Pregnancy Complications & Testing

I haven't had it.  It was one of the few tests that were not offered to me.  I did get an NT test done which I was happy about!

Good luck!  I hope someone else here can help you!

               

I had it at 11 weeks.  There were signs of a problem with my baby at my NT scan and for various reasons, I elected to go with having a CVS right there instead of waiting for an amnio.  Depending on where your placenta is, it can be done either transvaginally or transabdominally.  My placenta was in the front, so mine was transabdominal - it was very similar to what I have seen amnios look like.  I had a local anesthetic to numb my belly, then a large, long needle to collect the sample.  It was uncomfortable but not painful.  The perinatologist who did it does them every day and has a lot of experience.  (I think that is crucial.) 

Afterward, I rested that day and the next day and for about 3 or 4 days after, didn't lift anything heavy.  (But I did have a 2 year old at the time, so I did care for him, just tried not to carry him.)  I also had a big bruise and some tenderness at the insertion site for awhile.

They did a FISH probe which can come back in 2 days, although mine took 5.  I got final results about 2 weeks later.

I was opposed to invasive testing (for myself) just because of my age (37 at the time), but because we were looking at a serious problem for the baby, I needed to know what we were up against.  So, in that case, yes, I would definitely do it again.

Feel free to ask any more questions.

After receiving my first trimester screening result of 1:125, I opted to do the CVS.  I think there's a perception that CVS is more riskier than amnio but personally, I think the results are skewed because CVS is performed in the first trimester, which puts you at a higher risk of miscarriage anyway.  My doctor also told me that there's no way of knowing if CVS caused some of the miscarriages - it could've happened regardless of the procedure.  I did not want to wait for the amnio because I was already stressed out and needed some answers right away.  CVS can be performed 2 ways and they performed the abdominal one on me because of the location of my placenta and my fibroid.  What hurt the most was the anesthetic to numb my abdomen before the doctor stuck the needle.  I didn't feel anything after that except for cramping (which the doctor warned me about).  You have the option of looking at the ultrasound the whole time the doctor is performing this procedure but I was too scared to look.  I just held my husband's hand and looked away.  The whole process only took 5 minutes, it took longer to look at the position of the fetus and placenta on the ultrasound.  After it was done, I walked out of there with a little bit of cramping and didn't have any bleeding.  I think the worst part of the procedure was waiting for the results.  Fortunately, I was able to receive the FISH results which came back in 2 days.  The final result came back in about 10 days and everything was ok. 

Below is a link I read before doing the procedure:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_chorionic-villus-sampling-cvs_328.bc

Let me know if you have any other questions.  Good luck!

So what did you decide?  Thanks for asking the question, I've been wondering what it's going to be like also.  Mine is scheduled for December 13th.  When are you due?