CVS Test
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Prenatal Testing > CVS Test
March 2008
I am 43 and pregnant with my 2nd baby. I have insurance through
Hill Physicians medical group and wanted to get CVS this time
around. I would prefer to get it as early as possible in case
there are any chromosomal abnormalities and have heard that Dr.
Goldberg in SF is excellent and they do it at 10 weeks vs. Dr.
Weiss who does it starting at 11 1/2 weeks and doesn't do them
as often. Is there anyone who has advice re: should I change
my medical group for a month to Brown and Toland so I can get
CVS through Dr. Goldberg (I would have to get an OB in SF as
well-I live in Oakland). Would I be able to switch back? Is
that totally obnoxious for the OB whom I would sign up with to
start with them and change after a month? Or, is there a way to
get a referral to pay out of network costs (through Hill) as
opposed to paying totally out of pocket (they said it would be
about $1600, which is a lot for me). Anyone been in this
situation before? I could always wait the extra 1.5 weeks and
see Dr. Weiss, but I would rather see Dr. Goldberg if it is
possible, even if I have to pay some extra (but $1600 is too
much extra).
Thanks
I know that Dr. Weiss
has some mixed reviews on BPN, but I
just had CVS with him last week and he was absolutely fine in
every regard. He answered all my questions, measured the
nuchal fold when I asked him to (that's not part of the normal
CVS ultrasound), made a few doctorly jokes and performed a
completely painless CVS on me. I paid extra for the FISH
results and they told me I'd get them today (Monday) but
instead I received a call on Friday at 4:57 pm telling me all
was well. Talk about underpromising and overdelivering. I'd
recommend Dr. Weiss and East Bay Perinatal to anyone seeking
CVS.
As for switching medical groups, that sounds like a royal pain
to me. Not only do you have to find a new OB-GYN taking new
patients, you also have to find a primary care provider taking
new patients. Then, when you're ready to switch back you have
to hope that both your old PCP and OB-GYN will take you back
(they may not be taking new patients either). Plus, HMOs
being what they are, I'd be worried that something might slip
through the cracks and you'd show up for your Level II
ultrasound only to find out you don't have coverage with that
particular medical group.
One last thing--I too, was worried about waiting until 11.5
weeks for CVS, because I thought for sure I'd be showing long
before I got the results back, but here I am at 12.5 weeks and
I don't think anyone can tell (and this is baby #3!).
Good luck and try not to worry too much...I know it's hard.
anon
I have had CVS three times with Goldberg
and no complications
ever. Last one at age 42. I would also pay for FISH results -
about $250 - and you hear back in about 48 hours.
I think it is worth it if you can change easily and then
change back. I am guessing you would not even need to see your
new'' ob -I mean, at that stage in pregnancy you only go in
once a month or so. If you have any complications from CVS
you'd see Goldberg. Your current doc can write a
''perscription'' for goldberg if needed - or you can just take
the referral you current ob writes to goldberg.
Good luck.
been there
I can't answer any of your questions about insurance, but I
just wanted to say that I saw
Dr. Goldberg
for a CVS the other
day and I thought he was amazing. We almost had to pay $900
because I thought he was out of network, but even though I
found out I was wrong we were willing to pay it because he is
one of the best pre-natal and CVS physicians in the entire
country. I never felt anxious before the procedure, and I felt
completely safe in his hands. The office was also really
terrific -- every staff member we talked to was friendly and
helpful, and the genetic counselor and ultrasound technicians
were exceptionally competent as well.
Worth it for me to be worry-free
September 2007
I'm trying to get a sense of how much my share of the cost of a
CVS procedure will cost and thought I'd tap the collective wisdom
of this group. If anyone is covered by Blue Cross PPO and has
recently used a preferred provider for CVS, could you tell me
what the Amount Billed and Member Savings was on your Explanation
of Benefits Statement?
I know the insurance will pay 80% of the maximum allowable cost
because I'm going to a preferred provider. The problem is that
they won't tell me what that maximum allowable cost is without
jumping through hoops (filling out a paper form and waiting two
weeks for a response when my CVS is scheduled for the end of next
week). Argh.
Anon
My son will be 3 in December, and I had a CVS when I was about
10 weeks pregnant. I had (still have) Blue Cross, but I didn't
go to a preferred provider, if I recall correctly. So my share
was rather high, about $900. I had my CVS done at California
Pacific, and I recommend them highly. If I had done the CVS in
the East Bay, then maybe I would have had to pay less, but my
doctor really recommended having a CVS in San Francisco, saying
that the doctors at both California Pacific and UCSF had more
experience, and a lower miscarriage rate, than the doctor in
the East Bay.
