Blood Test & Nuchal Scan

[cordu68]

Hi all

I will have my nuchal scan when I'm 13 weeks (15 June).
Not sure when I need to have my blood taken for the test.
My GP told me that the hospital (Royal Brisbane Womens Hospital)
will take blood or that I could do it also later at the GP .
My GP also told me I shouldn't come back before 12 weeks.

Now I am just reading a publication where is is recommending to have the blood test at 10 weeks and the NT scan at 12 weeks gestation.

http://www.qldxray.com.au/patientinfo/PDF%20files/Nuchal_DL_Oct_2005.pdf

As this is my first pregnancy and I am older mother- to- be (37) I want to have the best care for my little one.


Shall I go back to the GP and have my blood taken or shall I wait until June?

Great that this forum bub hub forum exists and I know that I'm not alone on the long pregnancy journey.:yelclap:


Cheers
Cordu68 :wave:

[MamaSage]

I don't know, I chose not to have it, but I do remember the times changing from when I had my daughter 2 years ago. I think with her it was done at 12 weeks(bloods and scan) but this time it would have been scan at 10 and bloods at 12 weeks. I really don't know how much difference it will make. Hopefully someone else will be more helpful than me! :laughing:

[RachWA]

I work in radiology in WA - we ask that people have their blood test at around 10 weeks but can be done up til 12 weeks. The ultrasound is done between 11 weeks and 13 weeks 5 days but the most ideal time is 12 weeks. It is quite important that you know exactly your dates if leaving it until 13 weeks so that you are not further on than you think then end up missing the time frame.

Of course other radiology companies may differ but it would be only slightly.

Hope this helps.

[cordu68]

Hi RachWA

thanks for your reply and the info.

The hospital told me that they wouldn't have an earlier time available but I will phone them tomorrow again.And I will consult my GP again to have my blood taken as I'm now 10 weeks and 5 days.
Can I have my blood taken now and go for a scan in week 13??

I have been to a dating scan in week 8.


Cheers,

Cordu68 :wave:

[Lunar]

I was told to have the bloods taken about a week or so before the scan so they can have the results of that with the scan and give you a ratio there and then.

[Jenko]

Seems like different places have their different procedures. My GP told me to get the blood test done at least 3 days before.

[aggero]

Hi I am in WA and had my bloods at 10 weeks (dated by my LMP). When I called to book the u/s I was told that 11.5 weeks was the ultimate time. So I had my scan last Friday 11weeks and 4 days by my LMP but only 11weeks 2 days by my last u/s.

I was worried that according to the u/s dates I had had my bloods taken just before 10 weeks. The Dr I saw said not to stress about it as the 10 week mark is just because they are scientists and try to standardise everything.

I found the pathology lab where I was having BT very informative as was the hospital where I had the u/s. Maybe you coudl try contacting them???

GOod luck

[cordu68]

Hi all :wave:

and thanks for your replies.

I just phoned the hospital and they told me that they book you in delibrately for 13 weeks so you don't have to go back for another scan.

Bloods should be taken as closely as possible to the scan date.(2-3 days before)
Has somebody else been at RBWH(Royal Brisbane Womens Hospital ) for a NT scan.
They seem to be very busy there.
Are there anyother places like QLD imaging where I can have my NT scan done.
and where I can get bulk billed with healtcare card?

Sorry if I overreact I just want to do the right thing....

Cheers,
Cordu68

[PinkBinkie]

I live at the Gold Coast and go to the Gold Coast Medical Imaging. They bulk bill.

[pebilz]

When I saw the genetic cousellor at my hospy (as I have high DS risk with this preg) he said that had I had my blood taken say a couple of days after or before it would have given a different result. I had it taken on the same day as the scan. Also with my first preg I didn't even have the blood taken. It's all a bit confusing and I think different hospitals must do things differently.

:smiliedance:

[mumofmax]

Hi, I had my 1st nuchal at 12 weeks, bloods 1 week before so they could make sure the results were there in time. I had a really thick nuchal so they re-did the scan at 13 weeks 6 days as they said this was the latest they could get a reliable nuchal reading. Not sure if this helps as you have probobly already gone for the test. Hope it all went well.

