Talk to me about prenatal screening tests

[southdakotagal]

HH.

[Deleted]

I don't think 35 is advanced maternal age anymore.

[curbsideprophet]

Most of the blood tests can be done at 10 weeks. Some will test for sex info as a default, others it is an extra test that they run. Make sure you get all the details of your specific test.

Congrats!

[D2M]

Congrats! I am also 35 and newly pregnant. My OB told me that she places no stock in the term "advanced maternal age" because really, my body hasn't changed so dramatically between the last time I delivered (34) and now. The only difference is that insurance is more likely to cover earlier screening tests. I am having the Materniti21 test done, and it will be covered by insurance.

[awkwardpenguin]

Jul 6, 2015 9:13:36 GMT -5 @hannymaren said:

I don't think 35 is advanced maternal age anymore.

It definitely is considered AMA.

We did Panorama at 11 weeks and got the results back a week later. It only screens for three trisomies. I think other tests test for more.

[5kcandlesinthewind]

I was also AMA at 39, and I had the testing done around 11 or 12 weeks. We got the results back within 2 weeks, and were able to find out the sex. I had Mat21, the CF screen, and one more thing I can't remember, and my insurance covered it fully, so definitely ask your insurance carrier. (That was the one good thing about being "old" and pregnant - the insurance covered most anything the doctor ordered.)

[jeaniebueller]

I did the Harmony test, but not until 16 weeks. I was barely 35.

[thebreakfastclub]

I got pregnant at 36 and had no extra tests or screenings. My OB didn't consider my age to be anything special.

[awkwardpenguin]

We were also offered a test for neural tube defects. We didn't do it because you can find out the same information at the anatomy scan. It was offered around 14 or 15 weeks I think.

[Deleted]

My OB's office used Harmony which is similar to MaterniT. Congrats! I have been AMA for both my pregnancies and it's been no big deal. I had to see maternal fetal medicine for things like anatomy scans and had more testing than normal but overal it was a breeze.

[D2M]

Jul 6, 2015 9:27:01 GMT -5 @viv said:

Jul 6, 2015 9:26:09 GMT -5 D2M said:

Congrats! I am also 35 and newly pregnant. My OB told me that she places no stock in the term "advanced maternal age" because really, my body hasn't changed so dramatically between the last time I delivered (34) and now. The only difference is that insurance is more likely to cover earlier screening tests. I am having the Materniti21 test done, and it will be covered by insurance.

How many weeks will you be when you get the Materniti21?

It's a walk-in appointment that can be done between 10 and 12 weeks. I am probably going to go in at 10 weeks exactly because I'm impatient like that

[Deleted]

Jul 6, 2015 9:26:29 GMT -5 awkwardpenguin said:

Jul 6, 2015 9:13:36 GMT -5 @hannymaren said:

I don't think 35 is advanced maternal age anymore.

It definitely is considered AMA.

We did Panorama at 11 weeks and got the results back a week later. It only screens for three trisomies. I think other tests test for more.

Well maybe different doctors have different rules.

[Velar Fricative]

Congratulations!

I had the Panorama test done at around 13 weeks, I think? Or maybe that's when I got the results, can't remember. I'm not AMA but I was considered high-risk (though not for abnormalities), and my OB did say he had to speak to insurance about it because he prefers to offer this test to all of his patients for many reasons. I never asked for it but figured it couldn't hurt to get the test done. And thank goodness I did, because it's what tipped me off to the severe abnormalities my baby had (confirmed by amnio). Without the test, I wouldn't have opted for the amnio and it wouldn't have been until later ultrasounds that we would have seen anything wrong, with the full scope of what was wrong not being known until birth.

I would definitely ask even if your doctor doesn't mention them.

[starlily]

Jul 6, 2015 9:13:36 GMT -5 @hannymaren said:

I don't think 35 is advanced maternal age anymore.

Yes. Now 35 and over is called geriatric pregnancy, at least at my provider. I wish I were kidding. With DD1 they used AMA.

OP - congrats! With DD2 I did the Verifi test at 10 weeks and received results in about a week.

[sporklemotion]

I did MaternT21. I'm not sure if this is still the case, but when I was pregnant with DD1, some people said that, if the test isn't covered, you can call the company and they will reduce the bill to around $200 (it's over 1k, I believe). It was covered for me both times, so this was not an issue.

You may already know this, and it may not be relevant to your question, but MaterniT21 and other similar tests look at chromosomes in your blood, and look for higher-than-expected levels of certain chromosomes. So they aren't definitive, but a good result can reduce your odds significantly, and bad results may suggest more definitive but invasive testing, such as an amnio. In our case, we learned the sex, but I think you have to ask for this ahead of time.

Results came in about a week, I think. Both my pregnancies were AMA and I was over 40, so it was a big relief to have some news so quickly.

Another caveat-- my tests were processed without issue, but I have heard of some people having to retest because of an insufficient blood draw or lab issue. Depending on the timing, this may affect what follow up tests you can get if needed.

I had it done at 10 weeks, and they did an ultrasound/NT at the same time. I didn't get the follow up ultrasound for the integrated screening, because the initial NT combined with the MaterniT21 came out fine.

[mpc]

my OB offered a blood test, panorama I think? it was going to be around 10-12 weeks.

[mcfelix]

For insurance purposes, my insurance and OB office does consider 35 to be AMA. I am 34 but still chose to have Verifi test done, knowing that my insurance might not cover it since I am not technically AMA. But I had it done at 11 or 12 weeks after meeting with the genetic counselor. We would rather have more information than not.

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

[pinkdutchtulips]

Jul 6, 2015 9:13:36 GMT -5 @hannymaren said:

I don't think 35 is advanced maternal age anymore.

It's dependent on the insurance carrier. I had dd 6 was shy of my 35th bday and insurance carrier 1 tagged me as AMA and the other one did not.

[sent]

I had a blood drawn and an ultrasound at week 12. I forget the exact names of what they were doing or looking for, just that weeks 10 - 12 were the critical time frame for doing them. I think one of them was called Harmony and it was not covered by insurance. I was also 33 at the time but I was never given a choice, just told "Oh, we do this test on all new mothers these days because we can detect so many more things with just a blood test." Advancements in science? Sign me up! Though I would've liked to have known that I was going to be on the hook for the whole thing out of pocket for $750 before hand, so I'd check if your insurance covers anything.

I also don't understand AMA.  Lately my FB is full of women having their first babies at 35 & 36.

[boxerdog]

I had MaterniT21 done after I was screen positive for T21. My insurance didn't cover it, but I called and was able to pay a reduced rate (around $300).

Next time I am going to ask for that test from the get-go.

[starlily]

Jul 6, 2015 11:35:18 GMT -5 @viv said:

Jul 6, 2015 11:22:56 GMT -5 starlily said:

Yes. Now 35 and over is called geriatric pregnancy, at least at my provider. I wish I were kidding. With DD1 they used AMA.

OP - congrats! With DD2 I did the Verifi test at 10 weeks and received results in about a week.

Thanks!

Actually, I think the term "geriatric pregnancy" was used first and then they changed it to advanced maternal age. Was your provider older? Maybe that's why they were still using the "geriatric" (OMG) term. Another great one is "elderly primigravida" which refers to a woman pregnant with her first child at 35 or older...

My provider is a huge HMO in CA, and usually on top of things, as was my specific OB. With DD1, they used advaced maternal age, but with DD2 four years later they switched to geriatric pregnancy. Weird.

[hermione]

I was 37/38 when I was pregnant. My insurance covered the M21 but it had to be coded as something weird - for some reason I think it had a code that had something to do with rust or lead or something.