Lori
August 2005
Has anyone had a CVS done recently at UCSF? I'm having mine
done in a few weeks and I'm really nervous. I'll be about 12
1/2 weeks when I have the test. I'm going to be 40 when I
deliver this baby, so I want to do prenatal testing, but I've
heard good and scary things about the procedure. I would love
to hear about people's experiences at UCSF! Thanks!
Anonymous
Your post brought back a lot of memories. My husband and
I struggled with the amnio and CVS decision when I was
pregnant with our daughter a couple of years ago. We went
through genetic counseling at UCSF because my fertility
doctor suggested it. He thought it would be a good idea
because I was 41 years old. The doctors and staff were fine
but I found the whole thing to be pretty upsetting. I was
finally pregnant and here were all these people looking for
trouble! : )
After a lot of reading and soul searching I decided I could
not do anything that might put the pregnancy at risk. I chose
to not do either the amnio or the CVS. Instead I decided that
the nuchal translucency screening would provide me with
enough information. The NT is an ultrasound similar to
those at regular prenatal exams only it is longer and more
detailed. It is done between 11 and 14 weeks. I believe
they do measurements of the neck that might indicate a
higher risk for Downs syndrome. I believe they look for other
abnormalities as well. So far it appears that the NT
screening poses no risk to the fetus. Some women do the
NT screening first and then decide whether or not to do the
amnio or CVS based on the NT results.
I understand your worries about having a baby later in life
and you need to do whatever you feel is best. In addition to
finding out as much as you can about the procedure itself I
would also think about why you want to do the CVS and what
you are going to do if the result indicates a problem. Is
there a family history of serious birth defects or Downs
syndrome? Has your OB given you reason to believe the
pregnancy isn't going well? Will you terminate the
pregnancy if the test results tell you your baby might have
something wrong? For me the answer was no to all three
questions - so what was the point? I think there should be a
really good reason for undergoing an invasive procedure
that puts the pregnancy at risk. I don't care if the risk is only
1% or 3% or whatever. I don't feel being 40 years old is a
good enough reason by itself.
Don't get me wrong - I appreciate all that modern medicine
has to offer and I have no complaints about UCSF. I chose
a hospital birth with epidural without hesitation. But I think
that at times modern medicine interferes unecessarily.
Might that be the case with you? You don't mention any
other concern about the pregnancy other than your age. You
have good reason to be nervous. Listen to that voice inside
you that is questioning this. Don't let doctors or anyone else
talk you into something you might not want or need.
Best wishes, good luck, and congratulations from -
another mom of advanced maternal age
i had a cvs done at ucsf when i was pregnant with my first 4
years ago. i believe i was 10 weeks pregnant. i went to great
lengths to get my insurance to cover the procedure there
(which initially they were not going to do) because i had
heard that at that time thery were the best and did the
highest number of cvs testing. when i had the procedure
they had a very difficult time getting what they needed
because my placenta was in the way (but not in any sort of
risky/pregnancy complication place.) they did try, which was
very painful. unfortunately, they had to stop without getting
the sample they needed. i had to act as if i had the test done
and take it easy for the next few days. when i went back a
week later i was very nervous that they wouldn't be able to
do the procedure and it would be another painful experience
for nothing. this time they had the head of the department
perform the procedure and it went very smoothly - no pain at
all. this is what most women experience, but i wanted to let
you know of my unusual situation. of course it was all worth
it because we had a healthy baby girl.
feel free to contact me directly if you'd like. best of luck.
emily
Note: See UCSF Medical Center Perinatology
for additional responses to this question.
Feb 2004
Has anyone had this diagnosis resulting from a CVS? Did you go
on to do BOTH an amnio and a PUBS test? What was/were the
outcome of the tests, and what was the outcome with the baby?
We'd appreciate any advice, consolation of comfort that anyone
can offer. The doctors seem to have limited info.
My baby had this result on amnio, and at 2 years old she has
absolutely no sign of any problems. None. In fact she is very
advanced in a lot of the developmental skills. (n.b. I did not
have CVS).
I can completely relate to how nervewracking this is for you,
and I would recommend doing whatever it takes to help ease your
mind. I had my amnio done at CPMC, and the genetic counselor
there told me that the main issue with this kind of result is
that they are worried about heart problems. So I did a ''level
3''(?) ultrasound at 22 weeks to ensure that there were no
visible heart defects, and that was very reassuring for me. At
that time the doctor told me not to worry, and that the result
was probably ''an artifact'' (possibly meaning that the sample was
contaminated, or that the mutation occurred in the lab). He
also told me that ''lots of babies with this result grow up to be
college professors''.
