week 13: What to expect for OSCAR

Baby measures 7cm today, and i've "gained" 100g since last week, which brings my weight up to 42.4kg.
I'm still far from my regular weight but i think will get there surely.
Waited an hour to see Dr Poon today, which wasn't too bad cause he only stepped in at 11am.

Today is our routine blood test for HIV, blood type, FBC, Hep B etc
We have also decided to go ahead with the OSCAR test.
It is a first trimester option offered to all pregnant women as an earlier and more accurate method of screening for Trisomy 21. It must be done within 11-13 weeks, detection rate is 90% and 5% for a false positive. We have delayed our decision for many weeks before deciding to go ahead with it for:

1) peace of mind
2) just to check if there are any Down's Syndrome markers

By the way, i am in my late 20s. There is actually no cause for doing this test but since we can, we would like to do so. Just for the 1st child, perhaps haha.

Expect the doctor to draw out a small amount of maternal blood for testing, composition risk assessment score will be obtained within a week. No news from our clinic will be considered as good news. If we get a call, means bad news and more options will be discussed with Dr Poon during our 16th week checkup next month.

An ultrasound examination is then carried out on the fetus to diagnose any major defects, Nuchal Translucency scan and baby's length. Babies affected by Down's Syndrome have a thicker than average NT. Thankfully, buttercup's measurement is ok! That's 70% of the test. The remaining 20% will be reflected on the blood test results. We trust that God's in control and we have a perfect healthy baby in the making (:

A risk of 1 in 300 or more is generally considered to be high. If the risk of Down's Syndrome is 1:300 or greater, an invasive test is advised.
Well, we think that we can take on any challenges and will keep this pregnancy no matter what.
But we can never be fully prepared should baby be sick, thats something we want to clear now so as to enjoy the rest of the pregnancy.

Then again, there is so much to worry about. Whether my placenta will form at the right place, if i am taking in too much sodium or sugar, if I'm eating well enough, if baby's head will turn down for delivery; worries and concerns are never-ending. What we can do now is really to enjoy the process, and pray always.

Today's charges $444+:

Blood test: $400
Urine test: $5

If you opt for the just the compulsory blood test that hospital requires, its a lot cheaper.
The above is price for OSCAR.
Other clinics have a package for OSCAR+FA scan, you may check with the staff.
For Dr Poon's clinic, they don't offer the bundle. So FA scan on the 20th week is additional $100+.
Antenatal package can be signed once your blood test is done, he charges around $800 excluding medication.

Hope the above information is helpful for those approaching 11-13 weeks.
The clinic didn't have any pamphlets and I didn't bother checking it up on the internet.
I went in with full bladder to get a clearer ultrasound photo but silly buttercup was comfortably tucked in one small area of my womb (same as last week) which wasn't near my bladder. So much space on my left side but buttercup prefers the right squishy side. I haven't had a nice photo ever since week 10 haha

Grow well and healthy buttercup, God is watching over you and He won't miss out on any organ development so you are in good hands even though Mummy is still suffering from morning sickness. We speak health, growth and development over you!