NT 4.5mm - CVS booked - Terrified

[CorkViaDublin]

Hi there
This is my first time to post to any board on any site ever. I’m intimidated because I don’t know the jargon or the short hands. So sorry if it’s very lengthy.

I’m 12 weeks pregnant tomorrow (Friday).
On Sunday last I went for a cycle and experienced some bleeding afterwards. I went to the hospital and they told me my cervix was closed and baby’s heart was strong and baby was very active. My consultant called me in for a scan on Wednesday (yesterday). She was expecting all to be fine because I have had no more bleeding (sometimes old blood on wiping?) but she went very quiet looking at the scan.
The baby is so active, waving and moving but it has this dark shadow lump behind its neck. she explained it’s a NT measurement of 4.5 and that’s very worrying.
We are having a CVS next Tuesday.
I really really really want a baby.
I’m 34 next April and relatively healthy except my periods can be irregular. We tried to get pregnant and were successful on our first month - I should have known it was too good to be true.
Does anyone have experience of this?
Can I ask some questions->
1: have anyone had a NT notch of this size and been on?
2: how painful is the vaginal CVS?
3: how long do people wait for results in Ireland?
4: if we have to terminate- how traumatic is that?
5: how quickly can I try to get pregnant again /when will my period come back?
6: how can I find out if all my pregnancies have this genetic disorder- if that’s what this is.
7: any other information anyone has I would be so so so so grateful. I’m scared and really alone because of these COVID restrictions.
Thank you ❤️❤️❤️

I had an NT measurement of 4.6mm with my son, and the amnio came back clear and he is now a healthy 9 year old with no issues at all.

Hi. So sorry you are having anxiety during your pregnancy. From what I understand sometimes the nt measurement can be high with no explanation and can resolve itself.
With regards to cycles returning to normal it can take from 4 weeks onwards, everyone is different. Bloods can be taken for generic testing from both yourself and partner. It can be such a traumatic time waiting in between results so try to keep busy. I know it's easier said than done x

@UncleMatthewsEntrenchingTool oh that is so reassuring - i hope i have the same outcome as you. We went for CVS because i would have to wait over a month to be ready for an amnio.

@mrsof20118 i really hope this is the case - there's a lot of scholarly documents online but they're hard to understand - and i guess there's no point in speculating until we have the actual results. i'll get thru it anyway - yes good to keep busy

@UncleMatthewsEntrenchingTool did you have a 4.6mm notch type or was it like a 4.6mm longer band?

OMG sorry my reply was so long!!!

@Coffeeoverload omg thank you so much for taking the time to give such a generous and detailed description of your experience.
My OBGYN says that where my placenta is located, a transvaginal CVS is going to be the easier option.
She told me that in 50% of cases there is a serious genetic disorder. Of the other 50% , half of those have a serious issue like a heart defect or something. And the other 25% are fine.

If the CVS comes back clear I will have to wait for the 20 week scan. I’m nervous about that because at that point if something comes back- Irish law says I can’t have a termination unless the diagnosis is fatal. I know I’m getting ahead of myself but My head is just full of these awful outcomes.

Hello OP, we also had a high NT (3.6 I think) and combined with our blood results had a high risk of three chromosome issues. We had a CVS (although this was through my tummy not vaginally, I believe the Amniocentesis is vaginally from around 16 weeks). The CVS in my tummy wasn’t great but the dentist to me is still worse!

All was clear and we have a healthy 3 year old.

I can’t say anything to take away the worry from you as it was the worst time of my life but MN helped me massively. Please do keep us up to date.

No problem! I think I'm still processing, which is why I like to post on these threads. It's nice to be able to share my experience if it helps others.

I've just thought of something else... do you know what they will be testing for on the CVS? I'd had the Harmony test already, which came back low risk for all 3 trisomies, so they knew it wasn't that. That means when they did the CVS they did the full array to look for more obscure things as well. My combined test had come out 1:5 for Down's so if I hadn't had the Harmony test already, I think they'd only have run the CVS for the 3 trisomies as that would have looked the most likely. Probably worth you asking them the question for max reassurance. I hope that makes sense? My thinking was if I'm going to go through a CVS I want them to check it for everything possible! x

@AllDayHappyHour thank you so much- I hope my outcome is the same As yours but I’m not too hopeful. My OBGYN is being very grave about the future

@Coffeeoverload they are doing the CVS based on the NT scan which showed the elevated NT. I was meant to have a harmony but she told me it would
Be a waste of money because if I do the cvs they will test for everything anyway. The first results will come back
Quickest and they’ll be for downs, patau etc. And then the other results take a bit longer

I have no idea if it was a notch or band, nothing was said about that.

