Advice re amniocentesis

Reluctant mom, you have mentioned something so important about all of this! I too felt during this time that I couldn't/didn't want to bond with my baby because I might get attached and then have to abort.

As a result we didn't do any shopping for the baby and also didn't start preparing his room.

Now that we finally have the results and all is well I feel like I'm fir the first time really totally happy with my pregnancy and can really look forward to his birth!

I read a book recently called "The Tentative Pregnancy by Barbara Katz Rothman" - it is a british documentary style book, a bit dated as it was written in 1987, and deals with women who are going through amnio and so on, and the fact that they are literally sitting in limbo for that result to come back, where they will then "decide" the way forward.

Often these results are only available in the 22nd week of pregnancy, so these women are then faced with having to make the most difficult/painful decision there is, when they are clearly so far along.

Many of the issues are that they try not to bond with their unborn baby as they want to try to disassociate from them so that 'the decision' is easier.

I can't imagine the stress one goes through deciding to do the test, and then the anxiety one experiences waiting for the result, and then the moment when you have to make a decision - either way.

I have always liked this proverb:

You can't control the wind, but you can adjust your sails.
Yiddish proverb

Hi,

I felt the need to respond to this thread as I have been thru something similar to Schatsie only difference is I had a CVS test done which is very similar to an amnio but done between 11 and 15 weeks whereas an amnio is done anytime from 16 weeks! Oh also an amnio carries only a 3% misscarriage risk whereas a CVS carries a 6% risk.

Depending on your situation doctors advise which test needs to be done. I have been thru quite an ordeal during my 1st pregnancy as a result I lost my first pregnancy so for this second one i was advised to go for CVS to rule out any problems as early as possible.

I CVS is very very similar to an amnio - the procedure is pretty much the same - however i will be honest i felt alittle pain and discomfort and was advised bed rest for about a week due to the higher misscarriage risk.

I am doing much better now and I will advise any mum to rather do the fish test as this gives you a quicker response and doctors swear its 90% accurate to the longer test. I also did both tests but the fish test confirmed all is well and the longer test also came back fine.

Goodluck to any1 having to go thru these tests - My prayer will always be with u mums coz i know the feeling. FEAR will always be there but positivity helps a whole lot too so TRY and surrender to the higher power.

Subscribing to the topic

Someone mailed me today re having an amniocentesis since I recently went through this traumatic experience. I have received so much help and advice from this website during my pregnancy so far and therefore decided to share my story here just in case it can help someone else.

Hearing from the dr that my baby had a small heart defect (VSD) which was a marker for Downs syndrome and that I had to go for an amnio felt like the worst thing I've ever been through! I'm petrified of all needles and was seriously scared! BUT I can definitely put your mind at ease in that it was NOT sore at all! They do a sonar to see exactly where the baby is. Then they take a very thin needle, about 10 cm long and insert it through your tummy in a position where it won't touch the baby (while still looking at the sonar the whole time) and withdraw one to 2 syringes of amniotic fluid. I really didn't feel anything other than a small prick similar to when you get an injection.

They will give you 2 options as to which tests you want to do: the Fish procedure which takes about 3 days and only checks chromosones 13, 18 and 21 (for Trisomy/Downs), plus the gender chromosome 23. The 2nd test takes 3 weeks and does a full culture of all your baby's chromosomes. The total cost for both tests is around R7500. My medical aid didn't pay for the Fish, but I didn't care - I couldn't bear to wait 3 wks for the results. We eventually elected to have both tests done, but afterwards my gynae told me that really the Fish would have been enough since the chances of having problems with the other chromosomes is really remote.

They told me to get bed rest for 24 hours afterwards and my husband had to drive me home. I did that but I had no spotting or any problems afterwards. The chances of miscarriage as a result of the amnio is only about 1:300 - 1:350 depending on the experience of the dr who does the procedure.

I know this is a really scary thing to go through, but like my old gynae said, there is one thing worse than going through these tests: having your baby born abnormally! We decided that we would abort if the baby had Downs, but even if you decide to keep the baby, at least you will know what to expect when he/she is born and be able to prepare yourself for it.

Feel free to mail me if you have any further questions.