murrt re:testing. So I've heard of all these different tests- but I was told maybe the OB just contracts to do certain tests but I think you can go to a lab and get them done. Which test do you recommend as the most comprehensive, if I was just choosing one?
If im not yet AMA, but will be before delivery, do they consider me AMA for the whole pregnancy? Or am I a young spring chicken until after my birthday? If they'll cover testing now, they can call me an old lady all they want.
My insurance (Cigna) informed me that they go by 35 > at time of EDD.
murrt re:testing. So I've heard of all these different tests- but I was told maybe the OB just contracts to do certain tests but I think you can go to a lab and get them done. Which test do you recommend as the most comprehensive, if I was just choosing one?
MaterniT21 is the only one where I was able to get a result and I'm told it's because it requires slightly less feral blood to be detected than others. More importantly, My geneticist also recommends this test. And yes, the OB usually contracts with just one of the providers and often get a reduced rate for it. Panorama is supposed to be good too, but it requires slightly more fetal blood to be detected to give a result and also takes longer for results.
becole: If you are referring to the noninvasive prenatal tests, here is a quote from Panorama's site: "The Panorama test is made for women of any age and ethnicity who are at least 9 weeks pregnant. It is not meant for women who are carrying more than one baby (twins or triplets), or for women who have used a donor egg, or have received a bone marrow transplant."
Panorama is what I got last pregnancy, and will probably get again. I believe they all work around similar time frames. At the time of my last pregnancy (2014) they had a program in which you would never pay more than $200 for the test, regardless of insurance coverage (or lack thereof). If you call their number they may still have that program.
On a different note: woke up to spotting this morning. Went in for an ultrasound and discovered one intrauterine gestation (sorry for medical jargon, I'm doing a documentation class for my BSN right now) with a heart rate of 154, measuring at 7w3d. With a large-ish subchorionic hematoma. I had one with DS too, so not too worried. I believe his was smaller though. But OB isn't worried.
becole , some of the tests you can start at 8 weeks, depending on brand. But the longer you wait, supposedly, the more fetal blood they can detect to give you a conclusive result. . I did my first Panorama at 10 weeks but it came back two weeks later as inconclusive due to lack of fetal blood detected. You needed 4 percent of the sample to have fetal blood for a conclusive result and I had 3.9. I took the Panorama again at 12 weeks as my OB told me there would be more fetal blood in my system at that point. There was actually less detected and again had an inconclusive result, which came in at 15 weeks. Then I took the MaterniT21 which someone on the PAIF board told me required less fetal blood for a conclusive result. This time, the result came in 5 days later with a conclusive result when I was 16 weeks.
I will be asking for the MaterniT21 again this time even though my practice typically does Panorama. My geneticist admitted to me that my OB's practice (which is affiliated with the geneticist) used Panorama simply because it was more cost efficient for the practice, but she (who is very well known in her field) prefers MaterniT21 and was advocating for using it with the practice.
I haven't heard anything about the other brands like Verifi, etc. I know plenty of women do just fine with getting results from any of the brands. I'm just a special snowflake i guess.
ETA: Panorama 100% takes more time than the other tests. Panorama takes two weeks and the other brands take much less time. This is actually one of the criticisms of Panorama.
MS is hitting me full force. Last time I didn't actually get sick and so far the same here. I just can't force food and feel weak because I'm not eating.
Then Comes Family, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising
program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.