[madwoman]

I told my doc from the word go that i wanted to have a nuchal done and he siad to have it done at 12 weeks, now i knew that with my last i had everything done on the same day but at 11 weeks, but that was overseas so i wondered if it is differnt here.

So anyway i called up on friday to ask if i could get a referral so i could get the appointment made, i was called back and told no not without going in to see him, i went in yesterday and he said he wouldnt recommend me having it done as at my age it would be less than 1 in 200 so i should just miss out the NT and go straight for an amnio..... WTF!!! I am 38 my last child has just turned 2 and when i had the NT done with him it came out at higher than 1 in 16000, he gave me the lecture about it onl being a probability thing and not a "for sure one way or the other" thing. I told him i was having the NT if he wasn't going to give me a referral i'd go to someone who would and IF the results showed high risk i'd then weigh up the pros and cons and do my research and then decide whether to have an amnio or not, but i sure as hell wasn't going to miss out a perfectly good test that could avoid me having to have a risky one.

After this i came home, called up the imaging centre and was told i should have had my bloods done 2 weeks ago. I am absolutely fuming (to put it mildly). So for thoseof you who haven't lost the will to live through my long winded whinge, does anyone know how having everything done at 12 weeks (and 1 day) affects the accuracy over having bloods done at 10 and scan done at 12.

Thanks for listening, I'm not usually a whinger:)

Lynn

[cordu68]

Hi

I had my nuchal scan done on Thursday (13 weeks) and had my blood taken on Tuesday.
After an anxious wait overnight I got my results yesterday.
The ratio was 1:4145 for trisomie 21 and the other trisomie 13&18 was 1:15000 which is a fantastic result for my age (37) and when bub is born I'll be 38.
I probably won't have an amnio done as I have the feeling that the baby would be ok.

@madwoman
I can imagine that you are furious, it should be your own decision to have an amnio done or not.
To your question I can only say that I read that you should have your blood taken as close as to the scan date.I think 12 weeks would be a perfect time that is actually the recommended time (I'm not an expert but I read lots about it on the net.)

Hope everything turns out fine. :fingerscrossed:

Cheers, Cordu

[CarolineF]

I was booked in for a Nuchal, but then saw my OB who asked me what my thoughts were about an amnio. I had had one before and the definitive result put my mind at ease.

He advised me to cancel the Nuchal and go for the amnio - his view was that once you had had one in the past, the odds based nuchal scan would not put your mind at ease. So I cancelled my nuchal and had my amnio last Thursday.

I got the FISH results yesterday and I have a baby who is free from the 4 big chromosomal disorders. I was chuffed to bits and glad I took his advice.:smiliedance:

It is a very personal thing. A ratio risk was not good enough for me. Someone has to be the 1 in whatever. I wanted to know and I am so relieved. I also saved the cost of the nuchal and that will go towards paying for the FISH if need be.

[sandj]

Well i am almost 10wks and having my NT scan at 11wks 5 days am also having my blood test on the same day? i cant remember who i rang either the scanning place or the bt place but one of them said its fine to get them both done on the same day? so hoping this is alright.

[cordu68]

Hi guys

just got a call from the genetic councelor.
They gave me the wrong results on Friday. :crying:

Still I'm at low risk 1:566 for Down Syndrom and for the other trisomies (1:2102)

Now I 'm rethinking to have an amnio done or not.:confused:

[madwoman]

Hi Cordu

how awful for you, i know how exstatic you must have felt having such a low risk assessment, with my last one i was very low risk too and felt that at least my body was good for one thing:D But now you must feel gutted. Try to think how you would have felt is this had been the result you were given on friday, would you have thought yeah great thats still pretty low risk, or would you have been more concerned? It's an extremely hard decision to make, FWIW i think i'll be happy with a 1 in 500 but i think my husband would be more concerned, but we will cross that one when we come to it. Go with whatever will make you enjoy the rest of your pregnancy best, this is supposed to be a happy time not a nail biting time.

Good luck whatever you decide

Lynn

[OM]

Perhaps you need to consider if you do get the amnio done, will it alter your decision about this baby? Good luck and let us know what you decide on doing!;)

PS I am going to the RBH too!

