It’s been a while since my last update. I am currently 22 weeks pregnant so it’s more than half way through the pregnancy journey now.
So… last time I talked about when and how I found out I was pregnant, and also a little bit about my IVF journey. Now, let’s talk about what happened in the next part of my pregnancy journey.
In week 10, we went for a Noninvasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT), which screens for Down Syndrome and some other chromosomal conditions.
In Hong Kong, there are 2 main tests available in the private sector: NIFTY and T21. In short, they are done by different labs. With these 2 tests, you can also opt for the basic or advanced version, and of course the latter one can detect more chromosomal disorders. The only drawback is that the advanced version tends to give more false positive results, which could lead to unnecessary worries for parents-to-be. Nevertheless, both tests can tell you whether you are having a boy or a girl.
As I already went for PGT-A during my IVF journey, in theory, I shouldn’t need to do this test. However, for safety sake, I still chose to do it, but only the basic version. The result came back in around 5 days. Everything was normal and we also knew whether we were having a boy or a girl.
In week 11, we went for another NIPT provided by the government, which is called the OSCAR (One-Stop Clinic for Assessment of Risk). For this test, an ultrasound scan was performed to confirm the gestational age and foetal size. Then, the foetal Nuchal Translucency and the skin thickness at the back of the foetus’ neck were also measured. Afterwards, my blood was taken for measurements of the level of Pregnancy Associated Plasma Protein-A (PAPP-A), and free beta-human Chorionic Gonadotropin (free beta-hCG). Software was then used to determine the risk of Down Syndrome. Since I wasn’t called back to the hospital regarding the results, I assumed that everything was fine.
In week 20, we went for the foetal morphology scan. This was done by an obgyn who specialises in maternal and foetal medicine. My appointment was at 9:30 am. The day before the scan, the nurse reminded me to ensure that I had breakfast before I arrived, or else the foetus could be inactive, which would make the scan even harder as foetal movement was necessary for a successful scan.
The results came back positive. The foetus was healthy and even 1 week bigger than expected.
So… Do you guys want to know whether we are having a boy or a girl?
Stay tuned.
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