Nervous..

Hi Der,
Congratulations on your pregnancy! Super nice
Just my take on the NIPT etc;
If someone in the family or you yourself are unwell or have something that could be harmful to the baby, I would do the NIPT.
I chose not to do the NIPT, but to wait for the ultrasound because as you say, so much can already be seen then (they check everything during the ultrasound). Besides that, I find it ridiculously expensive.
This is my opinion, it can be different for everyone of course X

Hi N.L.
No, there’s no one in my family who is unhealthy, and I’m not happy either. We’ve already had the intake, so they asked a lot of questions there. But I also read that there are 2 different nuchal fold measurements, but it’s also called the nuchal fold, so I’m not sure for now.. I still have about 9 weeks until the 20-week ultrasound, but I’m already so nervous. Was your nuchal fold checked at 13 weeks or at the 20-week ultrasound? As far as I know, you have to do the NIPT test so they can measure it at 13 weeks, right? Or am I wrong?
And thank you so much for your reply!
Greetings

Up to 14 weeks you can do the NIPT test, I thought so..? I'm really super unsure myself.. but I thought well.. if something's unhealthy you'll find out for sure at the 20-week scan.
At the 20-week scan they checked for spina bifida, cleft lip, and nuchal translucency, and also all sorts of things like heart chambers, bladder, kidneys etc etc.. The equipment is so good that you can even see the different blood circulations. If they suspect anything "not right" you're immediately referred to the hospital.
It's also nice to dive a bit into the internet to see what scans are available and what the NIPT tests involve. In the beginning there's so much info that you don't know where to start hahaha !

No no, I don't want to have the NIPT test done. I feel the same way that you'll know a lot more at 20 weeks, even though it's already so exciting to wait for it. Hopefully, we won't have to be referred for anything else and everything will be fine! I do think that if they see something that doesn't look right early on, they'll definitely mention it. Sometimes I think, let it go, it'll be fine, and sometimes it's too much and I'm getting stressed out. But well, we'll see as time goes on.

Haha, yes, I get you! Same here. I was so stressed about that ultrasound... so I totally understand! We did the 10-week scan and then the gender determination at 15 weeks. So you have a little bridge in between, if you know what I mean. I really couldn't do it from 10 to 20 weeks????

I'll check around 14 weeks to see if they can see it then. And then after 6 weeks, at 20 weeks, it'll be super exciting!! Sometimes I think if everything's fine until then, the rest will be fine too, but of course we don't know that for sure, unfortunately.

Hi there,
I also didn't choose to have the NIPT. We don't have anyone in the family with any issues, so the midwife said the chance of something coming up was really small. And if something did come up in the results, I wouldn't go through with an amniocentesis or anything like that—I just wouldn't feel comfortable doing that It's also pretty expensive. Plus, I've had two miscarriages before (at 10 weeks and at 6 weeks), so I kind of think my body would naturally reject the pregnancy if the baby wasn't healthy or viable. And the last reason, even if the baby had a disability, I wouldn't have an abortion, as long as it's viable.
I'm not nervous about the 20-week ultrasound yet, but I guess that'll come when it's closer
I have a check-up with the midwife on June 26th and the gender scan on July 3rd.

Hey girls, I think you need to make a choice for yourself and ask: would I keep the baby if it were disabled? If your answer is yes, then I wouldn't do the NIPT. If the baby isn't viable, they'll see that on the ultrasound anyway. But if the baby has, for example, Down syndrome, you sometimes can't see any abnormalities on the scan...

I said from the start that I wouldn't bring a disabled child into the world (a choice everyone makes for themselves), and we did choose to do the NIPT, even though everyone in our family is healthy, as are we, and we were both very young (25) at the time, so the chance of having a baby with Down syndrome was minimal. All the medical ultrasounds looked fine, no abnormalities visible that pointed to Down syndrome, but still, the NIPT test came back positive for Down syndrome, and so did the amniocentesis...

I always find it important to share my story with women who are hesitating about the NIPT, because your background and your health, and that of your family, don't rule anything out. Of course, the chance is much smaller, but the chance is there. The chance was 0.08% that our baby would have Down syndrome, very small.

I wish you a beautiful pregnancy ahead, and every choice you make is a good one; it's your baby and your life, so do what feels right
Love, bb

Hi Sweet,
I’ve had a miscarriage too, so I’ve heard that if something isn’t healthy, your body will reject it. I wouldn’t want to do that puncture either, no. I hope such things won’t be necessary for anyone, as they’ll probably bring a lot of stress. But anyway, we’ll see how things go with time. Wishing the best for everyone.
I’m also curious whether they’ll only see if something’s wrong at 20 weeks.
Greetings

Hi BB,
Nope, I don't think about having it terminated, so that's why I didn't opt for the NIPT test. But of course, like everyone else, I want my child to be healthy, and that's why these thoughts cross your mind. I think every woman has them, whether you take the test or not.
And that chance always exists, even if your whole family is very healthy.
And what did you do next, even if the chance is very small?
Greetings

Hi BB
You're still 10 weeks, right? What medical scans have you had so far?
Love????

Yes, it's a choice you make, and of course, lots of things go through your head, but I hope your baby is healthy.

My story above refers to my previous pregnancy. The chance was 0.08% that our baby would have Down syndrome, and the baby ended up having it. We chose to terminate. The hardest and heaviest decision ever... but we thought it was better for the baby.

Now I'm pregnant again and we're going to do the NIPT again, but I assume this baby is healthy. It's such a small chance that the baby has Down syndrome... but we still prefer to be sure, hence the NIPT again.

It’s actually not true that everyone who opts for the NIPT does so because they don’t want to have a disabled child. It’s just an indicator of whether something might be wrong or could be wrong. This way, you can prepare for what’s coming or possibly make a different decision later on. (Just like with other tests.) It’s nice sometimes to know where you stand or if there are risks due to age or hereditary factors.

Sorry, I just feel like people often think that you only do an NIPT if you don’t want a disabled child. While it’s just an indicator, like other tests, but with slightly fewer risks. And that might actually be the reason people choose it—the risks for you and your baby.

No, that's not what I meant, Anonymous. Maybe I phrased it wrong. But it is often one of the reasons people choose it. I can imagine you want to be prepared for that, in case the baby has some issues, but people still choose to keep the baby. I have a lot of respect for people who make that choice.