Anyone had a CVS test ??? ... Would like to hear of your experience !!

[smiles4u]

Hello all,

I was wondering if any of you lovely ladies have experience having had a CVS test within the past few years & How it was for you ???

... I had a terrible experience when actually having my one & only CVS test when I was pregnant at 40

Without my going into detail of my experience as I wouldn't want to put anyone off having one done !!!

Happy & beautiful side of ' that ' pregnancy is that I went onto have a healthy daughter (my 1st baby)

... As DP & I are trying to conceive with No#2 bub (I'm now 42) & I'm more terrified with going through another CVS test then ever going through a drug-free natural birth again

I guess I'm looking for reassurnance that I won't have the same experience If I read of enough positive CVS test experiences from you ALL

Also does anyone know if you are going through a Public Hospital for the birth - Can you choose to pay$$ extra to go to a Private Hospital for the CVS test only & get a specialist there who know's what they are doing & is absolutely experienced in doing them ?

" HUGE HEARTFELT THANKS " TO ANYONE THAT CAN PUT ME AT A GREAT EASE ABOUT HAVING ONE DONE AGAIN (fingers crossed I can fall pregnant again too ) xoxoxoxo

[snowchickie79]

I have a CVS at 12 weeks during this PG. PM me if you wanna chat.
Not a great experience but results have thus far been all OK..

[*Ang*]

I had a CVS done at 12 weeks - the results werent great but the actual testing itself wasnt too bad. It didnt hurt as much as I expected and in fact was more uncomfortable then painful - so barring the results the test itself was ok I guess.

[minimatron]

Hi I had a cvs with my first at 13 weeks. I found it an uncomfortable experience and was sore for days after. The mental anguish was just as bad...sorry. But thankfully we had positive results and I have a healthy dd. I am now 12 weeks pregnant and awaiting my test results. So far the u/s is "normal", just waiting blood results. So fingers crossed I wont need one. I know what you mean though. I have been really nerous about getting pregnant and having to do the cvs again. At least I know what I am up for, i think thats the only thing I can say. Sorry!

Good luck getting pregnant again.

Melissa

[Lol]

Hi
I had a CVS at just under 12 weeks ( I'm a carrier for a genetic abnormality so will always have to go through these). I was terrified about how it was going to be but found that the experience itself wasn't too bad at all. The most painful part for me was the first needle that anethetises the area. The collection of DNA was a little uncomfortable but nothing worse than period pains for me personally. I was a little achy afterwards for that day but then felt ok. The major pain is waiting for the results. We were told they would take 2-3 weeks(which was a nightmare anyway) but they had lots of problems detecting the info they needed and we didn't get results until 9 weeks later!!! By which time we had already committed ourselves to the pregnancy. I think it was just because of the complexity of the tests they had to do for our situation but it was really hard waiting.
I'm sure yours will be far more straight forward and you'll be fine!
Hope that helps.
Lol

[DiannaQ]

just a quick note - a friend of mine had her CVS done at Newtown SUFW by the top specialist there - if you're in Sydney I'd be happy to ask the name - she got good results (Thank God) and although she was uncomfortable she never really mentioned anything about the pain - this is a private place and you'll need a referral to get in but well worth it if the service is good

[Lucy]

I had a CVS when I was pregnant with Lexie as a result of poor triple test blood results.

(I had had an amnio with Charlie for the same poor blood test results.)

We chose to opt for a CVS with Lexie (in preference to an amnio) as it was able to be done earlier:
(13 weeks rather than waiting till 18 weeks).

As it happened my DH had a really important interview scheduled at the same time as my CVS was scheduled. But I went ahead and did it by myself.

Sure, it was uncomfortable, but both the specialist and the nurse were really kind and supportive and comforting.

The wait for the results was long.

In the end,esults were perfect and I then began to enjoy the 2nd half of my pregnancy with her.

Lexie was born vaginally & naturally without any intervention or pain relief. It was a blissful experience. (She was born fast....one minute I was chatting to Kelly on MSN, 40 minuntes later Lexie was born and feeding!)

Can you choose to pay$$ extra to go to a Private Hospital for the CVS test only & get a specialist there who know's what they are doing & is absolutely experienced in doing them ?

Yes, you can. You need to get a referral for the specialist, but yes, you can do this no problem.

HTH

[titti]

I've done the CVA in RPA in Sydney for my DD. I was lucky enough that the professor whatshername did it in person, because she had heaps of experience and I didn't feel pain at all, just a bit of discomfort. I think the worst part was waiting for the 2 weeks to get the results (by the way, if you do it privately and you pay a fee you can have a preliminary result in 2 I said 2!!!! days.... nobody told me that at the time!!!).
Really, the worst part is waiting... so next time I will do it privately!!!
Good luck!
Titti

[HotI]

(by the way, if you do it privately and you pay a fee you can have a preliminary result in 2 I said 2!!!! days.... nobody told me that at the time!!!).

