Harmony scan

Hey, looking for some experiences please 🤍 our midwife told us at our first appointment that we should get a harmony scan as the nhs are only 80% accurate (we don’t have any risks etc.) and I’m just not sure we need it and it’s very expensive! Please can you share if you had it or chose not to and your opinions? Thank you xx

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Never been recommended one or know anyone that has been recommended one by a midwife so weird she did that, also when you get to about mid pregnancy, they test for any abnormalities for free on the nhs anyway if you agree to do so, if they find anything then they do further tests xx

Yeah I also thought it was a bit strange of her to try push it. I know the nhs do the tests but they’re not as accurate xx

From what I’ve checked online they’re just as accurate, with all my pregnancies I’ve opted to have the NIPT tests done for downs etc and they just take a little blood and send it off, which is the exact same thing as a harmony scan, maybe she was asking if you want to opt in to it? I would call the antenatal of your chosen birth hospital and enquire xx

That’s weird she’s pushing it. I’ve never even heard of it until now. I guess it’s your choice but it is very expensive and for her to say you should get one? I don’t know. It’s a weird one

It's totally optional so I'd say get it if you want and can afford to. It's weird the midwife was pushing it! I had it with my first - three times 😆 basically it doesn't work for 1% of people and I got unlucky. There was no need for it really, it was just anxiety. We didn't have it with our second but might have done it the NHS tests showed some higher risks.

She said they’re not as accurate as the nhs ones are 80%, meaning they miss 20 out of every 100 and the Harmony is a blood test which is like 99%. We’re hoping to have a home birth… thanks for all your opinions. I would’ve have had it but since the midwife said it, I kind of feel like we should ? I dunno, will do a bit more research I guess. Thanks again! Xx

Wouldn’t *

That’s really poor advice for a midwife to be giving. Makes me feel she may have a sideline in a private clinic. Harmony isn’t a scan it’s a blood test (NIPT). If you NEEDED it, the nhs would offer it to you. The NHS screening is 80-90% accurate in picking up high risk if done at an NT (scan and bloots) as opposed to the quad test which is 70% accurate. If you came back as high risk then you would be offered the NIPT on the NHS. While the NIPT is 99% accurate for Down’s syndrome it’s only 80% accurate for Edwards and pataus and there are still many other conditions that it won’t pick up. I personally wouldn’t pay to have it done and as a midwife myself I wouldn’t actively advise my patients to have it done over the nhs screening as it is entirely their own decision

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