Gender Blood Test?

Justpeachier13 · March 2016

What are your thoughts on having a blood test done to reveal gender at 10 weeks? This was offered to me today.

TucknBoom · March 2016

Im paying out of pocket to do it. I want to do the genetic screening and to find out gender early. It's also a bonus because I will be seeing my husband while he's near by for a training around that time so we will find out together(:

mrsasolomon · March 2016

This also is some type of genetic testing isn't it? I've never had it before but now after my loss I'm considering opting for more testing so may consider this one if offered would love to know the gender sooner. LoL

NatashaSprout · March 2016

I'll be getting the CVS test between 11-13 weeks so that will be giving us the gender anyways. Insurance covers it for me.

leaseee · March 2016

I assume you're referring to non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for chromosomal abnormalities, brand names like maternit21 or panorama. I'd reccomend doing some research on the testing and what it's for...which is not primarily to find out the sex. I don't think there's anything wrong with doing it because you want to know the sex, but since you seem unfamiliar with it I think you should know the kinds of issues the test might reveal. This has the basics: https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/pregnancy-health/noninvasive-prenatal-testing

Justpeachier13 · March 2016

See, this is why I need to ask these questions. I don't even know! It was mentioned with genetic testing. I'm 35 and we've opted for all the tests a available. The doctor talked about it as a separate test, though. It's hard to know to ask what you don't know....you know?!?! Are these things a midwife would help with as far as advocacy for the patient goes?

NatashaSprout · March 2016

Justpeachier13 said:

See, this is why I need to ask these questions. I don't even know! It was mentioned with genetic testing. I'm 35 and we've opted for all the tests a available. The doctor talked about it as a separate test, though. It's hard to know to ask what you don't know....you know?!?! Are these things a midwife would help with as far as advocacy for the patient goes?

The CVS is invasive and carries a small risk of a miscarriage. The NIPT is non invasive but doesn't give you the information the CVS does. I'm 35 as well. Insurance will cover either or both test for you. There's more to it but those were the big 2 differences I noticed.

Thewizardofrhythm · March 2016

So I thought this was called CDNA....and the brand names are mat21 and some others. I really want this but I don't qualify. I'm currently researching how much my insurance will cover and thinking aboutpaying the differnece.

KilgraveMadeMeDoIt · March 2016

There's several major brands (Harmony, MaterniT21, Panorama, as well as a couple more) and some can test more than just the major trisomies (T21, T13, and T18.) They can look at micro deletions (cri du chat, DiGeorge, a few others I can't remember off the top of my head) and so on. The science behind them is pretty cool. They are fairly accurate but not infallible.

They are only covered here in Ontario under certain circumstances (AMA, soft markers, history of prior chromosomal abnormalities, etc.) otherwise NIPT costs about $800 here.

if I qualified for coverage, I'd be doing it for sure. We are just going to do the IPS that they offer as standard here, though.

thatlauragirl · March 2016

I'm 37 so we're going to be doing this at 10 weeks because we want the genetic screening and it's non-invasive (we may then elect for CVS depending on the outcome). It kind of blows my mind that we'll be finding out the gender this early! cfDNA testing wasn't in existence when I had my son, it blows my mind how much has changed in just 6 years.

Thewizardofrhythm · March 2016

@KilgraveMadeMeDoIt I was hoping you'd reply with some science!

KilgraveMadeMeDoIt · March 2016

Thewizardofrhythm said:

@KilgraveMadeMeDoIt I was hoping you'd reply with some science!

Incidentally, the case I'm working on for my Friday tutorial is on this specific subject and I was talking to an MFM specialist about it two days ago, haha. This is a well-timed thread.

leaseee · March 2016

For those worried about costs, most of the testing companies will significantly discount the price if your insurance doesn't cover it. Your doc or calling the company should be able to tell you what that discount is. For my previous pregnancy last year I paid less than $200 for maternit21 even though the bill was something like $800.

lilwonder · March 2016

I'll be doing the Panorama/Horizon test again at 9w, just as I did with my last pregnancy. While I'm only 31 and the testing isn't super strongly suggested, a little extra piece of mind is worth paying out of pocket (IMO).

@leasee you are 100% correct. My insurance doesn't cover the Panorama/Horizon but Natera (company that offered these tests, actually located in the SF Bay Area, too) will deeply discount your out of pocket cost. Last time I only paid $150, directly to them.

Finding out the sex of our baby so early on isn't the main motivation for the testing, but I think it's a perk that comes along with it.

maddenmama15 · March 2016

That's how we found out with our first one. It was scary at first bc one of the genetic tests had come back abnormal and so they sent my blood work off for some extra testing to make sure everything was fine, and they said they would call if anything was wrong. Well lo and behold I get a phone call and I'm freaking out thinking something is wrong lol. But the nurse wanted to tell me that everything was fine, and also that we could find out the sex if we wanted to. So I called my hubby up and asked if he wanted to know so early on and he said yeah lol. We found out we were having a girl and we're able to throw a gender reveal party that weekend. I think I was about 12 weeks along then.

jdebaie · March 2016

I'm paying out of pocket for the Harmony test (I'll be 11 weeks when I get it).

Greencows4812 · March 2016

My doctor suggest it to everyone and he said that the company has made it clear that they don't want money to be an issue so they are willing to working with price and payments. I talked to the nurse and she said they haven't had trouble with any insurance not covering it and that patient responsibility is average, 20%. At least for the Prgenity test.

Edited to to add the test name

TrulyBlessed22 · March 2016

We are having the non-invasive one done due to my age (35). It's not mandatory but we are opting to have it done and it's covered by my insurance due to my age. Yes, we will choose to know the sex as part of it as well. My blood draw is scheduled for 10 weeks and they told me results will take 7-10 days.

comealongponds · March 2016

We opted out, though my family MD did offer it (I'm in Ontario like @KilgraveMadeMeDoIt so it would have been $800 out of pocket). We're going to do the IPS screening which is bloodwork and nuchal translucency ultrasound at 11-14w and then further bloodwork at 15-20w. Since we're having twins, it didn't make much sense to bother with the expensive screening since I'd have to have an amnio/cvs to determine which twin was affected anyways. We'll find out the sexes at the anatomy scan

doraleigh35 · March 2016

I'm also in Canada like @KilgraveMadeMeDoIt and @comealongponds. I'm already scheduled for the IPS bloodwork and NT ultrasound (4/19). We won't be doing further testing unless something comes back on the initial screening. We hope to find out the sex at the anatomy scan in June.

Edit: Typo

Texafornian · March 2016

I'm surprised that some of you are doing it as early as 10w. I did Mat21 last time and am doing Panorama this time (different OBs)...both doctors said that it's done between 11-14weeks and that it's not as accurate/complete if done prior to then. Was told both times it takes a week to 10 days to get the results. First time it took 18!!! So I found out closer to 14.

My neighbor did have hers done at 9.5 weeks but she's had 6 prior losses, one of which was a Trisomy so they opted to test her earlier than the norm.

I'm 42 so I end up getting a barrage of tests offered due to being AMA.

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