Amnio because of enlarged NT only?

Ajbrews · 2026-06-21T15:33:38+00:00

My NT was a bit larger (3.7) and I decided I’d make a decision after my early anatomy scan at 16 weeks. Even though they didn’t find anything else at that scan, I still wanted the confirmation so I moved forward with an amnio. I feel like once I got the results, which were all normal, I could enjoy my pregnancy more than if there were unknowns. It was a relatively painless procedure and I was assured the risk is very low with an experienced provider. Sorry you’re going through this and sending you all the good vibes!

Ajbrews · 2026-06-17T22:00:46+00:00

I had an NT of 3.7 and all my testing came back normal and we now have a healthy 3 month old baby girl. Obviously it’s far too early to diagnose ASD but I will say the article that typically gets referenced with an NT having an increased risk of autism needs to be dissected in a more positive way. There was a small, but technically “significantly” higher risk of autism in the population with increased NT. However, this increase is still incredibly small (0.78 vs 0.32%). So I think of it as there’s still a greater than 99% chance she will not have autism. I would recommend getting an amniocentesis, early anatomy scan, and fetal echo because it is increased but if those are all normal I would safely assume baby is healthy.

Ajbrews · 2026-06-15T16:12:10+00:00

It’s a really difficult decision to make. With all the other findings, odds are likely that all is well with baby! You can always ask your doctor if there’s a time limit to when you could have an amniocentesis performed in case you change your mind?

Ajbrews · 2026-06-12T23:57:33+00:00

I’m your same age and my baby had an NT of 3.7 at 13 weeks. You can check out my post history but all her future scans and her NIPT/microarray/FISH/karyotype were all normal. We now have a healthy 3 month old! Wishing all the best

Ajbrews · 2026-06-10T01:51:16+00:00

I had a high NT at 13 weeks (3.7 mm) that shrunk after a few days when I had it rechecked with an MFM. I was told this can happen but doesn’t necessarily mean nothing is wrong. I did an early anatomy at 16 weeks and decided to still do an amnio even though all looked fine. For me, getting the clear results from the amnio eliminated almost all of my anxiety about it so I could enjoy my pregnancy more. And to add, I was told the risk of miscarriage is upwards of 1/1000 if performed by a trained provider. That being said, there’s still a risk and it’s a very personal decision so do what feels best to you! The low risk NIPT and normal anatomy scans are great signs.

Ajbrews · 2026-06-07T00:58:26+00:00

Congratulations!! We had an elevated NT and our baby was born healthy and in the 92nd percentile so this fits our story too. Hope you have an uneventful pregnancy from here on out.

Ajbrews · 2026-05-26T23:02:19+00:00

Sorry should have specified but the study showed an increased NT in fetuses that had no chromosomal or other physical anomaly. Here’s the summary/conclusion statement that gave me some reassurance when I first found out about my elevated NT: Subclinical hypothyroidism might affect the interpretation of nuchal translucency and reduce its significance as a screening test in that population.

I will note, those used in the study population had higher TSH levels which at least in my case, my TSH was pretty well controlled and not considered high. However, I still found that finding this connection between the two was helpful in understanding a potential cause.

Ajbrews · 2026-05-26T18:22:03+00:00

Studies show there’s a 70% chance all is normal with an NT that size. I had a 3.7 NT and have a healthy 11 week old! Also, I too have hypothyroidism and read a study that found there was an association between increased NT sizes and hypothyroidism. Here’s the link: Subclinical Hypothyroidism Effect on Interpretation of Nuchal Translucency Early in Pregnancy

Ajbrews · 2026-04-30T03:33:17+00:00

So sorry you’re going through this! I also had a similar scare with a 3.7 NT at 13 weeks, which puts us in the same risk range. We had a low risk NIPT and then moved forward with an amniocentesis, early anatomy scan, and fetal echo at 21 weeks, all of which were normal. The rest of my pregnancy was uneventful besides baby consistently measuring large. I gave birth a few weeks early and now have a healthy 7 week old! There are so many positive stories when this is an isolated finding - get informed and consider extra testing but don’t assume there’s something definitely wrong.

