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Pregnant after 35
Lots of Questions....re: CVS and Amnio
If you have had either please tell me of your personal experience with it? For one I'm a huge wuss and wondered if there were alot of pain involved...
What made you decide to do the CVS other than the Amnio or vice versa?
Did your numbers from the AFP or the NT scan make you decide to go ahead with doing the CVS or Amnio?
At what point in your pregnancy do you have either the CVS or Amnio done?
Any other information you can give me would be much appreciated....I've been googling like crazy, but personal experience would be very helpful...
I'm 39 and 8 weeks pregnant today!
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Re: Lots of Questions....re: CVS and Amnio
Congrats on your pregnancy! I'll soon be 39 as well, this is my first baby. I can tell you that most women here have the Nuchal Translucency Screen (combo of blood work and an ultrasound) prior to invasive testing. The test gives a percentage for your risk of Down's Syndrome and other abnormalities.
Since my numbers were good (1:2141 for DS, 1:3721 for Trisomy) I opted to skip the CVS, which has a risk of miscarriage, and will likely skip the amnio unless my doctor gives me other reason to have it (ie. AFP or other 2nd Tri test).
Here are some links to BabyCenter that explains further early testing:
https://www.babycenter.com/0_nuchal-translucency-screening_118.bc
https://www.babycenter.com/0_chorionic-villus-sampling-cvs_328.bc
https://www.babycenter.com/0_amniocentesis_327.bc
I'd have the NT Scan at the very least... talk to your doctor and figure out what is best for you.
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I'm 37.
I had an amnio with my 2nd pregnancy last spring. I did the NT scan and the numbers came back alarmingly high for Downs Syndrome. I had to have the amnio and had it done at 16 weeks. The results confirmed the worst and we ended the pregnancy.
As far as pain, I did think it hurt, but the pain didn't last very long. It was manageable and over in about 15 seconds. Just have a hand to squeeze and do some deep breathing and you'll be fine. During that time I was too far along to have a CVS testing done.
I'm currently pregnant again and I've been carefully monitored due to my DS case. I had the option of doing an early CVS test because of my last pregnancy, but I decided not to. CVS is a relatively new test and it still has more risk than an amnio. Plus, I would have to drive 2 hours to DC to get one because they're aren't many docs here that do it. If you get a CVS (or an amnio) make sure you choose a doc who is VERY experienced in the procedure. I opted out of having an amnio this time, too, just becaue my NT scan and another scan at 16 weeks looked perfect so I'm not worried.
With my first, I was 36 and we did the NT test. Results came back low for DS and so we didn't do further testing. My son was born healthy, except he had a heart defectm which thankfully was easily corrected with surgery. The defect wasn't something that would have been found in any genetic test, only possibly thru a fetal echo but since he had no history we didn't know to do an echo.
With my second we did the amnio, since I was 38. Results came back great, no DS or other genetic disorders. Baby was born perfectly healthy
With this one, since I am 40 we are going to do the CVS (on Feb 18) since it can be done as early as 10 weeks and we want to know as early as possible. The odds of having a baby with DS is 1:82 after 40 years old (compared to 1:1600 in your 30's!) The NT test isn't conclusive enough, so I opted for the CVS since we would have had to wait until 16 weeks for an amnio.
Hope that helps!
Interesting timing of your question...I just had an amnio done today. I'm 39 and this is my second pregnancy. With my first pregnancy at age 37, I skipped all screening and went straight to an amnio. With this one, I did an NT scan beforehand. I probably shouldn't have, because even with great NT results, I decided I wanted the certainty of having the chromosomes actually counted. My risks of a miscarriage from the amnio were MUCH greater than the chances (according to the NT scan) of something being chromosomally wrong with the baby.
But, as you'll see, everyone is different, and accepts different risks. A miscarriage from an amnio is an acceptable risk for me and my husband.
As far as pain/discomfort, I had very little of each for either amnio. A teensy bit of cramping when the needle went in (actually, this time around almost none), but that's it. I won't know the results for about two weeks, but I'm very glad I went through with it today!
With my first pregnancy at age 36, I had the triple screen and the amnio. This pregnancy was unplanned, and DH and I weren't sure if we'd continue the pregnancy if the baby had DS. Therefore, we opted for a CVS with FISH. The CVS itself was a lot quicker than the amnio, and I certainly felt it more. I had less cramping after the CVS than the amnio.
The tech was able to do an NT scan before the CVS because the baby was in perfect position. She told me everything looked fine. I had flicker of "huh, is that good enough to skip the CVS?" But the whole reason we wanted the CVS was to get definitive results, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to relax unless I had it.
I was lucky that it was easy for me to decide. Good luck making your decision.
With my DS, I was just turning 35. I don't think NT was routinely offered. I had a 2nd trimester Quad Screen (blood test) and it was fine, as were the u/s, so I didn't get an amnio.
With this pg (I'm now 38), I had the NT screen. The NT measurement was normal, but the blood tests came back as 1/15 for Down Syndrome. (This was done at 11+weeks) So I opted to have the amnio. I got it done at 15 weeks. Pain-wise, It was somewhat like giving blood, but in the abdomen. It was a hard pinch and then the uterus says OWW, and then it was over.
I got the initial results in 24 hours. All was normal.
My NT odds where 1 in 3. I would get the NT as soon as you can, like next week, then if anything is wrong, you can get the CVS. You cannot get the CVS after 13 week 6 days at my practice. What you do with the knowledge you gain is your choice, but even if your sure you would not abort, it is good for medical, emotional, and planning reasons to know. I think the earlier you know, the better IMO. 85-95% of people who have conclusive results from the amnio or CVS terminate, many of the after 20 weeks because they don't find out until the normal 20 week. There is no reason to wait that long.