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Original poster

amnio and miscarage

36 replies

regroo · 08/02/2009 10:30

Hi all,

I'm due to have a amnio tomorrow as i've tested 1/60 for DS. Can anyone advise what it's like to go through one and if they have been unfortunate enough to miscarry or not - hopefully the latter.

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citronella · 08/02/2009 10:43

Had an amnio with ds1, and cvs with ds2 procedures were nothing more than a bit uncomfortable imo. No worse than going to the dentist. Didn't miscarry either obviously.

I also felt that I would much rather have the certainty of knowing either way what we would be dealing with.

Original poster
regroo · 08/02/2009 10:48

Thats kind of the way i feel about it, not really worried about the procedure and our midwife quoted us 1/200 miscarriages for our local hospital. Hate to ask but were your children born with DS or not? Do you remember what your risk factors were?

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citronella · 08/02/2009 10:56

No they were not. I had the procedures because of my age not because of my stats which were quite low for my age. I just wanted to know. A friend of mine had had very very low stats all the way through so didn't have an amnio. Her baby had DS.

It really is a personal choice and what feels right for you. For me it wasn't so much about whether the baby had DS or not, it was about the waiting and wondering. The hospital where I had it done quoted about a 1/1000 miscarriage rate and the surgeon who did it hadn't had any. They didn't tell me that, I asked him.

Original poster
regroo · 08/02/2009 11:17

I do think having an amino is the best choice for us, it is hard how it challanges everyting that you thought you belived in. I always said i would never have an amnio and the thought of a termination horrifes me. But when you are in this position it is just awful.

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brettgirl2 · 08/02/2009 11:25

I don't have any experience of this, but think I would also need to know. Remember that the odds of your baby not having DS is 59/60. Therefore the liklihood is that the results will be one big relief.

Original poster
regroo · 08/02/2009 11:30

I said to my husband this morning that i was feeling alot more positive after beng on this site. I just wish i could fast forward to next friday when we will get the result.

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Mummyfor3 · 08/02/2009 11:35

I had CVS (a few cells of placenta are taken) x2 with DS1 and DS3, and amnio with DS2.

Amnio is much, much less uncomfortable than CVS, discomfort no worse than any other skin prick, ie having your blood taken.
I did not have any pain afterwards and (stating the obvious) did not miscarriage .
Good luck to you; I hope it all goes well and you get the result we all hope for when we have these tests done.

ilovemydogandMrObama · 08/02/2009 11:38

The Prof who did my amnio did say that the 1% chance of miscarriage is a high estimate, and that if it's a clinic, the rate is much lower.

Amnio itself is uncomfortable. Imagine someone taking blood from your tummy. It doesn't last long...

But the great thing is being able to see your baby...

Good luck

Original poster
regroo · 08/02/2009 11:43

Thank you both for your messages of support. As said don't really think i'm conserned about any pain/discomfort for me, the main thing is not miscarrying and hopefully getting the results we hope for. I will let you know bow i go on.

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Nolda · 08/02/2009 11:47

I have had two aminos due to my age 37 and 39 respectively and because I just needed to definitely know.

The second amino was much easier as I used my relaxation techiques learnt for labour with my DD. I had some discomfort afterwards but not enough to take paracetamol but did take the chance to take it very easy!

I've got to go out now but will check on the thread later if you have any other questions.

Lotster · 08/02/2009 12:02

Hello, my sister has had two amnio's and two other friends have had them. One friend found it very sore, the other and my sister found it quite bearable.

None of them miscarried. Good luck, hope it's all fine

Original poster
regroo · 08/02/2009 12:51

Thanks for the encouraging message.

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mogwai · 08/02/2009 13:00

I had an amnio on December 31st (great date, I know).

I honestly didn't feel a thing during or afterwards.

I rested up for a couple of days (properly for two days ie in bed/on sofa) and just took things easy afterwards.

TBH I was more worried about the chance of miscarriage than the actual result. The result ws sort of pre-determined whereas the risk of miscarriage seemed random.

All was fine in the end. Hope it goes well for you. It was a very hard time for us and I'm glad it's now behind us.

Original poster
regroo · 08/02/2009 13:30

Hi mogwai,

How long did you have to wait for your result? I hope it was what you wanted.

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Sidge · 08/02/2009 13:35

I had an amnio in 2006 for DD3 (DD2 had genetic disorder but not DS).

It was fine. Not painful at all, just uncomfortable. My consultant did about 12 a week so was very experienced; he told me he had seen 1 or 2 miscarriages from amnios but then statistically those women might have miscarried anyway so they don't know if it's due to the amnio.

I didn't miscarry, I took it easy for the rest of the day (lay on the sofa with a good book and chocolate!) and apart from a sore spot on my tummy the next day was fine. The initial results took 3 days but the detailed analysis (for DD2s complex disorder) took a further week.

