Can you tell me about your 1st tri screen experiences?

[animalcracker]

Hello ladies

I hope you don't mind me popping in from the 1st trimester forum! I hope you are all well and am very anxious to join you all in the 2nd trimester forum in another 4 weeks or so!

I am scheduled for my first sonogram on September 27th. The sonogram will be taken in conjunction with a blood test. They call this the first trimester screening and per my doctor, the scan and blood-test done together is a relatively new procedure to determine things such as fetal abnormalities, etc.

I'm a little nervous. This is my first pregnancy and I am 38 years old. This baby is much loved and adored already and we are praying everything is okay.

Those of you who had this screening test - I understand that at the end of it, you are told your chances of having a baby with a deformity and/or downs syndrome, etc.

What are considered good numbers? Did some of you go on to have the amnio test? What was that like? My doctor is suggesting we also meet with a genetic counselor to talk about our screening results.

Ladies, I would love to hear about your personal experiences with 1st tri (and 2nd tri) screening tests). As mentioned, I am very nervous and hearing what to expect from you lovely ladies will help to ease my mind!

Thank you all! I wish you all very happy and healthy pregnancies!!

 

[Waiting2bMommy]

I had it done but I wasn't told to get it until I was 12-16 weeks along. It was nothing much and they didn't give me numbers and just told me I was negative and everything was perfect. Good luck hun!

 

[Branigan]

Hey!

Well, I was 36 when I got pregnant. I was told the odds of Downs for my age was 1/200, not sure about the neural tube defects odds. I had a good experience, after the screen(I had the ultrasound and blood test at 12 weeks and then another blood test at 16 weeks) my odds were much better than that and I was satisfied and didn't feel the need to do an amnio. If my odds had been worse, I would have considered the amnio though as I need to know in advance what I'm getting myself into(not because I would have terminated).

I found the screening really helped put my mind at ease as far as age-related issues go and I'm glad I had it done.

Hope that helps!

 

[animalcracker]

Thank you both very much ladies!! I really appreciate you taking the time to help put my mind at ease!

 

[fiveoyea]

i'm 33..do you think they will ask me to have these tests done? didn't know the age they ask for these at??

 

[animalcracker]

i'm 33..do you think they will ask me to have these tests done? didn't know the age they ask for these at??

If I am not mistaken, all women have the blood / scan screening. It's relatively new. As far as other tests, those are completely up to you.

 

[Waiting2bMommy]

i'm 33..do you think they will ask me to have these tests done? didn't know the age they ask for these at??

I'm 23 (just turned) but I was 22 when I had them

 

[kcw81]

I had mine done around 13 weeks and I am going to be 35 when the baby comes. My downs risk was about 1 in 200 or something before my scan and my blood test just based on age, but after my scan and blood test, my downs risk improved to about 1in 1600. I believe my nuchal measurement they do of the baby's neck bone was 2.3 which was in the normal range.
Good luck!

 

[meow951]

Not everyone has to have them, it's personal choice.

My midwife says the blood tests can give you the wrong result and only amnio can tell you for certain. The blood tests aren't 100% and can say something is wrong when it's not or everythings fine when it isn't. The only way to tell for sure it with an amnio but if you aren't going to terminate if the baby has downs then why risk it's life as it can cause a miscarriage.

 

[ummar]

Hi Animalcracker,

I had the blood tests in conjunction with the scan at 12+3 weeks. It sounds very much like what you're getting. It's a very reassuring set of examinations they do... I was with the doctors for almost 1.5 hours.

They say that any ratio higher than 1:150 is considered low risk, when it comes to Down's and other problems like Trisomy 21. For Down's my risk factor was 1:13500 or something thereabouts - this was based on my age and the measurements they took during the scan.

Hope this helps.