Good luck. There is a post on here with over 150 responses talking about this. It has info on different tests and people's experiences, plus some other general info. You'd probably really enjoy reading that as well.
I have not heard that it is best to wait until 14 weeks to hear the heartbeat... We listened to the heart beat at 9 weeks for the first time, and saw it on the ultrasound at 7 weeks.
***BFP & Child Warning***
Me: 34, DH: 38 ~ TTC since 2014 IUI #1-3 (Nov 2015, Feb 2016, May 2016) = BFNs IVF ER (July 2016) = 7 PGS normal embryos FET #1 (Sept 2016) = BFP! DD born 5/30/17 FET #2 (April 2019) = BFN FET #3 (July 2019) = BFP! DS born 3/27/20
I recall hearing the hb with a doppler earlier than 14w with my previous pregnancies (I want to say like 10w) but, interestingly, I am with a new office this time and they are telling me they won't even try earlier than 12w, with best being 14w.
Me: 36; DH: 38 DD: 7; DS1: 4; DS2 due 6-21-17! **TW** MMC & D&C Aug 2016
My doctor's office has standard ultrasound appointments at 8 weeks (for dating/confirmation) and 12 weeks (for NT scan). So the first appointment where they attempted to get heartbeat on a Doppler was the third appointment at 16 weeks, and that was just because the first two had ultrasounds where we could see the heartbeat anyway, so it would have been unnecessary. I do know that it's easier to find the heartbeat the larger the baby is though. Even at 16 weeks with DD, it took my nurse a while to find it (but I also had anterior placenta so that could have had something to do with it as well).
Your 12 week testing is either the standard NT scan and Quad Screen blood work (which are pretty normal and covered by basically all insurance) or your doctor wants you to do a NIPT blood draw, which will likely only be covered by insurance if you are considered high risk for some reason (since you're 22, you're definitely not AMA). The NT scan/quad screen is an ultrasound where they measure a certain fold I believe in the neck that can signal potential Down Syndrome, and they also make sure physically the baby looks normal so far. The accompanying quad screen draws blood around 12 weeks to test for Trisomy 13/18/21 (21 is Down Syndrome, the other two are terminal conditions), and then draws blood again at 16 weeks to check for Spina Bifida. This is just a screen - so it will only tell you for example "the average risk for a 22 year old is X and based on the testing your risk is Y." Often times if your risk based on testing is higher than your risk based on age, your doctor will suggest CVS or amniocentesis to confirm diagnosis. This screen will not tell you the sex of the baby. NIPT is a blood draw done usually between 10 and 14 weeks that will tell you, with higher accuracy, risk of the trisomy disorders above, as well as a few other genetic conditions, and also the sex of the baby. But depending on your insurance it can be quite costly out of pocket (up to $1k depending on test and insurance coverage).
My doctor usually tries the Doppler at 12-13 weeks. I had an apt yesterday at 13 weeks and we heard the HB right away with the Doppler. I had an anterior placenta with my son and we still found the HB at 13 weeks but they had to dig a little.
You've gotten some good info above, and there's more info on the "NIPT" thread about the additional genetic tests.
I just wanted to add, chances are you'll see or hear a beautiful heartbeat tomorrow and all the tests will come back okay, so try to enjoy the happy moments and don't be too nervous.
My doctor stated it is best to wait until around 14 weeks to get the heartbeat... has anyone else heard this??
I'm assuming you mean with Doppler? My OB scheduled an appointment for me to come in and hear baby's heartbeat on Dopper at 11w4d. The nurse spent awhile trying to find the heart beat without success, got frustrated and gave up. She told me she was sure the doctor would be able to find it she just wasn't good with that kind of thing and not to worry. It seemed like a pretty standard speech. The doctor came in a couple of minutes later and tried for awhile to find the heart beat with Doppler without success. Finally she went and got some tiny hand-held ultrasound device and found the baby quickly that way. Everything look OK and the heart beat was good. So I mean, because of that I could see why a doctor would be hesitant to check the heart beat with a Doppler early on especially if they didn't have a backup method like ultrasound to use if they couldn't find the heart beat with Doppler alone. I know if I had left the appointment without hearing the heart beat or seeing baby and had no idea if baby was OK or not I would have been freaking out. So in certain situations I think it causes undue stress.
