Advice for worried Old Mum please!

[Alliwantisaroomsomewhere]

I am 45 yrs old and now 8 + 4. I have yet to have a booking in appointment because the midwife I saw at my GP's practice said I would have to be booked in at the hospital that I have chosen to go to. She only does bookings for another local hospital.

DH and I have decided that I will undergo a CVS test. My referral letter from my GP has arrived at my hospital of choice and when I called today to check progress I was told that my appointment would be on X date: I will then be 12 + 1. I am petrified that this will mean that we will land up being too late for a CVS test.

AIBU? Should I just wait it out another 4 excrutiating weeks or should I try and push for an earlier appointment?

I could not ask the person I spoke to on the phone these questions because I burst into tears and had to put the phone down. And today has been a Good Day so far!! Not that tired and not that scratchy!!!

I really feel lost and at sea. Any advice please?

Should I just arrange a private scan?

Try not to stress too much, you should be fine for the test as normally at the 12 week scan they tell you you are a different EDD date anyway. If you are really worrying call them again and see if they can move app - just have a cuppa and some deep breaths before making call. If all else fails then have a private scan to set your mind at rest.

I am probably just confused but is CVS not done up to 13 weeks so you would not be too late?

Also, is there any particular reason you want CVS rather than an amniocentesis, which could be carried out after week 15?

Phone back and talk it through with them! Keep phoning and talking until you are happy! If you would be happier with an earlier scan, then do ask whether you could have one! Ask about timing of tests and appointments until you feel reassured. Or could you perhaps ask your DH to phone while you listen in to the conversation, if you don't feel up to discussing it yourself?

I rang them again and now have a dating scan at 11 weeks. I am satisfied with that because that gives us 2 weeks 6 days (if my date is right) to do the CVS. I do not want to wait for an amnio because if we choose to terminate, then it can only be done surgically up to 14 weeks, I think. After that, you have to deliver .

This is a stupid question, but I'm pregnant for the first time at 39 (9 weeksish - vague on my dates) and terrified about birth defects - what is a CVS test? I have a 'combined test' booked as part of my dating scan in a fortnight, but is there something else/other scans etc I should be doing as well? I just keep reading age-related statistics on Down's Syndrome etc and frightening myself. I didn't even know about the different possibilities for termination the OP is mentioning, and then I feel sick on top of the morning sickness for even thinking about it.

CVS is chorionic villus sampling, where a sample of the chorionic villi is taken - as far as I know that is the part that develops into the placenta. It has the same DNA as the foetus because the fertilised egg divides into the foetus and the placenta or CV initially.

It is an invasive, diagnostic test done usually between 11 and 13+6 weeks, from what I can gather.

Hardcheese, I am in exactly the same situation: also nearly 9 weeks, also looking at possibility of chromosomal abnormality, also sick with worry and also considering termination if things are not right (if anyone wants to judge me on this they can fuck off, quite frankly).

Hardcheese, if you are concerned about your actual dates, then arrange an early dating scan. Beg and plead and get one. I did - and I feel lots better about it. It will give me more options once we know what is what.

Google and you can find lots more. I am not a health professional so the above info is not guaranteed!!

Just noticed on the RHS of the MN screen on this page are headings that will give you more info.

Thanks, Alliwant - I'll do some more research. There's something reassuring in not feeling quite so alone in my worry. My partner is an optimist, and keeps saying 'let's not worry until we have the stats', but it's increasingly haunting me. I'm with you on the anyone judging me for considering termination fucking right off with themselves. A major part of my anxiety is that I am going to be spending the majority of the pregnancy (and giving birth) in a country where termination is illegal, although I'm having my dating scan here before transferring my antenatal care over to the other country.

It's all a bit terrifying, and I have to keep telling myself I simply wasn't ready in any possible sense to have a baby at 25, when the chances of chromosomal abnormality were tiny...

Good luck to you.

To you, too, Hardcheese. Let's keep in touch on these boards to see how the other gets on .

Sorry, am a bit confused as to why you would go straight for a CVS rather than having the nuchal scan first?

Normally what happens if that you have a nuchal scan and combined blood test between 11 and 13 weeks, and if this throws up a higher risk factor for the trisomy syndromes, then you have the CVS which can be done up to almost 14 weeks and will tell you definitely whether there is a problem (the nuchal fold scan /blood test will only give you a risk ratio eg 1 in 350).

CVS and amniocentisis in themselves carry a risk of causing miscarriage of 1 in 100 (I think) so its not usual to jump straight to it without having had a riskier result on the nuchal fold scan first?

PS in many NHS trusts you have to pay privately for the nuchal fold scan.

PPS Best of luck for your pregnancy - won't tell you not to panic, because everybody does, especially in the early days and with your first baby! Im sure it will all be OK.

Bumps x

I really feel for you.
My DH has a genetic disorder so we decided to have a CVS to check our baby - there was a 1 in 2 chance with every pregnancy that the baby would have the same genetic defect, although there was no way of knowing the extent.
I had a dating scan at around 8 or 9 weeks, and my CVS was booked for 11+1. The results took 1 week to come through, which was horrendous, although I guess that time may differ depending on what they are testing for.
Unfortunately, it wasn't good news for us, but we did a lot of talking, together and with family, and decided to proceed with the pg, even though this wasn't what we had originally decided.
CVS and amnio do carry an increased risk of miscarriage because it disturbs the pg, but will give you a definite answer (I believe).

It is a very tough decision and process - particularly because they can't do the test any earlier, and the waiting is the hardest bit - but once you have the results, at least you will know.
All the best x

ellypoo I'm glad you decided to continue with your pregnancy. My DS has a form of muscular dystrophy, we got a hard time while I was pregnant from people thinking we were stupid, DH even overheard someone say (after DS was born) that we should have had him aborted . anyway, he is a wonderful little boy and has made my life complete (and I still think he's perfect).

Good luck to everyone and I hope you get the results you want OP.