A prenatal paternity test may be necessary for several reasons. Women who have had more than one partner around the time of conception may be faced with deciding to have paternity testing done in an effort to dispel uncertainty, or for legal reasons, points out website Cytomation. Some opt for paternity testing to get the most accurate picture of their child's medical history as well. Whatever the reason, moms-to-be considering paternity testing can have the testing done before or after the child is born. If you decide to have your baby tested before birth, you can go about it in several ways.
Step 1
Speak to your obstetrician or midwife. Paternity testing done before a baby's birth requires a medical procedure, and your doctor will need to order the test, which can usually be done any time from the end of the first trimester onward.
Step 2
Talk to the partners who may be the baby's father, if possible. You will need a DNA sample from at least one of them to compare with the baby's DNA to determine fatherhood. If they don't want to cooperate, it may be necessary to go to court and ask for an order to determine paternity.
Step 3
Choose the prenatal paternity test that is best for you. One method is through amniocentesis, in which a long, thin needle is inserted through your stomach and into your uterus to take out a small amount of amniotic fluid, which can then be tested to determine paternity. Another option is CVS, or chorionic villus sampling. In this test, a small tube is guided through the vagina and into the cervix to get access to the uterine walls, where a small sample of tissue is removed to be tested for paternity.
Step 4
Wait for the results. Paternity test results performed before a baby is born will usually be available in about five days.
Tips and Warnings
- If possible, you may want to consider waiting until the baby is born before having a paternity test done. Website American Pregnancy says a small chance of miscarriage exists from both CVS and amniocentesis testing. After birth, a simple mouth swab or blood test is done to test for paternity.
