OMG, I teared up reading this! I've wanted this for you so badly!!!!
Yes, I have ALL SORTS of experience. While I was fortunate enough to get pregnant without assistance, I had tough pregnancies and know this in and out.
With my second, I got the dreaded phone call after my 12 week scan (combined scan & bloods) that baby was high risk for chromosome abnormalities. That's a fun phone call to get! NHS would have paid for CVS (could have been done then) or amnio after 16 weeks. Both of those are at a risk to the pregnancy, which we weren't willing to do. Also, I didn't want "what ifs" on my mind. I wanted to know what we were dealing with so we could have the correct medical team in place and expectations set.
The nurse/midwife who dealt with these cases at the hospital said she would do the Harmony test, even though she wasn't allowed to recommend that as it's not offered on the NHS. I appreciated her honesty and she assured us that it is the Gold Standard for pregnancy testing. I was able to go for the testing the very next morning (a Tuesday) and on Friday got the call that baby was perfectly healthy and had no chromosomal abnormalities. I also found out that I was going to be having a boy! Which made the week a bit better (I didn't care if it was a monkey but it was fun to have a bit of good news after a horrible, anxious, scary week). However, it was £500 (this will have been two years ago so prices may have dropped). Also, I know that it is being rolled out to those as high risk in some areas of the NHS now. I can only imagine that having amnio costs a LOT more than £500 so seems obvious that this will be introduced by the NHS.
That being said... whether to have the test or not before being classed as high risk or not is a personal choice. I didn't do it with my first. And I wouldn't have done it with my second had it not been for that phone call. I am told that my age already set me at a 1:450 chance of chromosomal abnormalities (as the NHS is a bit archaic in their methods).
I am RH negative. That will have been tested for in your "booking in" blood work. If you are RH negative, they will tell you at your next appointment. Do you know your blood type? I knew I was RH negative before falling pregnant. You'll have to have a shot at about 28 weeks and then again within 72 hours of delivery.
I also paid for the Strep B testing. DO THAT!!! I cannot believe that is not offered as standard by the NHS. It's £35 and can absolutely save your baby's life. I have two friends who had Group B strep and didn't know it and their babies had lots of complications. Very scary. You order the kit online (free) and pay the fee when you send it back. I did both of mine at 37 weeks as it's best to leave it as late as possible.
Again, I couldn't be happier for you and your husband!!! What an amazing journey you are about to embark on. Happy to offer any help I can.
My biggest tip - buy EVERYTHING second hand. We did and saved a stinking fortune! Of course, car seat and mattress are exceptions.
