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has anyone had an amnio

speckledfrogspeckledfrog member
in 2nd Trimester
Can you tell me about your experience?

My screening results came back at an elevated risk for Down Syndrome and I'm going in for an amnio at the end of the week.
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Re: has anyone had an amnio

  • December192009December192009
    yes, I have! I just went through this. It was much less complicated than I thought it would be. First we went in and did an ultrasound where they measured "soft markers" for Down Syndrome. This includes the length of the humorous bone, the fourth finger, and some other markers. Those measurements will give them a better idea of whether the baby has those "soft markers" or not. From there you can opt to have the amnio still or to not have the amnio. Our little girl did not have any of the soft markers, but I still wanted to have the amnio. They shine a bright light on your belly in a dark room, and use the sonogram machine to detect the location of the baby. From there they find a spot where they can enter, clean it and disinfect the area, and they use a needle that is inside of this teeeeny tiny catheter tube. The needle is only out for a split second - long enough to pierce the skin and down through the wall to where the baby is. From there, the doctor quickly fills 3 tubes of amniotic fluid via the catheter. As soon as she's finished, they place a bandaid over your entry place and then you get to be queen for a day. For 24 hours: No baths, No cooking, no lifting, no working, no standing for long periods of time, no long walks, no physical exertion,send any older children off to grandma's or a friend's if possible. It wasn't even as painful as a shot during the process. And afterwards it felt tender- kind of like a flu shot or tetanus shot afterwards. It takes 7-10 business days to get your results back. My sonographer said she does at least 1 per day and she has been working for over 15 years. She said she has never had a patient to have a complication from an amnio. The latest study on amnios revealed that with new technology and using ultrasound as a guide, risk is actually reduced to 1 in 1600 for complications/miscarriage. You can get speedy results within a few days but they are not 100% conclusive and they usually cost over $200.00 depending on your insurance policy. I would recommend the amnio to anyone going through the process. I just wanted to be ready and have my specialists picked out in case that was our outcome. Our initial risk after serum screening was 1/120. We are extremely thankful to be able to know that our baby does not have DS. I hope this information was helpful!
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  • speckledfrogspeckledfrog member
    That was actually very helpful and reassuring.  Thank you for taking the time to type it out for me.
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  • coryandsuzannecoryandsuzanne
    My cousin was told that her child might have DS when they did measurements and the recommended she do the amnio.  She decided not to do the test and when her baby was born she did NOT have DS.  I think doctors/techs sometimes jump to conclusions and get people nervous when it's not the case.
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  • LilyPotter218LilyPotter218 member

    I was with my cousin on Sunday and asked her about hers... She has ZERO pain tolerance. Hates needles! 

    She said she did not watch the needle or screen but that having blood drawn was a MUCH bigger pain! Said the injection site was a bit sore, but after resting for 2 days (hers was on a Friday) she felt great!!

    Good luck :) 

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