CVS test on tue

[oldmum42]

I'm 12+2 weeks pregnant, and am having a CVS test done on tue next week.

I'm 42, have 3 older children (normal pregnancies)and have had several mc in the last 2 years. Tissue from one of the mc was tested and showed the baby had trisomy 14 (rare and 100% fatal except in a few cases where the baby is "mosaic").

For reasons of my age and the trisomy 14 result, I'm having the CVS. I will be 12+6 when the test is done.

Obviously I'm really worried about the potential risks of the test, and also about having the test done, it sounds quite grusome, but I really feel the need to know whats happening with the baby - and the overall risk at my age of a trisomy or other serious genetic problem is 1:42, which is scary.

Does anyone have experiece of CVS (good or bad)? Has anyone had a mc after Cvs and if so, how soon after the test did this happen?

All information, good news or bad, would be helpful.

I'm sorry I can't help, but hope all goes well for you. Bumping the thread. x

I had a CVS with DD after a 1:12 risk for Downs (I was 40) at the Fetal Medicine Centre. The test was uncomfortable rather than painful and over very quickly and saw DD on the scan afterwards to check she was OK. Got the prelim results 2 days later and the full set 2 weeks after My results were thankfully clear and DD is now 16 days old. Hope everyting goes well for you.

Thanks for good wished moonstorm.

chynah,it's heartning to hear you got a good result after cvs, and congratulations on your new baby DD.

I don't know what my actual risk for downs is, we have skipped straight to CVS without having the bloods/nuchal scan as my risk factors for other trisomies/genetic problems are high (about 1:42)due to age and the previous mc caused by trisomy14 - the screening doesn't pick up a lot of these rarer problems.

I think the consultant in fetal medicine will probably look at the nucal fold and other soft markers while he's scanning prior to the test, I hope so anyway as the more information we have, the better IMO.

I had CVS 7 years ago when I was 35 as my nuchal test was average but they were doing very early research into lack of nasal bone at 12 weeks and couldn't find one.

I had the procedure at Kings, and the process was very clearly explained to me. I was anxious about miscarriage as I had had a previous missed miscarriage, so researched this. The research I did at the time suggested that miscarriages tended to occur if the unit was not that experienced at CVS. The more of the procedures carried out by a unit, the less the percentages of miscarriage - I don't know if this is still the case.

I didn't find the process painful. I could see the ultrasound image of the needle going in as it happened and this reassured me enormously. I got telephone results 2 days later and full results the following week. All was fine, nasal bone appeared at 15 weeks. DS (6) bright, healthy boy with a little nose!

The upside of cvs is its great to know the sex definitively early on, if you are interested.

I had a CVS with my current, second pg. After losing my DS1 with trisomy 13. As Chynah said the procedure was more uncomfy than painful. Very similar to the amino I had with my first pg.

I to was concerned about the risks of a CVS but we were given odds of 1.5 of a problem as the nuchal measurement was on the high side of normal, bloods came back high risk & our previous history of an abnormality.

On a positive note everything came back fine, no issues after the CVS either. It was a nervous time waiting for the results but on the plus side I've been able to relax since getting the all clear. I'm now 33 weeks and counting the days until DS2 arrives

Thanks to both Taffetacat and Jadey1 for sharing,

I'm nervous about getting the test (not needle phobic but still not keen on having one stuck in my fat belly!), but will watch the test (I got told I could if I wanted), as that way I get the bonus of watching the baby on u/s. DH is coming too, so can hol my hand.

Taffetacat, I think I read the same research (and more, ha ha), risk IS corelated with experience of person doing the test, and also the gestation (the earlier, the higher the risk). We live in Scotland and there are only 2 consultants in the area who do cvc and amnio (all patients from smallers hospitals in the region get sent to them), so they do a lot, and have a very good track record, so one less thing to worry about!
They are happy to tell us the sex too. We have 3 boys and would love to have a girl but we will be happy what ever. But great to know so eary - for nursery/clothes shopping.

I also had a missed mc (11.5 weeks, baby was 10.5 weeks), didn't know untill booking scan, big shock, so of course I'm also worried we will get told the same thing has happened again when we go for the test on Tue. So fingers crossed all is ok.

Hi oldmum, I had a CVS a few weeks ago, and it was done vaginally, which I hadn't realised was possible beforehand. Apparently it depends on where the placenta is lying, and sometimes it's easier to reach it via normal 'orifices'...
The most uncomfortable part was the dr putting something on my cervix, but the needle part was fine. It was weird seeing it on the screen though.
As taffetacat (hello ) said, we were told that the mc rates decrease the more that particular place does the procedure. I was told to take it easy for a couple of days afterwards which I did, and it was fine.
Good luck for Tuesday, I hope it goes well and that you get good results.

monkey - Hi, been thinking of you.

oldmum - my DH came but had to wait outside as the needle freaked him out ( it is quite big, but honestly! ). He was however very interested in the petri dish of the villi they extracted. He had a good nose and decided they looked like chillis.

