Unable to do CVS have to wait two weeks for Amnio - worried

[worriedmumofone]

Hi there,

I haven't posted on this topic before but have been a bit of a regular on mumsnet in the past. I have name changed as no-one except DH knows about this pregnancy in RL and I have been so nervous about it from the start - I even banned myself from mumsnet antenatal topics for the first 12 weeks just in case....

Anyway, at the 12 week scan we were given a 1:80 chance of Downs and offered CVS which I went for two days later. Unfortunately the consultant said that the position of the placenta meant it was unlikely they would get a good sample safely and advised we should wait a couple of weeks and then have amnio. This made a lot of sense at the time but of course those couple of weeks have huge implications in the event of a bad outcome and a decision to terminate (which is what DH and I have decided we must do if the news is bad)

Of course I am now a nervous wreck and at the moment. I can't see how I am going to get through the next two weeks and I keep thinking through to the worst case scenario. Has anyone else been in this position? Do I have any other options do you think?

Any advice or support would be appreciated.

Have you had the triple bloods done (is that CVS? ) How old are you? When I hadamnio with ds the consultant said I could have had triple bloods done earlier and they are, for some reason, a lot more accurate in older women...

I know it must feel like two weeks is a very long time but just take it a day at a time. You have made your decision to terminate if the baby has Down's Syndrome so tbh you just have to get on with life as normal for the next fortnight and be prepared for the unknown.

If you want to know whether your child has downs then you really have no choice but to go for the amnio. If it doesn't matter to you, you could consider doing nothing.

When I was pregnant with dd, the screening came back with a 1:20 risk of downs and we decided to have an amnio. I know how hard the wait is and that you cannot stop playing all of the various scenarios through your mind. It helped me to realise it was still a relatively small chance that there was a problem - ie 5 in 100 or that there was a 9500 chance in 10,000 that nothing would be wrong. Daft really but it helped me put it more in perspective.

If you are worried about the amnio itself, I found it relatively straight forward and odd but fairly painless.

I was in this situation (although with a 50/50 genetic disease rather than Downs) and I know exactly how you feel. It is hell, particularly given that you're not telling anyone about the pregnancy. I don't see what you can do other than wait, and comfort yourself with the thought that the miscarriage risk is much lower this way. I wish you the best for the next couple of weeks - you CAN get through it!

Hi Blackduck - I had the combined nuchal and blood test at 12 weeks. I am in my mid-40s and that is driving the risk result although the results of the combined test actually lowered my risk from a background 1:30.

I know in theory I am in a much better position than many but I really hoped I would have some answers by now and be able to move on.

Sorry worried - think everyone else on here is right, unfortunately you now have to grit your teeth and go through it....I told no one I was pregnant for the same reasons. Had amnio, which as someone else mentioned, was fine in itself, if a little weird, got results week or so later.