[cordu68]

Hi guys


thanks for your support madwoman & Oscar's Mum.
That's excactly how I feel.

I will talk to GP (she is great) on Thursday, I'll still have some weeks to decide.

Now I have a risk of a 31 year old woman which is probably good enough but I was so dissappointed , probably because lots of stuff have gone wrong so far.

I had to change the GP 4 times until I found a good one I can trust and speak to , was not referred to the hospital for the NT & the 20 weeks scan from the previous GPs , neither to a midwife or the hospital and now the miscalculations.

I hope nothing else will go wrong as I'm loosing confidence slowly.
:crying:


@ Oscar's Mum : I am due 20/21 December so maybe we will meet at the RBH.:wave:

Cheers,Cordu

EDD: 20/21 December 2006

[madwoman]

How long have most people had to wait for their Nuchal results?

I've now been waiting a week, i called my gp yesterday and spoke to the receptionist who seems to have a limited understanding of english, i said to her i had a nuchal test done last week and wondered if the results were in, she pulled my file and said "everything is fine the dr doent need to see you" i then spent the next 10 mins trying to get her to understand that what she was telling me is impossible as the doc would need to talk to me to give me a probability, but she was having none of it, eventually i asked her for the date on the results she was looking at, it turned out to be my original blood tests and nothing to do with the NT. She finished it up by saying call back in a few days, a few days A FEW DAYS what if it has to be redone a few days could be a few days too late, i am not a happy bunny.

Another thing i've been pondering is who actually works out your probability? The scan is done at the imaging centre, the bloods at the path place so does the gp work out the probability? If thats the case and i'm not happy with what he says, lets face it he told me not to have it done because my result would be 1 in 200, can i ask for the scan and blood test results and take them elsewhere?

I know i'm being reduiculous, but he was so adamant that i should have an amnio i'm actually a bit concerned that he may give me the results he thinks i need to convince me to have one, but these are crazy thoughts aren't they?

One thing though, imagine i had been a first timer and had spoken with the receptionist, i could very well be sitting here now happy as anything that i have nothing to worry about, completely oblivious to the fact that the doc soesn't actually have my results......... i find that really worrying.

Lynn

[Jenko]

Wow, that sounds really frustrating. I would be getting the results and taking them to another doctor. My first nuchal scan in 2004 - i got the results straight after the scan. The scan was given to a doctor who examined them and then gave me a typed out sheet with the probabilites on it and sat down and explained it all to us. I didn't have bloods done then.

I'm going for a nuchal scan in 2 weeks, getting bloods done 3 days before and i asked the receptionist at the imaging place when i would get my results as i thought they may be sent to my doctor (i have since moved states so wasn't sure of procedure) and she said i would get them the same day.

Maybe you should ring back and ask to speak to the doctor or make an appoitment and go in. If the receptionist didn't understand she should ask someone. She could be giving patients incorrect information....silly woman!!

Good Luck and all the best :D

[madwoman]

GGGrrrrrrrrr

I have called the docs again, i remembered that the other receptionist works in the mornings and she is really nice. So the story is that the results are not back yet, but then she went and called the imaging centre and they told her that they have just received the blood results and i should have the result on Monday........ on Monday how are they working it out? with an abacus and a coven of witches? do the results all have to be thrown in the caldren and stirred round with rats tails and 3 harry potter books for 4 days at which point a probability will show itself in the steam above the cauldron, at that point will they get the abacus out and multiply it by the number of grey hairs i have cultivated while waiting and get a final answer............

Honestly its just ****, by monday it will be almost 2 weeks since i had it all done, i will be a day shy of 14 weeks so screwed if anything has to be redone.

At lkeast i know its the imaging centre who convenes with the witches and not my gp so i will at least be comfortable with the result. Plus the bloke who did the scan said that the scan showed the best possible result so i'm probably stressing about nothing, but the docs words of wisdom (say this in a boomy not of this world kind of voice) "you are wasting your time having this test your result will be 1 in 200 or maybe worse" keep ringing in my ears.

Strewth it would be enough to turn you to drink........ if only

Lynn