Amniocentesis Experiences? Please share...

caymanianseminole

 My doctor called and had me at her office today to discuss my triple screen results. My heart dropped as I knew it had to be bad news...LO has a 1:38 chance of Downs. I'm only 29, so the possibility of Downs didn't even cross my mind before. I have an Amniocentesis scheduled for next week, and I'm nervous. Regardless of the results we are going to love and cherish our little girl, but both DH want to be prepared to deal with a LO with special needs.  That being off my chest,  has anyone had an amnio? I'm nervous about the procedure and aware of the risks but would love to hear first hand experiences about it. 

PongosMom

Good luck next week. I can only imagine how scary that would be. Just remember that whatever comes out of that appointment, you are equipped to handle it and things will be okay.

jp03

I'm potentially looking at one too - my Trisomy 18 came back with 1:262, and we've done several ultrasounds to check on soft markers.

I send you strength, peace and good wishes - I have seen a lot of other women on TB that have had 1:5, 1:12 odds for Downs and/or Trisomy 13/18 and everything has turned out fine.

The only thing I've heard that is probably the toughest, is the waiting for the results - kind of like the TWW to find out we were preggers.

Hang in there and let us know how it goes.  

dukemeli

Have you thought about MaterniT21? My odds for Downs Syndrome were 1:15 after the integrated screen. I freaked out. We went in for the Level II u/s and saw no marker's on the baby. My Peri recommended MaterniT21 as supposed to an amnio since there were no marker's. It's non-invasive. They just drew two vials of blood from me. 8 business days later, I had results and it was negative.

Hang in there. I know how scary it is. Remember that the odds are in your favor.  There is a 97.4% chance that your baby is just fine.

jquirke9881

What about the MaterniT21 test as an alternative to the amnio?  It is a non evasive blood test available to look for DS. 

emme425

I just had one on Monday!  I had some soft markers for Downs, along with some other issues and the doctors recommended an amnio to get more information.  It really wasn't that bad.  You will have a sonogram so the doctor to place the needle and they will walk you through it.  I closed my eyes so I wouldn't see the needle.  It didn't hurt bad, just felt like a shot.  It did seem to take a long time for the doctor to get enough amniotic fluid.  Let us know how it goes!

chicagobridelibby

We had a similar experience at the beginning of the month, when the doctor called and said our odds had dropped to 1:9 for Down's.  After talking to the genetic councilor, we decided on an amneo. This was mostly because the FISH portion of the test can be read with over 99% accuracy in just 2 days-rather than waiting for maternity 21.  Also, the risk for miscarriage is pretty low if it is performed in America, at a facility that performs it frequently.  So, you might want to ask about the doctor performing the procedure. 
For the actual procedure, we were in the office just under an hour.  First they do an ultrasound to be sure that the baby is ok.  (You might find out the baby's sex now) Then, the doctor comes in, and the tech guides the ultrasound to a place in the uterus where there is a lot of free space (no baby). Next they will sterilize your belly and get then the needle will be inserted.  The initial poke wasn't bad, but as the needle enters the uterus muscle wall, it fees cramp-y. The doc will draw about 2T of fluid and then withdraw.  That part is like a minute.  
Afterword, I had some mild discomfort.  You have to take it easy the rest of the day, and not workout for another day (careful of lifting too). But you will have initial results in 2 days, and you will be free of the risk of miscarriage after 72 hours. 
Hope that is helpful-if you have any other questions, feel free to PM me. I know it is scary, but remember, the odds are still way in your favor.  

Rei Dunn

Oh gracious alive, I'm so sorry for your worry, and look forward to hearing how your tests turn out.

wendy153

I had an amnio a month ago because my pre-screen showed a slightly elevated risk of downs. It was only 1:92 but we wanted to either be prepared for special needs or to gain piece of mind.

My experience was very similar to chicagobridelibby. They found a spot far from baby, prepped with iodine, and when they looked with the ultrasound again the baby had scooted right into that spot. So they just found a new placement and that one worked. I have multiple tattoos and this was nothing compared to that. No worse than a shot or blood draw. The strangest thing was being able to feel the needle inside you (at that point it didn't even hurt!) and it takes a couple minutes to get all of the fluid that they need. I just tried to relax and concentrate on continued breathing since my instinct was not to move.

After the procedure was finished I got up to leave and felt dizzy. This is totally normal and nothing to worry about! I layed back down, they brought me some juice and crackers and I just rested for a bit.

Best of luck to you!

caymanianseminole

Thank you everyone for your kind words and for sharing your experiences!  We don't have the Maternity 21 screen on island - most of our lab work is sent to sister labs in Florida for testing and it just so happens to be a lab that doesn't offer that particular test.  My OB/GYN has been practicing for almost 20 years and has never had a MTB miscarry when doing amnio, she is one of two senior OB/GYNs on staff - and both of them are rated top 10 in the Caribbean so I'm not worried about her - just the actual procedure and waiting for results.

I feel a lot easier about doing the amnio, and praying that my LO is in that 37/38 instead of that 1.  Many thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers and will for sure update you all when I find out.