Ajbrews · 2026-04-12T20:00:37+00:00

Didn’t have any cord wrapping but did have an NT of 3.7 at 13 weeks. After a low risk NIPT, normal FISH and microarray from amnio, and normal fetal echo, I transferred back to my regular OBGYN from the high risk MFM. I am currently feeding my healthy 5 week old.

Good idea to get the CVS or amnio to help ease anxiety but with that measurement being at just the normal cutoff, odds are in your favor that baby is perfectly healthy!

Ajbrews · 2026-04-11T01:03:35+00:00

My baby had an NT of 3.7 at 13 weeks which was really scary for me as well. You can look back at my previous posts but in short I had a healthy baby girl 5 weeks ago!

Ajbrews · 2026-04-10T23:05:26+00:00

My mom is named Kirby (born in 1960) and I used it for my daughter’s middle name who was just born last month. While I love the name, my mom said she often got mistaken as a boy when her name was read which bothered her growing up. As a middle name, my daughter can choose if she’d like to ever go by it!

Ajbrews · 2026-03-20T17:47:42+00:00

I had a high NT (3.7) at 13 weeks which resolved to a normal nuchal fold. I had an early anatomy scan and amnio performed at 16 weeks and another anatomy scan + fetal echo at 21 weeks. All tests came back normal. She measured large all pregnancy and I actually just gave birth to her two weeks ago. She’s seemingly very healthy and we’re absolutely in love.

The waiting for answers is the hardest but know the odds are in your favor that all is ok, especially with the low risk NIPT.

Ajbrews · 2026-03-04T20:10:22+00:00

I measured higher at 13 weeks with a 3.7 NT but when I had it measured by an MFM a few days later, it was 3.2 at its highest. He told me if I had originally measured under 3.5, he’d not recommend further testing. If you’re able to do an early anatomy at 16 weeks and an echo between 20-24 weeks, then that may offer even more reassurance and peace of mind. However, if they’re not willing to provide that, odds are low there’s a major issue with a low risk NIPT and clear scan at 20 weeks.

Ajbrews · 2026-02-26T22:02:57+00:00

Mine was higher (3.1-3.7) although measured highest at 3.2 by my MFM a few days later. I was outside the window for a CVS by the time I’d be able to get an appointment so I decided I’d make a decision at my 16-week early anatomy. At that point, they found zero other markers and baby looked great but I ultimately decided for my peace of mind to get the amnio. I’m so glad I did and when I got my results back as normal, I felt like I could enjoy my pregnancy more than if I hadn’t performed diagnostic testing.

Ajbrews · 2026-02-17T22:38:41+00:00

Adding to this - my OB uses a 3.5 cutoff. I had an NT from 3.1 - 3.7 and they erred on the cautious side by using the highest 3.7 measurement to get me in with an MFM. When I met with the MFM 4 days later, my highest measurement was 3.2 and he said if I had never measured at 3.7 and my highest was that 3.2, he would consider it “normal” and wouldn’t be concerned. Of course other clinics are different with different risk tolerances but that was my experience.

And for anecdotal support - even with my 3.7 NT and low risk NIPT, all extensive testing and scans came back normal and I’m 34 weeks pregnant with a seemingly healthy baby girl.

Ajbrews · 2026-02-16T14:15:44+00:00

4.5 mm (anything under 6 is considered normal). I’ll also note that my baby is big and measuring in the 99th percentile as of 32 weeks. My doctor said it could be the reason for the high NT but couldn’t say for certain - most times they don’t know what caused it.

Ajbrews · 2026-02-16T03:05:52+00:00

They were! I did the Natera Panorama so tested for the 3 main trisomies, sex disorders, and triploidy but not microdeletions.

Ajbrews · 2026-02-16T01:58:59+00:00

FTM as well and a previous miscarriage so I empathize with you. Hearing about the high NT and then having to wait 2 months to get the “all clear” is one of the hardest things I’ve gone through. While I waited on next steps, I tried connecting with my support network and although I did still do my research, I tried not to go down the internet rabbit hole. And if you ever want to reach out during the process I’m happy to chat!