The odds are with you!
Dear Anon, your message brings back painful memories of my second
pregnancy, but the short result is that our son was born perfectly healthy... we
just had to live through some very anxious months to get there. Our amnio
came back with trisomy 8 psuedo-mosaicism: only a very few cells had the
abnormality. I was terrified and insisted on doing all of the testing available: a
second ultrasound, a second amnio and a PUBS test. I think I would do the
same again except that I would not do the PUBS. At the time I had it (Dec.
1999) it still seemed very experimental and not well controlled. The doctors
spent ages trying to decide where to insert the needle so it would hit the cord.
If I had realized that the test was that difficult to perform, I wouldn't have gone
through with it. As it happened, in our case, the trisomy seems to have been
an artifact introduced perhaps from the placenta during the initial amnio.
I'm sending you lots of good thoughts for a thorough process with results as
definitive as they can make them. We had excellent care through the Alta Bates
network for all of this. When it was all over, I went out and got myself a
midwife so I could experience the less technological aspect of my pregnancy.
Take care and feel free to send me e-mail if you want a shoulder.
Heather
I am very sorry about your diagnosis. I have not had that
issue but have dealt with a different chromosonal problem
diagnosed by CVS. I found talking with a variety of genetics
counselors to be helpful. Not sure what your time frame is but
basic karotyping on you and the baby's father can be done in a
week or two. Please email me if you would like more
information. I would also highly reccomend
the doctor I went through this with.
Take Care
What was your experience with the CVS test?
July 2000
I would like to hear from people who have had the CVS Test.
I am told good things about it since you can take it early
in the pregnancy, but at the same time, I am reticent since
I've had a miscarriage before (first trimester still makes
me nervous). I've had a healthy baby since, and I'm told
there's no greater risk for me. I'm also concerned about
how it feels and the level of discomfort. I am 35 and healthy
(other than feeling queasy every day from being pregnant)
and am planning on taking this, so any reassurance would be
welcome.
I've had both CVS and amniocentisis, and CVS was far and away
easier and less painful (although neither were extremely
difficult or painful). I experienced some serious cramping
during the amnio, but the CVS was over almost before I knew
it had started, and I felt virtually nothing - maybe a little
pressure. My memory is that the actual procedure (minus prep
time) lasted less than a minute. (Although it was more than
two years ago at this point, so my memory might be glossing
things over a bit by now.) I think my doctor was very
experienced and was particularly efficient, so he might have
been a little better than most.
At the time, we really sweated the decision of whether to do
the CVS or not, given the SLIGHTLY increased chance of
miscarriage, but we had other overriding motivating factors
to do it, so we went ahead, and had zero complications, very
quick results, and now a beautiful, healthy, happy 18-month-old.
Good luck, I'm sure you'll be in good hands.
elaine
I had CVS at 11 weeks and it was great. Minimal if any
discomfort. Mine was done through my stomach rather than
vaginally so I bruised a bit, but other than that no problem.
I also had an early miscarriage two years earlier, but after
weighing the pros and cons it was more important for me to
have results early (I was 37 at the time). I had mine done
at UCSF-Stanford by Jim Goldberg sp? I would definitely do it
again if I decide to have a second child. Good luck.
I had a CVS test before my daughter was born. She's now
20 months and healthy, happy and beautiful. I also had
concerns about the risks of getting the test, both since it
was so early and because it requires taking a sample of the
chorionic villi (actual tissue close to the embryo, rather
than just the amniotic fluid with the amniocentesis
procedure). We got some really wonderful counseling from
the people at the California Pacific Medical Center, where
we had the procedure done, and then the procedure went extremely
smoothly. I was also 35 and right on the bubble as far as
comfort. We were told that the reason women 35 or older are
recommended to have genetic testing is that the statistical
risk of miscarriage due to the CVS procedure itself by then
is either equal to or less than the chance of natural miscarriage.
And as you get older, the risks of natural miscarriage increase
more so than the risks of the test, so it's statistically
less risky to have the test. I imagine since you're considering
the test at all that you and your partner may want an opportunity
to make decisions should you need to. I think the fact that you
can get the CVS test between 7 and 12 weeks, vs. after 15 weeks
with amniocentesis, gives you the time to make those decisions
when you are still in your first trimester. More likely than
not you won't be faced with a difficult choice, but my experience
with the CVS (as well as several other women our age who had
CVS tests) was very positive. Hope this helps.
