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Pregnant after 35
kerby1013
member
CVS or Amnio?
kerby1013
member
Has anyone had CVS or an amniocentesis? How did you decide between the two? Can you explain the experience to me?
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Re: CVS or Amnio?
Did neither. Felt that it was not a chance I wanted to take.
I do know CVS comes back sooner, however there are some things it does not tell you. Amnio takes longer to come back and gives you info on neural tube defects, such as spina bifida that the CVS does not. Depends on what you want to know.
I had both my last pregnancy and I made the decision to have an amnio based on my cvs results. Not everyone would have made the decision to have the amnio, but for me, I had to know what I was up against so that myself and my husband could be prepared both mentally and physically in the event that our baby had special needs.
The experience...the cvs is less invasive and involved an ultrasound with a lot of pictures and measurements (and a VERY full bladder) and a finger poke. They send the kit (U/S and blood) for evaluation and I got my results about 10 days later.
The amnio was hard, I'm not going to lie. How much detail do you want? You have to meet with a genetic counselor first and you'll walk out of there convinced that there is something wrong with your baby before you even get started. The procedure is quick but painful and is followed by a pretty extensive ultrasound. I found out the gender at that appt, so yay to that
. The specialist who did it was totally awesome though and I had the utmost confidence that he knew what he was doing. It took about two weeks for the results.
Words of advice if you get an amnio: DO NOT let just any OB perform this. Get referred to a specialist! My doctor was humble enough to tell me that she prefers to have a doctor who specializes in amnio's do this test and I so appreciate this. It's a test that requires a lot of skill and training.
You are describing the NT scan and bloodwork, which is the first trimester screening. This is NOT the CVS. The CVS is chorionic villae sampling. It is an invasive procedure similar to an amnio. The CVS may be done abdominally or through the cervix. And it is done earlier than the amnio. The results of the first tri screening may prompt you to get the CVS or amnio. I had a CVS because of the high risks as a result of my first tri screening. My CVS was trans-cervical and was not painful, but there are other women who have had painful experiences. If you choose to do any invasive testing, you usually would do CVS or amnio, but not both. The advantage of CVS is that it is done earlier. If there is a chance you would want the CVS you need to time your first tri screening so that there is ample time left to do the CVS if needed. The CVS does not show neural tube defects. There is a non-invasive screening for that later, however. For either the CVS or amnio, definitely research the doctor who will perform it. The miscarriage rate is lower with experienced doctors. Some women do not do either of these tests. Other women skip the screening go straight to the test. It's up to you. Personally, I did the first tri screen, and because my risks for trisomies were much higher than the risk of miscarriage from the CVS, I chose the CVS. I am glad I did it, and I would do it again, but it was not easy to put myself and my baby in that situation.
I also ask myself the same question as to what I am going to do. I know it's a different experience for everyone but I had three normal births and pregnancies and just wondering if I should go through all the testing. It is confusing. More like a to know or not to know. Can they do anything with the results? Or is it just to prepare you for what is to come?
Thanks kerby for posting this
i had a cvs with both pregnancies. for us, the decision to do cvs vs. amnio was about timing. cvs is done between 9-12 weeks, while you have to wait until 16 weeks for an amnio. dh and i were 100% on the same page about what we would do with bad results and wanted that decision to be private, so earlier was a key factor for us.
if we were younger, or not totally sure what we would do with the results, i would have opted for the screening tests and if indicated the amnio.
both my procedures were transabdominal (big needle thru the belly) ... they weren't exactly painful, but not exactly pleasant. luckily they were over fast. we had preliminary results within 24 hours, and the full panel within a week. you can't put a price on that early peace of mind.
The results are the results. From what I have read the drs like to know as much about the baby (if there is a possibility of downs or other major genetic issue) so that they have all the necessary resources available at delivery. For some conditions, a c/s may be warranted. You may need a neo-natologist or it might be better to deliver your lo at a hospital equipped with a specialized nicu. I go for my NT scan in 2 weeks. I am 40 yo and if the results of the NT scan concern me, then I will be having an amnio. I am a need to know girl and if my LO is going to have special needs, I know that DH & I will need to know well before delivery to prepare emotionally for their arrival. I will want my doc to know as much as possible so he can ensure that all the specialists, etc, my LO may require are onhand at delivery time.
I also had the CVS. I liked that it was done earlier than the amnio.
I felt like I had nothing to lose. If it was bad news, then better to hear it sooner and get prepared. I'd certainly be no worse off than hearing that same news at the time of delivery. But there was everything to gain from hearing good news early, at 10 weeks pregnant, rather than agonizing over it until delivery, kwim? So it was a no-brainer for me. I was referred to a specialist and I felt confident that it was as safe as possible. Ended up being painless, no cramping, no spotting, no worries.
Good luck deciding.
41 y.o. mom of:
2guys/2gals, due 4/12/12
Oh geez, you are right. I'm sorry I got those mixed up, OP. I kept trying to remember what the screening was called and for some reason I thought it was a CVS, which it is obviously not. The CVS is definitely more invasive than the NT scan. Sorry for the confusion!