Me: 28 Husband: 31 TTC#1: January 2015- September 2016 Infertility, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Rainbow baby born June 6, 2017 ❤️
Re: Delete
Me: 34, DH: 38 ~ TTC since 2014
IUI #1-3 (Nov 2015, Feb 2016, May 2016) = BFNs
IVF ER (July 2016) = 7 PGS normal embryos
FET #1 (Sept 2016) = BFP! DD born 5/30/17
FET #2 (April 2019) = BFN
FET #3 (July 2019) = BFP! DS born 3/27/20
Me: 36; DH: 38
DD: 7; DS1: 4; DS2 due 6-21-17!
**TW**
MMC & D&C Aug 2016
My doctor's office has standard ultrasound appointments at 8 weeks (for dating/confirmation) and 12 weeks (for NT scan). So the first appointment where they attempted to get heartbeat on a Doppler was the third appointment at 16 weeks, and that was just because the first two had ultrasounds where we could see the heartbeat anyway, so it would have been unnecessary. I do know that it's easier to find the heartbeat the larger the baby is though. Even at 16 weeks with DD, it took my nurse a while to find it (but I also had anterior placenta so that could have had something to do with it as well).
Your 12 week testing is either the standard NT scan and Quad Screen blood work (which are pretty normal and covered by basically all insurance) or your doctor wants you to do a NIPT blood draw, which will likely only be covered by insurance if you are considered high risk for some reason (since you're 22, you're definitely not AMA). The NT scan/quad screen is an ultrasound where they measure a certain fold I believe in the neck that can signal potential Down Syndrome, and they also make sure physically the baby looks normal so far. The accompanying quad screen draws blood around 12 weeks to test for Trisomy 13/18/21 (21 is Down Syndrome, the other two are terminal conditions), and then draws blood again at 16 weeks to check for Spina Bifida. This is just a screen - so it will only tell you for example "the average risk for a 22 year old is X and based on the testing your risk is Y." Often times if your risk based on testing is higher than your risk based on age, your doctor will suggest CVS or amniocentesis to confirm diagnosis. This screen will not tell you the sex of the baby. NIPT is a blood draw done usually between 10 and 14 weeks that will tell you, with higher accuracy, risk of the trisomy disorders above, as well as a few other genetic conditions, and also the sex of the baby. But depending on your insurance it can be quite costly out of pocket (up to $1k depending on test and insurance coverage).
I just wanted to add, chances are you'll see or hear a beautiful heartbeat tomorrow and all the tests will come back okay, so try to enjoy the happy moments and don't be too nervous.
I'm assuming you mean with Doppler? My OB scheduled an appointment for me to come in and hear baby's heartbeat on Dopper at 11w4d. The nurse spent awhile trying to find the heart beat without success, got frustrated and gave up. She told me she was sure the doctor would be able to find it she just wasn't good with that kind of thing and not to worry. It seemed like a pretty standard speech. The doctor came in a couple of minutes later and tried for awhile to find the heart beat with Doppler without success. Finally she went and got some tiny hand-held ultrasound device and found the baby quickly that way. Everything look OK and the heart beat was good. So I mean, because of that I could see why a doctor would be hesitant to check the heart beat with a Doppler early on especially if they didn't have a backup method like ultrasound to use if they couldn't find the heart beat with Doppler alone. I know if I had left the appointment without hearing the heart beat or seeing baby and had no idea if baby was OK or not I would have been freaking out. So in certain situations I think it causes undue stress.
TTC#1: January 2015- September 2016
Infertility, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
Rainbow baby born June 6, 2017 ❤️
Baby #2 due June 12, 2018