Gretchen
I had CVS five years ago when I was pregnant with my
second child. I too had miscarried before (twice) and
was naturally concerned about that. I did quite a bit
of research on CVS vs Amnio. What I found out then
(you might want to check out if it is still true
today) is that the miscarriage rate greatly depended
on the Dr. who does the procedure. The only Dr. at
the time who was doing the procedure in the EAst Bay
was with the team who pioneered it in SF. Her name
escapes me now but it is an Asian name. Her
miscarriage rate on CVS was actually lower than the
rate of miscarriage on Amnio.
As far as the pain, etc. associated with CVS; yes it
was very uncomfortable, and yes afterwards you are
pretty exhausted by it, some women have pain
afterwards, I did not. Either way I feel that knowing
the results of the test so quickly was well worth it.
I am sure you know this but make sure you do the test
10 1/2 weeks through 12 weeks.
Good Luck
I had an amnio for my first daughter and a CVS for the second.
No comparison. The CVS seemed less risky, less invasive, took
less time, I could see what was going on by watching the same
monitor as the doctor. If you are having this done locally there
is an amazing doctor through Alta Bates, I think -- Dr. Cheu
(probably misspelling that) who does them all the time and is well-respected. Do the CVS, I say.
I had three Chorionic Villus Sampling tests, two through the
cervix and one "transabdominally". All 3 were relatively
painless with just once some cramping afterward that worried
me but which was perfectly normal. I have Kaiser coverage
and was very impressed with their doctors and good record with
CVSs. The worst part is having to have a full bladder-this gets
very uncomfortable if there's any delay! They let me pee out
some (a line on a cup) but still!!! Ugh. Do take someone along
to drive you home. You will want a little "babying" afterward.
I was able to have my then 2 yr old son along once even though
the paperwork said I couldn't. The dr was fine with it.
I got bad news from the second test and I'd like to tell people
who are considering the CVS over Amniocentesis that I feel I was
so much better off emotionally and had less to deal with
physically too than those who found they had to terminate
after the latter test. The tiny difference between the two tests
in the chance of the CVS causing a miscarriage (and some of that
difference could be miscarriages that would have happened anyway)
was way worth it to me. It was still heartbreaking and one of my
life's most difficult occurances, but in the group I attended later
I saw far greater devastation in those who chose amniocentesis.
And when the news is good-you have so many fewer weeks to worry!
The stories about CVS causing limb abnormalities are still
circulating when I think those occured in only one hospital which
was doing the tests earlier than they are routinely done now.
I was a bit disgusted with the medical people who warned me off CVS
still based on outdated research when the success rates are truly
great and the benefits also so tremendous. Best of luck to you-I
also suffered a miscarriage (before I got to do a CVS) in between
my two kids and know how sad that is. Be brave and know that you
can handle all that life brings.
Regarding CVS I had one done at California Pacific Medical
Center in SF in Nov 99. The test itself was relatively
painless in my case, something like a pelvic exam. We
chose to do CVS because it could be performed earlier (the
test done in the 12th week) and the genetic counselor
explained that the risk for CVS was about the same as for
amnio. The only risk factor we had was maternal age, as
I was 37 at the time. I had also experienced a
1st-trimester miscarriage some years ago and was nervous
about complications and getting through the 1st trimester,
but everything went fine in my case. We now have a
beautifully healthy 2.5 month old boy. From my experience,
I would recommend CVS, especially if you might consider
terminating the pregnancy should a problem be found. This
is the reason we were interested in doing a test as early
as possible. Hope this helps.
Rachel
I had a CVS test w/this pregancy at 10 weeks (I'm currently
31 weeks). It was quite painless - a little bit of discomfort
- really just discomfort, not the "discomfort" that translates
into "extreme pain" w/doctors & dentists. I have a very low
threshold for pain & I was fine. I was told to rest for three
days after - meaning not do anything strenous or out of the
ordinary. The peace of mind that came w/the results were worth
it for us.
L
I had a CVS procedure last Sept at the Alta Bates Perinatal
Center on Telegraph and thought the Staff was remarkable at
treating patients like human beings (a rare thing these days).
They were super professional, explaining everything clearly
and taking the time to answer questions. Dr. Chuey, who
trained with CVS guru Dr. Goldeberg at UCSF, did the procedure.