All best wishes.

At my hospital (and many others) they no longer do CVS vaginally, I did read a research paper about this, apparently the mc risk is about double the risk of doing it through the belly - glad it went well for you, monkey. I think the usually only do it vaginally if the placenta is in the wrong place to reach it from the belly?

Unfortunatly for me this will mean I have to wait until 15/16 weeks for amnio if they find the placenta is in the "wrong" place, as they won't do it vaginally at all.

Taffeta, Chillis :0 that sounds interesting!
DH is a doctor, and he will quite happily watch them stick needles into me (nothing panics him). He says HE won't feel a thing!!!

I had a CVS done in June last year- we live in NI so like you oldmum not many options as to who can do it- only one consultant in the whole province in fact, and he only does them abdominally not vaginally as doesn't have enough experience of the latter. Like others have said mc risk is highly related to experience of the consultant- you should be able to ask what their personal mc rate is from cvs- mine one's was 1.6%.

Unfortunately when they first tried to perform the cvs (at 11 weeks) my placenta was lying too close to my bowel and the risk of perforating the bowel too high so we have to wait another 5 days then try again. Second time round my placenta had moved round to my back so inaccessible from the tummy. We began looking into options of flying to clinics in England for a transvaginal CVS as that would have been the only option to access the placenta, but instead waited on more week so I was 13 weeks and thankfully on that attempt my placenta was accessible! He had to go in twice to get enough tissue as for my test we needed more as I needed it to test for cystic fibrosis genes (if for trisomies only they don't need much tissue). I have to say it was pretty uncomfortable but not unbearable. I bruised quite a bit from it, and felt tender with the odd period-like cramps for a day or so afterwards. I was told to rest for 48hrs as mc is most likely in this time. Fortunately all was well and I didn't even spot (had been warned that some brown spotting is quite commnon and doesn't have to mean mc imminent)- and a week later we had our results- DD2 is now a healthy 5 month old!

If I'm honest the waiting for the test results (and in our case waiting for repeat attempts at the CVS) was much harder than the test itself- it really is an emotional rollercoaster.

Good luck tomorrow x

sorry for all the typos - must use the preview option!!

Jumpingjellyfish, yes sometings there are disadvantages to living in rural areas (but mostly It's great!).

I've been warned they may not be able to do it if the placenta is difficult to reach, just hoping that's not the case.
Lucky for me, I took part in an early trial testing all pregnant women for cystic fibrosis genes when preg with ds1, so already know I'm not a carrier.

Glad to hear it went so well for you in the end.

Roll on tomorrow - I just want to get it over and done with!

The consultant I'm seeing has a quoted risk of 0.5 to 2.0%, depending on the risk factors of the woman and the stage they do it at (the earlier you do it, the riskier it is).

Good luck for tomorrow oldmum, hope it goes well and is straightforward. Will you let us know how you are afterwards if you get chance? Will be thinking of you x

Had the CVS this morning, not as bad as I was expecting - uncomfortable when they stuck the trocar in (the needle/guide that they pass the other needles down) with cramping for a couple of mins, but not much discomfort when they took the actual samples.

I thought I was 12+6, but they told me today I am 13+2, the midwife at one of my earlier scans neglected to tell me she'd done a "dating scan" and I was a little ahead of where I thought I was....

The needle was indeed VERY long, but was trying to look only at the screen - good to see baby jumping about before, during and after the test.

Both DH and I very clearly saw the nasal bone in profile, and you can see it on the scan pic we got, so a good sign. They did not do a nuchal fold measurement though as I had opted to get the CVS anyway.

Prob. 3 days till the results.

Glad it went well, just take things easy now. I hope the next three days don't drag too much and am wishing you so much luck for the results. It's so good that you saw the nasal bone, and I really hope that all goes well xxx

PS will you try to let us know how you get on? I shall be thinking of you...

I will post the results....

Slightly crampy last night (when rolling over in bed), but no real pains, no spotting or any other warning signs, so I think that's normal.

Taking it easy for a couple of days good excuse to be lazy

Got the results already! Amazing - test only done yesterday morning.

Results good, no T21,T18,T13 or abnormal XY,

also no T14 - not usually tested for on the rapid results, but as we had a T14 m/c a few months before this, they specifically looked for it.

Full results in about 10 days or so. Fingers crossed for those.

IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!!!!!

DH is laughing his head off - he thinks he's THE MAN, this will be DS4!!!

Oh what a huge relief, and congratulations! You must be thrilled!
DS4 Wow Hope things continue to go well for you - keep us updated won't you!

Brilliant news oldmum- hope you can kick back and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy (if that's possible with 3 DSs!). Good luck with everything!

Just phoning round relatives today....

No rest with 3 DSs, that's for sure, but the big two are 16 and 15, so pretty much look after themselves. Apart from the cooking, cleaning and washing

Ready made babysitters!