More mums-to-be forking out for pricey scan to reveal health and sex of baby at 10 weeks

Ashleigh Garrett and her husband Simon Garrett opted for the private prenatal testing around 10 weeks into their pregnancy. Photo / Supplied

More expectant mothers are forking out for a blood test to identify chromosomal-related health issues and their baby's sex as early as 10 weeks into pregnancy.

The non-invasive test, which costs $600-$700, picks up foetal DNA from the placenta, which can be tested to check the unborn baby's chromosomes for abnormalities.

It also identifies the baby's sex, enabling mums-to-be to find out early - more than a month before they would through the usual Government funded "anatomy" test, which is offered to expectant parents around 18-20 weeks.

Mary Birdsall, a director and specialist at Fertility Associates Auckland, said the earlier test had been available for a couple of years but was growing in popularity as more expectant parents discovered it was an option.

"Most people aren't doing it to choose to find out the gender of their baby - most people are using it to determine whether or not their baby has normal chromosomes," Birdsall said. "You can do it any time from 10 weeks."

Birdsall said it helped give parents peace of mind, and let them make informed decisions if the test picked up any health issues.

While expectant parents who opted for a private obstetrician would typically be offered the test, those who went through the public health system often weren't.

Ashleigh Garrett, 32, and her husband Simon Garrett paid $600-$700 for the test, 10 weeks into her pregnancy.

The test did not identify any chromosomal issues and she learned she was having a girl.

The mum-to-be, who'd been through three miscarriages in two years, told the Herald on Sunday she wanted to find out about any complications earlier, rather than later.

"If there was something where the baby is not going to be able to live after birth, I'd rather have known at 10 weeks, rather than at 20 weeks when you've bonded a lot more."

The Aucklander said she was surprised and a little horrified at how few of her friends and colleagues had heard about the test.

"It's just not offered, it's not advertised, unless you go through the private system where they recommend it for peace of mind, you just don't know.

"We were like 'holy moly, what if there's something wrong? Shouldn't everyone have this information?'"

For Garrett, having peace of mind was a big deal after her earlier miscarriages.

"You're wanting the baby to be healthy and that there won't be any issues. Every scan you're hoping that it's going well and they're growing well.

"This is a big one ... being able to check chromosome abnormalities up to 99 per cent accurately."

She was always going to find out the sex at 20 weeks, she said, but it was "extra nice" to know in advance and be able to plan ahead.

"It wasn't a huge deal - it was just a nice little extra."

Registered psychologist Sara Chatwin wasn't surprised more Kiwi women were opting to pay for the test.

"Some people like to be really organised," she said.

"If they know the gender, they might be painting the room, or buying the clothes. It might be really helpful."

While some expectant parents might not feel they "needed" or "wanted" the information that early, others felt more confident when they were well informed.

"If a pregnant woman is happy and has questions that can be answered quickly and easily, and has the ability to pay for the test - then why not?"

While the test might not be offered to someone going through the public healthcare system, Birdsall said it was essentially available to anyone happy to pay for it - they just had to ask.

"You can go to Labtests where they offer it as a service for around the same cost," she said.

She said there would likely be more options for prenatal testing as science moved forward. It should be part of pregnancy care, she said, to have these on offer.

"I do think would-be parents should be offered all the tests that are available."