I believe she is the one who does all the CVS for patients who
come from the Alta Bates Fertility Clinic (after trying to
conceive for several years, I was glad to be in the hands of a
doc with a stellar track record at doing CVS). The most
discomfort from the procedure came from having to drink a lot
of water (you need a really full bladder for proper ultrasound
imaging). The route of entry for the needle was trans-abdominal
(as opposed to trans-cervical which is sometimes required,
depending on the point of attachment of the amniotic sac
vis-a-vis your uterus) and it required a subcutaneous lidocaine
shot which felt like a small bee sting for just a couple of
seconds. The CVS needle looks gnarly but I did not feel any
pain whatsoever, just a minor tugging as the tissue sample was
being taken. Feel free to e-mail me if you have more questions...
and congratulations on your pregnancy!
Caroline
I had prenatal genetic testing for my three children due to
advanced maternal age - amnios for the first two mainly because
I had a miscarriage beforehand. The third pregnancy was six
years later when I was 43, so I chose the CVS. I figured it
was sufficiently far from the miscarriage and I had had
children in the meantime. It was fine and we knew the results
earlier which gave us great peace of mind. Good luck on your
decision.
At 42, for my first baby, I had a CVS test at 10 or 11 weeks
at UCSF, which was easy and the results came quickly. For my
second child, they found an incipient twin in the pre-CVS
sonogram, so I was referred instead for amnio. There's a
doctor at UCDavis who does amnios at 12 weeks with great
success (I was referred by a neighbor who worked at Childrens
Hospital; he began to do it when he got moms from the surrounding mountains who didn't come
back for later amnios, and his
published results match any later amnio program).
Go for experience. The more CVS's or amnios a doctor has done,
the better your results (and the lower your miscarriage rate).
Miscarriage rates 12 years ago when I had CVS were very low (2.5%).
Don't worry.
Amnio vs. CVS
Nov 1999
Does anyone have any advice about the benefits and/or disadvantages
of an amniocentesis as compared to Chorionic Villus Sampling. I'm
tempted to get the CVS, but I've never talked to anyone who'se gone
throught the procedure. I've heard it has a slightly larger risk
procedure. I've heard its has a slightly larger risk of miscarriage
and that in the older CVS tests there was also a slight risk of limb
deformities. I'm wondering if that's still the case.
(Also see comments about CVS in Amnio after low AFP result)
I would highly recommend the CVS procedure having done it with my first
child. Now that I am pregnant again, I plan to have another CVS test.
The test can be done at Week 10-12, with results available in 2 days, as
opposed to Week 16 for Amnio with a two-week wait for results. So with CVS
you will have the same very important information as much as eight weeks
earlier in your pregnancy. That's a big advantage in my book. As far as the
procedure itself goes, I found it to be about on par with a pelvic exam in
terms of physical discomfort, i.e. very little. The doctor asked me if I would
object to having a couple of doctors observe my procedure, which was a little
weird but I said okay. My husband was also able to observe.
As far as risk of miscarriage, my OB/GYN had explained to me that the
risk was maybe 1 in 100 for CVS versus 1 in 200 for amnio. Since I was
referred to a very experienced doc who had pioneered the use of CVS, I felt
comfortable in his care. The risk of limb deformities, as I recall, was
attributed to inexperienced practitioners and isolated at a few centers
where the procedure was done early on, so again, make sure your doctor refers
you to someone who is very experienced. Good luck!!
I am 7.5 months pregnant and did CVS at 10 or 11 weeks and had a very
positive experience. I am 36 years old and chose CVS because it gave me
data a lot earlier than the amnio and miscarriage rate for the doctor I
used was about the same as amnio. I, too, was worried about the
higher miscarriage risk, but Dr. Chui (I think that was her name)
has a good reputation and her rates are comparable to amnio...
apparently it really varies by individual doctor. I think she is one
of the only doctors in the East Bay who does CVS; there others are in the
city. For me it was a really simple procedure, only mildly more uncomfortable
than a prolonged pap smear. I had it done transcervically, but they also
do it transabdominally... it all depends on where the palcenta is located.
It is obviously, a really personal decision, but it really worked for me,
and I was glad to have the data earlier in my pregnancy.
Good luck with your decision.
I recommend the amnio over the CVS. I've done it both ways and consider
the amnio far less "invasive". Both of these procedures took place at the
same Alta Bates facility, but the need for an actual "tissue" sample for the
CVS required a second (!) try, whereas the amnio was successful on the first
attempt. For me, the amnio hurt less and was less "dramatic" than the
CVS. The only true advantage I can see for the CVS was an earlier test
date... but I can't recommend it. Hope this helps.
