Are my results accurate?

[knjcmama]

I had a prenatal paternity test done with Ravgen at 34 weeks pregnant because I was struggling with anxiety and guilt and many “what ifs”. We reviewed my information and accessed my dates via ultrasound and positive pregnancy test. The man I tested came back as an exclusion. He was a mismatch. We had more than ten mismatches. I am struggling to believe my results. How accurate is Ravgen? Is more than 10 mismatches enough to be excluded from paternity. I’m struggling to understand how there would be any matches if they are not the father. Thank you for your help in advance. I would like to close this chapter and start to enjoy my new baby. I am struggling daily.

[AnnieBrooke]

Did you test with both men, or just the one you are hiding from the other? It's pretty common for a woman with a guilty conscience not to believe her test results.

[AnnieBrooke]

I'll repeat what has already been said to you, in case you haven't read back to your original posts lately.

All your facts and medical evidence point to the sex with your husband as producing the pregnancy. If you are consistently unable to let yourself believe this, it's a good idea to talk to a counselor or therapist. Women with a guilty conscience about their behavior, or deeper worries that the pregnancy has brought up, often let their anxiety over other issues transfer to worry about who is the father. The problem is, no matter how many times she gets her question answered, it's not satisfactory, because that's not really what she is worried about.

With all your facts and medical evidence, you probably do know deep down that Mr. Wrong is not the father. Talk to the therapist or counselor about more amorphous but anxiety-producing issues that the pregnancy has brought up. Look for anxiety in areas like integrity, survival or the relationship with your partner. As you address those, your obsessive worry about Mr. Wrong being the dad will fade.

[knjcmama]

Thank you Annie. I only tested with the mistake guy. I wanted to make sure my results proved my medical evidence correct so I can close this chapter, but I have been struggling to be confident in the results. Can I believe them?

[knjcmama]

I thought getting the test done would relive my anxiety, but now it’s just made it worst wondering if the results were accurate.

[AnnieBrooke]

I think only a therapist can help you with that.

[AnnieBrooke]

You might also look up articles on medical anxiety and (in the context of medical anxiety) something psychiatrists call  rumination. It's pretty common to see on MedHelp, especially in the area of STDs and also here in DNA/Paternity. If someone feels guilty about their behavior or imagines a terrible consequence even if it doesn't make sense, the ability to believe data, dates and lab results seems to go out the window. At least one of the articles I've seen suggests ways to break the pattern of obsessive worrying about health issues. Look for those articles and try some of the things they suggest.

[knjcmama]

Thank you Annie. I appreciate it. I have been working with a therapist and went back on medication during the end of my pregnancy. I hope one day I can shake the obsessive thoughts. I will Google those articles today.