AMnio/CVS query

[fifitot]

I note that the cvs is earlier - around 14 wks and the amnio at around 16 is this right?

If so how might this impact on how you have a termination IF you opt for that.

Is it right that you can only have a d and c ttype termination in the UK up to 14 weeks and anything after that is like a labour?

Sorry I know this isn't a nice question but I need the info and finding the info on the internet confusing.

Help?

I was told that by the time the cvs results came back (and they are pretty quick) if we decided on a termination it would be by inducing labour - we would have missed the d&c window. We therefore opted for an amnio as less risk.

Do you have a midwife who deals with these cases - I phoned mine on a number of occasions and she was very helpful. We also went along to have a cvs done - talked to teh consultant and decided that day to wait for the amnio.

CVS can be done any time from 11-14 weeks, I think, although I believe that the risks are higher if carried out at 11 weeks so people I know who've had them done have generally gone at about 12 weeks. But that's been for age-related reasons; I suppose if you have a high-risk nuchal result and then decide on a CVS and then have the CVS it would push the time window out towards 14 weeks.

I never thought you couldn't get a termination at 14 weeks through a d and c so this is all a bit scary. NOT that I am saying that if in that position I would want one, just looking at options.

I have now googled information about termination and I think you can still have a surgical one privately later than 14 weeks.

Hi fifitot,
I had a CVS at 12/13 weeks - amnio would not have been possible until at least 18. We got the results back the next day (bad ones, unfortunately) and did decide to terminate. In our area, they do not do d&c on the NHS beyond 12 wks 5 days (they decide based on fetus size) but I was advised to go through induced labour instead to prevent unneccessary surgical opening of the cervix - a slightly less good thing to do if its your first pregnancy, apparently. My advice would definitely be to get tests sooner rather than later as options are easier (in negative cases) or stress reduced sooner (in better ones). Our consultant told us the risk from CVS is now the same as amnio, particularly if its someone who does them regularly. The CVS for us was not a problem - just the number of chromosomes which came back. Good luck and hope all works out well for you.

Thanks LP. Did you have the CVS on the NHS? I am not sure they do them here.

fifitot, I think the answers to your questions depend very much where in the country you are.

I had CVSx3 at just over 10 weeks for that very reason: if I had decided I needed to termintate the pregnancy it would have been possible to have a surgical termination (kind of like D+C but different instruments, under GA). I also had 1 amnio at 16 weeks, and would have had to have a medical termination (vaginal pessaries/oral tablet and induced miscarriage, basically).

CVS has a 2% MC rate, amnio 1% (those were the numbers quoted to us, but again can vary from hospital to hospital, and from dr to dr). Also the earlier any invasive test like that is done, the higher the risk of MC.

I was very very lucky: no problems wih any of the procedures and 4 healthy children .

There is a school of thought that medical termination carries less risk to the cervix, I am not sure how true this is.

HTH.

Hello again. Yes - CVS on the NHS here. There do seem to be a lot of variations depending on where in the country you are, which of course doesn't help when you're trying to work out your options. I agree with meep's advice earlier to lean on your midwife for specific advice as much as you can. The fetal medicine clinic at my hospital were great for advice too so don't be afraid to keep calling people until you get the information you need. And write down the questions you have so you don't get flustered or forget when you're talking to people. Good luck with it all and hope everything works out.

Thanks. It's very early days (6w) so really only coming to terms with it and a bit in denial tbh!

Sorry, I forgot to say, one other variation across the country seems to be how quickly different fetal medicine departments can give initial results. We were offered preliminary result after 24 hrs from a "direct preparation", with the culture result after 10-14 days. Chatting to some people on MN, this does not seem to be the case everywhere.
Absolutely agree with LittlePoot, ask, and ask again, write questions down, make sure you know who your primary contact with the department is and how to get in touch with them.
Sorry you are having to go through this.
Hope it all turns out well for you.

Oh, and all our tests were done on the NHS (Scotland).