearly a bunch of women helping to justify to each other their illogical reasons for opting out of genetic screening. If you want to forego genetic screening, be my guest but at the very least, do so based on informed decisions. As for the people saying that they wouldn't want to know if their baby has a terminal condition- are you also not going to take your future child to the doctor for fear of some kind of fatal diagnosis? Because those two scenarios are equally fucking crazy in my book.

thelittlestbee · January 2015

I think some of you are very brave for not getting any testing done. It may sound naive, but I never even knew that not testing was an option. I just thought that the responsible, logical thing to do would be to have the baby tested for any and everything within reason. There was never any question of should I or shouldn't I.

Fortunately, everything came back clear for us. But if god forbid something were wrong with our child, I would want to know. Not because I would love it any less, but because knowledge is power and I feel like there are things you should know about so you can properly prepare for what's to come.

I also think those comments along the lines of "we would love our baby regardless" are pretty fucked up. I'm pretty sure we ALL love our babies regardless of any negative outcome. Please don't pretend that those of us who had testing done would love our babies any less if something was wrong just because you decided to go a different route.

poppyc8 · January 2015

JimBobCooter said:
We did the genetic blood screening at 10 weeks and opted to skip the NT scan since the results came back with no trisomy.

This exactly

effthisnoise · January 2015

I'm Catholic and termination is VERY against my religion, but there's nothing in our dogma to suggest that we shouldn't get testing done. If my baby might have a terminal illness, I want to know so I can prepare myself and see if there's anything that can be done to save him/her. If my baby might have Downs, I want to know so I can research it and learn what my life is going to be like raising a special needs child. These tests are NOT to determine whether you should or should not terminate. Yes, it's possible that a doctor might suggest termination, but you as the patient can say no.

I didn't tag anyone because there are just way too many misguided individuals on this thread. It's for all of them.

MissRachel621 · January 2015

I am just a lurker (late May due date) but I did want to point something out that I think some may be missing or might not have considered:

While there are factors such as age that can increase your risk of having a baby with a genetic disorder, most pregnant women (at least in the US and Canada) are low risk, with no family history of genetic disorders. Therefore, most babies that are diagnosed with genetic disorders have mothers that are low risk.

I hope that makes sense.

poppyc8 · January 2015

kimmarie1105 said:

lwyz said:

kimmarie1105 said:

lwyz said:

bossybluejay said:
I don't really understand people's rationalization for skipping the genetic testing because they're low risk/don't have a genetic history of the diseases. My doctor said that typically, people who have a baby with downs syndrome don't have a history of it in their family...same for Trisomy 18. I specifically asked about that because I'm also low risk (young & healthy) and neither my husband nor I have any history of any birth defects or genetic disorders in our family. His response was "and you wouldn't need to". Also, he said that the defects the quad screen looks for, typically cannot be found during an A/S.
Downs and Trisomy 18 can usually be detected at your a/s. So it doesn't mean you're completely in the dark. Lots of time to research after 20 weeks.
Trisomy 18 is NOT something I'd want to wait to find out about.
--anticipated mobile quote fail---

Not trying to be argumentative, but just curious. What would you do with 30 weeks of the knowledge instead of 20? Just time to digest and research? I honestly kind of wish I'd been more informed on the subject when I made my decision. But I also think maybe we just don't test as extensively here in Canada as Americans do, because my doctor said I'd get a percentage chance, and even a super high positive of 1/4 seemed silly to me because there's still a 75% chance your baby will be fine and it'd be easy to freak out your whole pregnancy and convince yourself baby has 'x' when they likely won't. Many Bumpies have mentioned further testing that can 100% confirm, which makes more sense, but that was never mentioned to me here.

Many times, with trisomy 18, there are other health issues that will be picked up during the NT scan. Knowing that your baby will most likely not make it to term, or that your pregnancy will result in still birth, or, in the very rare chance that you actual do go full term and deliver, the baby will need special surgeries and equipment, and will most likely die shortly after is knowledge that I would never turn down. Having options in this situation is crucial.

@kimmarie1105‌ 100% this. Through screening test my friend's newborn needed immediate surgery that saved her life. This is why screenings are so important.

Katerina&Baby · January 2015

Look - it takes a lot to offend me but the implication that women who opt to have testing won't love their baby as much if there are problems or must consider termination "an option" is horrible. There are plenty of completely valid reasons to want testing (read the above posts for tons of them).

I could care less if someone else doesn't want testing. For my money, more knowledge is ALWAYS better than less - even with the threat of false positives. To the posters who stated that genetic screening is pointless because "nothing can be done" - what on earth are you basing that conclusion on?

JKTitus14 · January 2015

We decided against any of the testing. Whatever we are given we will gladly take!

Katerina&Baby · January 2015

JKTitus14 said:
We decided against any of the testing. Whatever we are given we will gladly take!

You win for most ignorant response yet. Congratulations.

Trampslikeus · January 2015

JKTitus14 said:
We decided against any of the testing. Whatever we are given we will gladly take!

Like completely preventable death or paralysis?

Charming.

msnelten · January 2015

We didn't do testing with this pregnancy or the last. It's personal preference for us. Whether or not something would show up, we would keep the child. The Dr agreed that there is no point in doing diagnostic testing if you are not going to do anything with the results.

puppet12 · January 2015

Hi there I didn't do any extra scans I'm leaving it all up to the big boss ,, don't worry about other people's opinions ,, just enjoy

wick2007 · January 2015

We did not do those screenings either. My doctor said some great things that helped me decide.
1. A lot of times they cause unnecessary worry and anxiety. Sometimes they are not accurate or indecisive results, which leaves you in panic mode.

2. If it's not going to change the outcome of your pregnancy, then it doesn't matter. If you wouldn't end your pregnancy for it, then don't worry about it.

We are going to have a baby no matter what. However that baby turns out is great with us. We will love it and raise it no matter what. So we would rather not even think about doing those tests. Just enjoying pregnancy and can't wait to meet the little one in June!

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