My bloods were bad as well and they gave me a 1:3 chance of Downs. Like you I spent hours on google and it didn’t look good with NTs at 4.6mm.

I was booked for a CVS but changed my mind at the last minute. I was, I think, ‘bullied’ into having an amnio, because I had decided to continue in any case.

I have to say all of the professionals were pessimistic. They spent a lot of time trying to convince me something was wrong. The NT had reduced a week later to 3.8mm but I did go on to have further anomalies on the scans, including increased ventricle size in his brain (20 weeks) and increased fluid polyhdramnios (24 weeks). All of these spontaneously resolved and they signed me off at 32 weeks with them being ‘just one of those things’

I do hope it works out for you. Sometimes it does

I remember my Obgyn being very grave about an abnormal test in Ireland at 12 weeks. That baby is now 10 years old and healthy. I hope you get an equally good outcome.

Just be aware termination in Ireland after 12 weeks is only legal if there is grave risk of serious harm to the mother or if there is a fatal feral abnormality. A non fatal but serious abnormality is not grounds for a termination.

6.1mm NT measurement here presenting a 1:14 chance of DS for one of my twins. NIPT and amnio all clear. Twins now nearly 4 and no health problems at all.

@Inniu I know that about termination in Ireland. I hope I don’t have to make travel plans ☹️
I really would love the same
Outcome as you. Thank you for sharing. Xx

@twoticksvix I’ll pray for a similar result. Thank you for helping me xxx

@AllDayHappyHour thank you so much- I hope my outcome is the same As yours but I’m not too hopeful. My OBGYN is being very grave about the future

I’m sorry they are being so negative, they used the words ‘termination’ at the end of my 12 week scan & for this reason and for going through all the heartache and the CVS....to then not have a thing wrong with my baby.....I won’t trust their statistics next time. Harmony test only regardless of what is said.

Hello all
Quick update
Today I had my CVS
Baby had moved and was now face down instead of lying on its back as it had been. The placenta had moved so they did the CVS through my tummy.
Holy cow- OUCH

TODAY- I am 12+4 and the NT hasn’t gone away :( it measured 5.4mm today.

I will have the first round of results on Monday

Questions:
Did anyone else’s NT increase from scan to
CVS?
What symptoms did you have after CVS and after how many days.

Thanks so much to everyone on this thread who had been so kind and generous with their time and attention

Hello again, my scan was the day before so I don’t think they even checked it.

I had a few odd twinges here and there, some may have been in my head though!

I remember the ‘ouch’ too. Well done for getting through. Fingers crossed you get your results quicker, please do let us know xxx

hey guys -
just checking in - still waiting for results they said it might be the evening of friday 23rd or monday 26th.
I think the waiting it the most violent part. Once i get the news, good or bad, i'll be able to cope with it, or start to cope.

I just spend all my time on this site reading stories from women who had good outcome and hoping i will be the same.

My hope is pretty thing at the moment. I think it's because the doc has told me to be prepared for a bad outcome- she's not hopeful at all.

Hi OP, I’m sorry the wait is still ongoing. It is torture, it was the worst time of my life. Stay strong! Xx

Sorry you’re still waiting. It must be such a terrible time for you at the moment.

@Mynxie @AllDayHappyHour
Thanks guys
Ya the wait is almost unbearable at times. I don’t know how long people wait in the UK but it seems to be 3-4 working days here. It seems almost cruel.
I will let u know when I do. Thanks for checking in

We just got news that our little one has Down syndrome and hydrops and is “incompatible with life” so we need to terminate. we will have to travel to the UK so it’s very scary. We are devastated

I'm so sorry for your awful news. It is devastating.
I lost twin girls in June to Trisomy 16 ( an extra chromosome 16) which made them incompatible with life. Take time to look after yourself. It's ok to cry and scream, I did. Sending you lots of hugs X x

I'm so sorry to hear your devastating news - we lost our little girl twin last month, to Trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome); she too was 'incompatible with life' - horrendous words for any mother to hear. My heart goes out to you xxx

I’m so very sorry Op.

The antenatal results and choices charity ARC has a good helpline. Please do call them if some RL support would be of assurance at this very very difficult time