All the best.

mogwai · 08/02/2009 18:24

It should have been 2 days for the result but because of the bank holiday and then the weekend it turned out to be five days.

Not too bad, I thought, though when I phoned for the result (or rather, my husband did as I felt sick about it), they said the result wasn't back "because of the bank holiday".

It actually arrived back at about 4pm and the midwives phoned us to tell us we had the all clear.

frazzledoldbag · 08/02/2009 23:45

Good luck with your amnio.
I've had two. Both absolutely fine. The first was 7 yrs ago and was a bit uncomfortable - and baby was fine.
The second was in December and I can honestly say, hand on heart, that I didn't feel a thing during it. I didn't even realise when they had finished (until I opened my eyes when the consultant said 'All Done!'). I'm now 27 wks and all fine (up to now anyway!).

My top tips are:
Don't look - the needle is quite big and you really don't need to see it
Don't watch the procedure on the screen - I did this the first time and it made me feel queazy - kept my eyes tightly shut the second time!
Have someone with you and squeeze their hand really tight
Visualise something nice (eg lying on a beach worked for me) during the process so you are distracted
Go home, lie on the sofa and eat nice things while reading magazines or watching movies for the rest of the day. Don't do any ironing or any heavy lifting of shopping bags etc for a few days if you can avoid it.
Don't worry if you have some cramping afterwards - that is normal and should stop after a few days. I had cramping for about 3-4 days after the amnio in December and when they phoned with my prelim (clear thankfully) results I told them I was a bit sore and they said it was totally normal. As long as you have no bleeding or fluid loss afterward you should be fine.
(and by the way I've been told that they quote 1:100 as the m/c rate but often its a lot lower eg 1:200 or even less depending on the doctor)
Make sure it's the most experienced consultant doing it available in the hospital - ask questions and ensure you are happy with their level of experience before you let them start.

I have everything crossed for you that the test goes well and the results are good. Do let us know how you get on.
x

Original poster
regroo · 09/02/2009 17:45

I had my amnio today and it went fine. Lovely doctor and 2 nurses. Felt a little uncomfortable when the needle went in and a little when it came out but have been fine since, haven't needed any pain relief, justed rested.

Can't believe how more positive and calmer i feel since finding this site.

Thanks everyone. Will keep you informed of the result, please keep everything crossed for us.

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CoteDAzur · 09/02/2009 17:49

I had 2 amnios. They hurt (sorry) and feel like you are being impaled on the bed. But it doesn't take very long.

Miscarriage rates with amniocentesis are actually much lower than the frequently quoted 0.5% number, since hospitals started using ultrasound during amniocentesis, to determine where the placenta is & to keep an eye on the baby.

Good luck with it tomorrow. I'm sure it will be fine

Mummyfor3 · 09/02/2009 21:33

Glad it went well, regroo.

Hope the time waiting for the result won't seem toooooo long, and, more importantly, that the result is what we all wish for.

Do let us know [nosey emoticon]. Good luck.

frazzledoldbag · 09/02/2009 22:31

regroo - so pleased it all went well. Take things very easy if you can for the next day or so though. I have everything crossed for you. Best of luck. x

Original poster
regroo · 10/02/2009 09:21

Thanks mummyfor 3 and frazzledoldbag,

I've ben fine overnight - no pain or discomfort. The only thing i would say is (i apologise in advance for saying this) i have had loose bowls! Hope it is not related and have ad no stomach cramps/pain when on the loo. If it happens again i may phone the hospital. I watched the dr prep up and know he washed hands used strelie quipment etc.

Any thoughts? sorry to bring this matter up

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frazzledoldbag · 10/02/2009 09:30

regroo I'm not a doctor but would be doubtful whether loose bowels would be related to the amnio. The only connection I might make is that it could be stress related - I tend to get loose bowels if I'm very stressed out. Could it be that you'd got in a bit of a panic over the amnio? If not, it's probably not at all related but do contact your midwife/doc if you are in any way concerned. They should have given you contact numbers to call if you had any cramps/bleeding etc after the procedure? You could always just give them a quick call for peace of mind. It's what they're there for! Hope things settle for you today. x

Nolda · 10/02/2009 09:39

I can't say I remember suffering from that Regroo. As I recall, what you need to be on the look out for is leaking waters in case they damaged the sac when they put the needle through or 'flu like symptoms: fever aching etc which could mean you have an infection. So unless you normally have loose bowels when you have 'flu, I would guess you are OK. Try not to worry too much. When I had my second amnio I had an extra appointment with my midwife afterwards which I found very reassuring. Do you think this may be possible for you?

B52s · 10/02/2009 11:01

Just want to say good luck for the results. I had an amnio because of my stats and all was well. Now 30 weeks pregnant. The waiting is difficult to say the least, so I hope they get the results to you as soon as they can. x