Pre-Natal Paternity Testing – One Woman’s Story

I’m pregnant?!?!?!

Now what? I sit here staring at the plus sign on the at-home pregnancy test. It’s the same result I got with the three other tests I did (just in case). A range of emotions are flooding my mind as I wrap my head around the reality that there is a baby growing inside me. I haven’t felt quite right for the past few weeks and this explains a whole lot. The father! I need to tell him about this too. When this sinks into my consciousness I feel what could possibly be my first wave of morning sickness rising to greet me. It’s not morning sickness though. It is pure emotional fear and confusion. There is a very real possibility the father could be one of two different men.

Until I know who the real father is, I can’t say anything. This is going to add a lot of stress to my life and to the baby – which is not healthy for either one of us. Once people learn that I am pregnant, they are going to assume the daddy is Jake. After all, Jake and I have been together for years – with the exception of that brief break up last month. That brief break up is exactly where the problem lies. I went out with the girls one night and met Mike at the club where we were dancing. I hadn’t seen Mike since High School when he moved away our Junior year. The drinks were flowing, the night was a blast and Mike and I did something we both agreed was a mistake the next morning. It happens sometimes – I get that, but this just got real! I need to make sure that I know who the real father is and I need to know now!

I know you can find out who the father is through a DNA Paternity Test. I have watched enough daytime talk shows to know this much, but that was after the baby is born. I need to know now! A brief Google search brought up three options available to do a DNA Paternity test before the baby is born.   The first two – CVS and Amniocentesis must be approved and should be performed by your OB/GYN due to the risk of miscarriage or other complications. The third option is referred to as a non-invasive prenatal paternity test.

 CVS

The first option is through CVS (Chorionic Villus Sampling) which consists of a thin needle being inserted into the vagina and into the cervix to collect tissue samples from the uterine wall. This type of test is typically performed during weeks 10-13.

AMNIOCENTESIS

This procedure is typically performed during the second trimester and uses a thin needle entering into your uterus through your abdomen. The needle then extracts a small amount of amniotic fluid.

NON-INVASIVE

This procedure is completely non-invasive to the baby and can be performed at any time during the pregnancy after 8 weeks. The process involves a simple blood draw from the mother’s arm and a buccal cheek swab from the possible father(s).

Well, I certainly was not ready to do anything that may possibly harm the baby, so the non-invasive paternity test was the solution. I called Carolina Testing and they walked me through the entire process and answered all of my questions.   They arranged for a phlebotomist to come to my home to do the blood draw and Mike went down to their office for his buccal cheek swab. I received the results and a huge sigh of relief in about 10 days. Jake was thrilled to learn that he was going to be a daddy – and we are filled with excitement and anticipation as we wait for the birth of Jake Jr.