I had a transabdominal (I think that's the term - through my belly
rather than my cervix) CVS at 12 weeks, and I was told that while the
risk of miscarriage after the procedure is about 1% (while with amnio
it's about 0.5%), at Alta Bates, because they do a lot of them, the
risk of miscarriage is somewhat lower, although still slightly higher than
with an amniocentesis. I chose the CVS because I wanted to have any
bad news as early in my pregnancy as possible and I felt the risk was
worth it.
My doctor never mentioned anything about any risk of deformity with
the CVS, nor did any of the educational materials I read mention this.
You'll just need to get informed and make a decision-there isn't
really a wrong choice here.
I just had a CVS in October, and it was a piece of cake. I was so
captivated by watching the fetus dancing on the ultrasound, that I
forgot to be afraid! The important thing, according to my OB is to have a
really experienced doctor perform the procedure. I'm part of Health Net's
Alta Bates Medical Group, and the very experienced CVS doctor at the
Perimatal Center quit a week before I went in for genetic counseling. Health
Net was able to negotiate a contract with California Pacific Medical Center
(CPMC) in SF, and I had Dr Goldberg perform the procedure at 10 weeks. He has
been doing CVSs for 10 years, and their miscarriage rate is the same as the
amnio national average (1 in 200). The missing finger/toes syndorm
happened a lot in the early years of CVS when they performed CVSs at 5-7 weeks
(sometimes the needle would cut off the blood supply to the fetus). By
doing a CVS at 10 weeks, this deformity is (usually?) avoided.
It's a very personal decision, but as a 40 year old single parent to
be, I knew I had a higher chance of having a Down's baby and,being alone,
that was moreof a challenge than I wanted to take on.For peace of mind, I
wanted the test results as early as possible, in case I decided on an
abortion, so that's why I ruled out an amnio (which can't be performed until
14 weeks and it can take two weeks to get the results). At CPMC I had the
results in one week. One thing, with CVS you don't find out about neural tube
defects, but most OBs have you take a AFP blood test at 16 weeks, so you can
find that out later. You can also find out the child's gender with CVS, but
I decided I wanted to be surprised!
I had a hard time getting pregnant (1-1/2 years on different fertility
drugs), and until I had my CVS results AND passed my first trimester,
I protected myself by distancing myself from the pregancy. After 13
weeks, I celebrated, and I feel so excited now!
Good luck with making your decision!
I have done both and found the CVS to be an easier procedure and the results
come back faster. If you are going through Dr. Cheue (if that's how
you spell her name) she is as experienced with CVS as she is with
Amnio, so the risk would be very minimal. Good luck!
I had CVS, after much debate and research. If I remember correctly, the
risk of deformities is now almost non existent, and the miscarriage risk
is the same as amnio. I had mine done at UCSF, which is one of the best in
the country, or so I had heard, and had an excellent experience. I was
very impressed with the caring and care of the staff, and surprised that
it wasn't a more painful procedure. For me anyway, it was uncomfortable
but not really painful, and fairly quick. Depending on how the baby is
positioned, they either go in through the vagina or the top of the
abdomen. I had the abdomen approach. I stayed home and took it easy
for a day, and felt some very mild cramping, but nothing more. I personally
preferred the ability to have it done early (rather than amnio which is
much later), and was very pleased with the decision. Good luck!
I had CVS instead of amnio because I was concerned about how late I
would find out the results from amnio (well into the second
trimester). I knew a woman who had amnio, discovered her child
had a very severe genetic defect (trisomy-13) quite late in the
pregnancy, and felt she was rushed into having an abortion
because they were pushing the allowable time limit. She wanted
to have time to grieve and consider the issue from all sides.
After that she always had CVS.
The key is finding out the miscarriage rate of your particular
provider. I had a woman at the Alta Bates Perinatal Center do
the CVS (I forget her name but think she's the only one there);
she does them fairly frequently, is very experienced, and has
a very low miscarriage rate.
The study that talked about the risk of limb deformities was done
some years ago when they used to do the CVS much earlier than they
do it now. Apparently with the fetal ages they use now, there's
neglible risk.
Also, I had an amnio for my first child, and the CVS was even
less painful than the amnio! I just felt tired for 24 hours and
stayed mostly in bed.
Good luck! It was such a relief to get the good news from the
CVS. It eased my worry much earlier than the amnio would have;
I'm really glad to have made that decision.
this page was last updated: Oct 24, 2008
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