CVS ~small sample~what's your experience?

[katendmom]

Hi, I had a CVS done on Tue. Just got a call from the hospital and the genetic counselor said that she got a call from the lab. They said that the sample is very small. The best case - it will take longer to grow (longer than 14 days!) but the worst case - they won't be able to interpret it and I will have to repeat it! I am ready to cry (well, in fact crying). Does anybody have a similar experience? And what happened in your situation? Thank you

Oh kateandmom, I'm so sorry to hear the news. I was in your position. I had one CVS and got a call a few days later to say that they took too much cells from me and not from baby (it's called mosaicism I think) so I had to repeat the CVS 5 days after the first one before my cut-off for a CVS was reached. I couldn't believe the news when I was told, was so numb and thought the worst was over and done with... When I turned up for the second CVS, they were extremely nice (this was at Harris Birthright Centre at King's, a top fetal medicine unit). They apologised profusely and said it only happens 1 in a thousand tests (just my luck hey, but it did make me feel positive about the CVS results as I thought I can't be that unlucky TWICE!) and told me that the miscarriage rate for the second CVS does not increase just because I am repeating the test in the space of 5 days. I was surprised to hear that actually. To be fair, they got in this consultant who was obviously a lot more skilled than the first one. She was in and out with the needle really quick and I barely felt anything in the second CVS (felt quite a lot of tugging in the first test!). My DS is now 13 months and cheeky like anything so hoping that this will re-assure you... I hope it goes well for you. Let me know if you have any questions. Where did you have the CVS done? Make sure you ask lots of questions if you do decide to go for a second. I hope you don't have to!

Thank you, angel! I am just so mad... The doctor sounded SO positive and even showed me the sample with floating threads in it! I know it sounds mad but part of me thinks they must have dropped and spilled part of it . I have to wait until next Wed to find out for sure IF they have enough OR if I have to go back. I will be 12 weeks next Tue!!! They swear they can do CVS up until 13 weeks... Now I thought getting pregnant was the hard part?!?!?

I feel like I am running out of time (and sanity). This is not my first pg so I don't have a luxury of not showing until I am 5 months! I do not want to tell people we're expecting if things go wrong (happened twice with us!) We also have a 3 year old. We can't get him excited if things fall apart.

Katendmom - I am sorry that you are in this situation. I can tell you that from a technical point of view the sample that has been taken has to be dissected in the laboratory to separate out the chorionic villi from maternal tissue. Sometimes the sample looks as if there is plenty of tissue but under a dissection microscope it can be seen that the majority is not chorionic villi. I hope that your sample grows quickly - fingers crossed for you.

katendmom - I do hope the sample is enough for me. After I did the second CVS, the consultant said 'Oh, that looks like a good sample' and I was thinking 'How the f* would you know that?! Otherwise they could have told me after the first CVS whether it is a good sample or not?!!!!!!' (I wasn't feeling very charitable at that point as you can imagine...) As far as I know, they can do the CVS up till 13+6 weeks so you should be fine. Fingers crossed for you! You will have to think positive like me - surely you can't be that unlucky to get a bad result after they muck up your sample!

Oh angel, girlie, my babies have tought me that I can never say "lightening doesn't strike twice" again! Unfortunately, with this being my 4th pregnancy, we only have one child. So... this is it... I don't have it in me any more. If this little peanut doesn't have my back - I'm calling it quits But I am staying positive until told otherwise .

Good on you Katendmom! Positive thinking is the way to go. I found that once I accepted that having the CVS meant accepting whatever was going to happen next (bad result, miscarriage etc), I was a lot calmer for it.