Can You Do a Paternity Test While Pregnant?
When you’re pregnant, it makes sense to want to know as much as you possibly can. While some things can be easier to navigate than others, it doesn’t mean the harder questions need to go unanswered— or even wait until the baby is born. Whether it’s your first pregnancy or an addition to your growing family, a paternity test can reveal more than you may expect, and sooner than you may have thought.
This blog answers whether or not you can do a paternity test while pregnant, and explains how they work and why they can be beneficial for mother, father, and child. To find out more or to order a test, contact our team at ReliaLab today.
What Can a Paternity Test Tell Me?
As much as we’d like it to be, sometimes life just isn’t as simple as we’d hoped. Thankfully, paternity DNA tests are able to answer the questions that may keep you up at night, helping you to relax as things become clearer.
Not only will a paternity test determine the paternity of your child, but it can also help you to establish legal rights and obtain important medical information. Having established paternity ensures your child can receive benefits and inheritance, and the mother can receive benefits such as child support payments.
Additionally, as 50% of a child’s DNA comes from their father, establishing paternity gives you and your child access to medical information from their father’s side of the family.
A paternity test can also strengthen the bond between father and child, which can allow for immeasurable benefits for all involved.
What is a Prenatal Paternity Test?
A prenatal paternity test can establish the paternity of the child before they are born. The test checks for a match between the baby, the mother, and the potential father. DNA is taken from all three and examined via DNA sequencing to determine if the father’s DNA matches the child’s.
There are multiple methods of prenatal paternity tests, with some more invasive than others. The other forms of prenatal paternity tests are amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS). These methods can be associated with side effects for the mother and even lead to complications up to and including miscarriage.
Can You Do a Paternity Test While Pregnant?
Paternity tests have traditionally been taken after the baby is born, but with advancements in technology it is now possible to conduct non-invasive prenatal paternity tests.
These tests can be undertaken from week seven in pregnancy, however for optimal testing it is advised to wait until week 10 of pregnancy. If you test too early or if your gestational age was calculated incorrectly, there will not be enough detectable DNA in the sample which means that you won’t be able to receive a result. For this reason, it is recommended to wait until week 10 of pregnancy.
How Does a Non-Invasive Prenatal Paternity Test Work?
This non-invasive test is performed through a blood test for the mother and a cheek swab or blood test for the potential father. These testing methods are safe for mother, father, and child. As fragments of DNA are found in our blood, these blood draws can reveal if the father’s DNA matches the child’s DNA. By testing the mother’s blood, we are able to test the unborn baby’s blood as well.
Other methods of prenatal paternity tests can be invasive and are associated with risks including miscarriage and leaking of amniotic fluid.
Why Choose a Prenatal Paternity Test?
When you choose a prenatal paternity test, you can get peace of mind regarding your baby’s father sooner rather than later. This gives the father peace of mind as well, and can help them to bond with their child before they’re even born.
Additionally, a non-invasive prenatal paternity test removes the risks associated with other prenatal paternity tests, as the test is conducted via a safe and simple blood draw.
Interested in a Prenatal Paternity Test?
If you’ve been considering whether to do a prenatal paternity test, we hope this article has helped you to make your decision. If you’ve decided a non-invasive prenatal paternity test is a good option for you, our team at ReliaLab is more than happy to help. To get insightful information into the paternity of your child, call today or visit our Nashville location.
