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Parenting after 35
Lesleyjking
member
CVS vs Amnio
Lesleyjking
member
Hi ladies! I am turning 37 in January and go in for my NT in two wks. I know this is a personal decision, I cant decide whether to do the CVS or Amnio. The CVS is earlier which I like so I can know earlier, but it doesnt test for tubal disorders.
Does anyone know which is less risky for a MC? That also makes me nervos. Which hurts more?
Thank you!
Kingsley Kennedy Wolff born March 16, 2012!!!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: CVS vs Amnio
Hi! I don't have experience with either b/c I declined them. After the NT scan the results were good enough that I didn't want to risk a m/c with invasive testing. The amnio is less risky than the CVS (I believe CVS is 1 in 200 risk of m/c), but the amnio is at 20 weeks and the CVS is at 12 weeks I believe. So if there were a problem and you wanted to terminate, it's much harder to do that when the fetus is already 5 month old.
It's a personal decision, do some research and choose the one that feels right for you. Or none, like I did
Good luck and Happy & Healthy 9 months!
We did CVS because, as Mrs pointed out, if we did decide to terminate we would prefer to do so earlier in the pregnancy. The risk for m/c is quite low at the facility I used - ask about the number for the place you will use. The discomfort was minimal. Good luck with your decision!
I think it is such a personal decision but you have to figure out what you would do with the information. I do not believe in termination, & while I had an amnio with my first son at 23 weeks it was because we wanted to prepare if there were more issues than what was found at our big ultra sound. No matter what there are risks. Ask the doctor performing the cvs or amnio what their % are with m/c.
But as far as neural tube defects, you can wait until the 2nd trimester screening around 16 weeks - it is a non-invasive blood test.
Edit to add - I had minor cramping with the Amnio. They told me to rest for 24 hours following the procedure. The needle was bigger than the pain too, it did not hurt - a little pinch.
I skipped all of the screening tests and just went straight to a CVS at 11 weeks. I didn't want to wait weeks longer for an amnio. CVS doesn't necessarily have a higher m/c rate than amnio. Let me clarify that: you need to ask about the rates at your clinic. I chose a place where the risks were very minimal for both, and CVS was no different than amnio. I did my homework and felt very comfortable with my doctor...he was the Chief OB/GYN at the hospital and could do a CVS and amnio with his eyes closed.
I had a trans-abdominal CVS and the discomfort was small. I had some cramping after and went home to bed after the test. Back to work the next day, but I took it easy. Good luck with whatever you decide!
We didn't do either of them. My bloodwork indicated very high risk for Downs, but all of the ultrasounds (lots of 'em) showed that everything was okay.
I also felt comfortable with the U/S tech, who was confident that C was okay. She was very experienced (30+ years) and kept saying she thought all of the measurements looked perfect. I know that's not 100% accurate, but we felt good about not doing additional testing. Since we don't believe in termination, either, I didn't see the point of more testing.
I was SO OLD when we finally got pregnant, I really didn't want any additional risk of m/c... even if it was minimal.
I had a very similar experience. My doctor had the same rates for CVS and Amnio so I chose CVS just to have that certainty earlier.
That being said, I had a trans-vaginal CVS and the discomfort level was fairly high. Not sure why - I have a tilted uterus so that tends to make things like the HSG very painful - maybe the same applies with the CVS. I was super cautious and took off the afternoon of the CVS and the next two days leading into a weekend.
If we do try for #2 I will do a CVS - even a trans-vaginal one - in a heartbeat.
I just had this discussion with a friend. Decide what you plan on using the information for before you have the test.
When I researched online (yes the dreaded Dr. Google) and I found that CVS had a higher miscarriage rate on average, I also learned that women in their first trimester (when the CVS is performed) have a higher rate of miscarriage. It would seem that many natural miscarriages may be attributed to the CVS.
That said, I chose to have a CVS. The place I had mine done had a CVS to Amnio miscarriage rate I felt comfortable with. I experienced cramping the next day but I was also flying for five hours.
Good luck!
Yeah, me too. I was 38 when I got pregnant and we had been trying a year. I really didn't want to risk a m/c, even if the risk was small.