I’m happy to report that our little boy is now three-years-old and doing great. I soon received the results, which showed that my baby had a very low chance of having Down syndrome, and other two conditions tested. I found out that the Harmony test has a higher accuracy than the older screening tests, so I asked my doctor for it. The follow-up options presented to my husband and me were not satisfying to us. I was very worried, and wanted more information. While pregnant with my second son I had standard blood testing with a nuchal translucency ultrasound, and the results showed that my baby had a high chance of being born with Down syndrome. I know firsthand how important a non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) can be in helping parents prepare for their babies. Having NIPT in the first trimester helped ease our anxiety throughout the last two pregnancies. In both cases, our Harmony test result showed that our children were unlikely to have three of the most common chromosome conditions: trisomy 21, trisomy 18 and trisomy 13. We also knew that we didn’t want to have invasive testing unless an issue was suspected. We knew that if the NIPT result had shown a high likelihood for a chromosomal condition, it would have allowed us more time to prepare for our child's unique needs and the road ahead. The NIPT was appealing as it’s a simple blood draw – quick, relatively painless, with no risk to the pregnancy and it can be done in the first trimester. Given our experience losing our daughter to trisomy 18, we were interested in NIPT for a variety of reasons. During those pregnancies, we used the Harmony® Prenatal Test. My husband and I have had two more children since Joan’s birth and death. Our doctor discussed our options with us, and we chose to continue our pregnancy with Joan, knowing the difficult challenges we faced. We learned that trisomy 18 is a rare condition that causes serious differences in development – so serious that most babies with trisomy 18 pass away during birth or shortly afterwards. My husband and I confirmed through amniocentesis that our unborn daughter, Joan, had trisomy 18. I remember this clearly as I learned of a possible chromosomal condition in my baby from a routine ultrasound and blood test in my second trimester. I became pregnant with my first child in 2011 and, at the time, non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) wasn’t available. I am a mother to three beautiful children – two on Earth and one angel who watches over us. This screening provided the information we sought. I believe that gathering information during one’s pregnancy is important. It was easily administered, and we received the results, which came back normal, quickly. I had a wonderful experience with the Harmony test. I’ve supported friends who had false positives with other prenatal screening methods, so accuracy was important. The test would provide a more accurate result for Down syndrome than the older screening tests. NIPT seemed like such a better option than other screenings that were available to me previously. We were proactive about taking a NIPT and I chose to take the Harmony® Prenatal Test, which I learned from my research, through friends and my doctor, can be done as early as 10 weeks of pregnancy. We wanted to also be prepared if our baby faced any potential chromosomal conditions. We had experienced a miscarriage with my first pregnancy, so it was important to be armed with as much information as possible about the health of our baby. My husband and I knew from the outset I would choose to undergo a non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT). At the age of 40, I became pregnant with my second child, a boy. I am the mother of two children, a daughter and a son.
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