One of the questions we are asked most often is —“Can I get a paternity test while pregnant?”

The answer is YES.

Why Get a Paternity Test While Pregnant?

There are various reasons for wanting to know the paternity of a baby as early as possible during pregnancy.

  • Peace of mind and removal of uncertainty throughout the rest of the pregnancy are very important for most mothers-to-be
  • A DNA test confirming paternity may pave the way for legal and medical benefits for a child born to unmarried parents
  • The mother can have confidence that the right person is providing support throughout the pregnancy and during the birth

The Science behind a Paternity Test While Pregnant

  • A child’s DNA profile is set at conception and does not change. Therefore, a DNA test can be done before you give birth by analysing the DNA from the unborn child that is mixed in with the mother’s blood
  • Our expert lab technicians are able to isolate this free-floating DNA for the purposes of testing
  • Once the baby’s DNA is isolated, it is then compared with the possible father’s across up to 2,000 data points, and a probability of paternity can be obtained
  • Before DNA analysis, doing a paternity test while pregnant required invasive procedures such as CVS or Amniocentesis. Because these procedures involve risk to the pregnancy, medical providers do not perform them if the sole purpose is to determine paternity. So the ability to determine probability easily, with just a blood sample from the mother and a cheek-swab sample from the possible father, has made the process of doing prenatal paternity testing completely safe for both mother and pregnancy.

IMPORTANT: If a woman is pregnant with twins, getting a paternity test while pregnant is not an option. This is because there is free-floating DNA from both fetuses in the mum’s bloodstream and the DNA therefore cannot be isolated efficiently.

How do I Get a Paternity Test While Pregnant?

  • Blood from the mother and a cheek swab from the father are required to perform the paternity test. This can be done at any time after the seventh (7th) week with the DDC prenatal paternity test
  • The sample collections are easily coordinated with a call to our DNA Experts who work closely with expectant mothers and fathers every day
  • Once we receive the samples at our laboratory, we can perform the DNA prenatal paternity test in just eight (8) business days

Beware of too-good-to-be-true pricing on a non-invasive prenatal paternity test. You want to be absolutely certain the lab you choose is highly-accredited and well-regarded, with an excellent reputation—like DDC.

If you need additional information or want a confidential consultation about a UK paternity test, contact our experienced customer-service team at on 020 3301 7346.