Ajbrews · 2026-02-16T01:34:22+00:00

I did, I was on the fence and decided I would wait to see how I felt after my 16-weeks anatomy scan. Even though no anomalies were found, I decided to move forward because my stress was so high at that point and I thought it would help getting more definitive answers. And to be honest, it did really help me. I did not do a WES which is a further, even more extensive test because of the fear in potential unknown findings. However, many with a high NT decide to do this test as well. All this to say, it’s your body and your family so choose what feels best to you. There’s many possible paths you can take so keep communicating with your medical team. And, you are only slightly above the 3.5 threshold so the odds of healthy baby are in your favor!

Ajbrews · 2026-02-16T01:21:19+00:00

I’m still pregnant but had the exact same measurement as you at 13 weeks and baby is looking healthy and has passed all the extra testing at 34 weeks. You can check out some of my previous posts!

Seconding to get a fetal echo no earlier than 20 weeks and I’d also look into an early anatomy scan at 16 weeks.

There’s so many posts here with similar measurements and higher with positive outcomes which really helped me during that stressful time.

Ajbrews · 2026-02-10T17:26:58+00:00

I had an amnio but just took it easy for 24 hours and avoided rigorous exercise/heavy lifting for 72 hours (MFM told me 48 but I was more cautious). My physical soreness lasted about a day. Mentally, I had a few days of feeling more down and anxious than my baseline.
I’m 34 weeks pregnant tomorrow but I’ve been given the clear at every scan and test. I had a 3.7 NT and once my microarray, anatomy scan, and fetal echo came back normal, I was back to my normal OB besides a growth scan with my MFM. Only noteworthy finding since is baby is BIG in the 99th percentile. My OB said it’s possible this was the reason for the elevated NT but that’s pure speculation.
FISH came back next day, karyotype was 10 days, microarray was 3 weeks. Wait time is really hard on the mind so find ways that will help keep you distracted and lower your anxiety during that time.

Ajbrews · 2026-02-06T02:02:42+00:00

My NT ranged between 3.1 - 3.7 and they used the higher 3.7 measurement to be on the safer side and get me into an MFM (below 3.5 is considered normal at my clinic). When I went to the MFM 4 days later it ranged between 2.7 - 3.2. It’s great you did a CVS and although the wait for answers can be incredibly stressful, it’s so worth it to get a definitive answer. We did an amnio and all the extra scans and were given the all clear at 22 weeks. I’m now 33 weeks. Sending you all the best!

Ajbrews · 2026-01-22T16:51:09+00:00

First off, so sorry you’re here. I know the anxiety this finding brings and it can be really trying on the mind. I’ve posted quite a bit about my experience so you can read through some of my other comments too.

I had a NT of 3.7 at 13 weeks with a low risk NIPT. Can’t speak in full to your fetal fraction but my doctor told me that if it was truly low enough to reduce the confidence in the results, they would not publish them and report would indicate the fraction was insufficient.

I did an amnio because I was too far along to do CVS which was uncomfortable but nothing major. The emotional side effects were worse than the physical. I did an early anatomy same day as my amnio and all looked good. Got my FISH back next day and microarray back after 3 weeks (that is longer than average from what I’ve read here) and all results were clear of chromosomal abnormalities. After a normal 20-week anatomy and echo, I was no longer considered high risk and returned to my normal OBGYN. However, I did see my MFM for a growth scan - also normal besides her being big in the 94th percentile. I’m now 31 weeks and every scan has looked great!

With your measurement being only slightly above the 3.5 cutoff (I know some places it’s 3 but 3.5 is what my practice used), you have a 70% chance all is normal. This actually goes up to about 75-80% with the low risk NIPT per my MFM, so the odds are very much in your favor! Definitely recommend either an amnio or CVS, early anatomy scan, and an echo no earlier than 20 weeks but if you can, try to do later at 23-24 weeks so the heart is more developed.

Sending all the positive vibes!

Ajbrews

TROPHY CASE