Those doing CVS or amnio...

Sascha3

Did your doctor recommend having these tests just to be safe because of our ages, or were they recommended after doing the first trimester screening tests which just use a blood test and ultrasound to tell you whether or not you have increased odds of having a problem, or did you request them?

My next appointment is Friday and I will ask him, but just curious how some of you came to the decision.

MrsJordanalmond

i had a cvs with both my pregnancies.

the nt scans/quad screens/etc. are screening tests and give you odds, while cvs or amnio are diagnostic.  the main advantage of the cvs is that it can be done as early as 10 weeks, but you have to wait longer for an amnio.

for us, it was an easy ... we wanted definitive results as soon as possible so that we could make whatever decisions before the pregnancy became 'public'.  if we hadn't been so clear on what we would do with the results, i think i probably would have done an amnio.  if you and your partner (i'm assuming there is one : ) aren't sure what you 'would do' then maybe doing the early scans and blood tests will be enough for you.

if you do choose an cvs, be sure to go to an experienced doc ... those that do more have a low mc rate.  again, for us the peace of mind was worth the risk.

good luck ... 

MrsJordanalmond

oh, and i never gave my doc a chance to recommend or not ... i went in knowing i wanted a cvs.

Sascha3

I was on the fence about how I felt concerning what I would do with the results.  My husband said that in the case of Down's, he would absolutely want to continue with the pregnancy, and I had been leaning the same way.  If it were something more severe, I would have to reevaluate at that time.

I would want to know, however, just to be able to prepare, as it would be such a huge life change.  I guess I could see how the odds come out before deciding to go further.

I am embarassed to admit this, but I am deathly afraid of the tests.  I even start to feel light headed and dizzy and nauseous just reading about the birth stories.  I need to get over these fears.  I was a teen mom with my first and had a natural birth, and somehow now as an adult I have developed phobias and anxiety over medical procedures and pain.

 

clipingirl

I finally decided on amnio just because I wanted to know. And I'm SO glad I did it, even though I was freaked out about it (never had any tests with my first two babies). The test was easy and no problems at all. I made sure the doc doing the amnio has NO history of miscarriage (he had none)--and that made me feel so much better. Test came back negative and I'm a happy camper....sure makes the pregnancy less worrisome. This is just my two cents. I know many women here have various tests/screenings based on their comfort levels. It's a very personal decision and it's great your talking about it and getting all the info you can!!! Good luck to you!

nmh2001

This is my third pregnancy, and second over age 35. In all cases I decided on no invasive testing. I did the first trimester screening with this and my last and both times got great results. My doctor last time said he'd never seen someone with these results have downs, my doctor this time said "well, you could always be the one in 10,000 but if you were my daughter I'd tell you not to bother with the test." My husband is a very math oriented guy and he based his feelings on the statistics that the risk of miscarriage was much greater than our risks of downs. So, I guess I'm a proponent of doing the first trimester screening and letting that help you decide. Good luck!

Pearly609

My doctor never recommended the testing and my SO didn't want me to take either of them but understood why I would want to which was because of my age.  I'm so glad that I did because it helped me to enjoy the rest of my pregnancy.

yankeebear

My doc only recommended the first tri screening.  (I am 42.)  I chose to skip this and instead go right to the CVS.  My main reason was that I wanted to have conclusive results and figured it would be silly to do the screening and then the CVS.  Plus my insurance kind of stinks so I didn't want to pay for two tests.

I had my first DD at 38 and had the first tri screening and was comfortable with just that.  I've had two m/c since and due to being over 40 I decided to go right for CVS.  Hope this help you.

SFAug07

My dr didn't recommend any tests. I received all information as input and we made our decision from there. I had two amnios because we were not comfortable with the risk of the integrated screening and I am glad we did.

shabbygirl007

My doc told me if i wanted to take cvs or amino.test.... it was up to me and he didnt push the idea on me. he knew my hub by and i didnt want to do any test besides the blood test. ultra sounds. 

Peppernut

For Margaux our doctor at the time just recommended the NT screening, but we were uncomfortable with the idea of "odds" instead of a diagnostic test, so we asked for an amnio.  With this one and a new doctor, we just asked for a CVS and skipped the NT scan.

Unknown

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