This option should also be available when the procedure is done publicly. All samples in the state generally go to the one laboratory (i know this is the case in Victoria), and preliminary results for the trisomies and gender can be back in under two days, for a fee.

[smiles4u]

Thanks so very much all,

So sorry, as I did mention that I wasn't going to give my details of my negative experience in having a CVS BUT I feel maybe my concerns have been misunderstood ... as I do honestly have a strong pain threshold

WARNING : I just want to warn anyone that may be looking at having or about to have a CVS test to possibly NOT read any further on this post

Titti ... I had what's known as a FISH so you get the results faster (I think it was 2 working days) ... Yes, you pay a fee$$ for it & to be honest from memory it truely wasn't much at all and I had it done at the Mercy public hospital in Melb.

The main problem with my experience in having a CVS test there was the specialist did not know what she was doing (she admitted to me she had not done many moments before she was about to start) & she got another specialist in to guide her through it. He was in an obvious rush & seemed very sh*tty about it all. They stood to either side of me, with the grumpy male specialist snapping at her which was obviously making her nervous. It totally stressed me out physically & emotionally. I felt everything physically, and I seriously don't think anything was numb.

To begin with the instruments were ALL laid across my chest on a operating green sheet ... Lucky for my I don't scare easily BUT I thought some expecting Mother's could very easily NOT be able to handle that, which is fair enough.

Midway through the test DP started to faint & was attended by the nurse in the room, whilst in the meantime I was quiet as a mouse & wondering how do I get myself through this. I thought I was in hell

I have been through some things in my life time like surgeries, etc... BUT nothing like this

As soon as the needle was whipped out of me, I was shockingly only moments later asked to physically get up & go home.

Well, within moments of my leaving the room I got the most horrific abdominal cramps & I struggled to get to the car.

Once I got into the car the pains got worst. The over 2hr drive back home (DP driving of course) seemed like it went forever.

I thought giving vaginal birth without drugs was so much easier then what I went through that bleak day of my CVS test.

I so hope everyone can ' now ' understand where my fears of having another possible CVS test comes from

HUGE "THANKS" ONCE AGAIN TO ALL FOR YOUR REPLIES

[Jillbaby]

I realise that the last post in this was a couple of years back but I still thought I would post my thoughts as I have just got home from the CVS test. I had it done at Sydney Women's Ultrasound Centre at Chatswood and seriously, cannot speak more highly of the centre. The doctor we had was so caring and professional and was so, so, so, skilled. When we first arrived, we were checked in at reception and was called in within five minutes. The doctor went through all the statistics and outcomes with my partner and I and answered all of our questions responsively. We were then taken into a darker room that had a big Sony LCD screen right in front of the bed so I could see everything if I chose. An ultrasound was undertaken and pictures were given to my partner (who really wanted them so he could take them to work). I did not feel the anaesthetic at all until it was nearly finished (I had my eyes closed). I did not feel the bigger needle either, not one bit and it was all over in a couple of minutes, maybe less. I believe personally the skill of the doctor plays an incredibly important role in the patient's comfort and I would take a good guess that the doctor's skill is also linked to the rates of miscarriage for the test (not including the underlying miscarriage risk that exists regardless of the test). We also paid the extra few hundred dollars to have a preliminary result by tomorrow afternoon which will be about 30 hours after the test. I would highly recommend to all expectant mother's who are contemplating this test to pay to have it done privately at a reputable clinic. The very least, is that you get the best care and your mind is put at ease.

[smiles4u]

Jill ... that is the most encouraging experience for all to read here who hasn't had a CVS test ... i personally couldn't thank you enough as i know myself i had to hear 'that' as i truely thought what my experience would have kind of previously have been but obviously wasn't IYWIM ... And it makes me so happy to hear your experience was such an incredibly positive one

*** Also Jill i agree with you whole hearted that anyone looking to have a CVS test done try & get it done at a private hosp/clinic in more hope of the staff being more professional & more importantly experienced in this area !!!! ***

[snowchickie79]

Just read this updated post and it was great to read jillbaby's response about her CVS.

I'm in the same boat as you smiles4U in that my CVS was painful, and a very difficult experience. I think that in my case it was more the absolute incompetence of the doctor who gave us our NT results and within 4 minutes mentioned termination and then the fact that I felt the entire CVS including the anae needle plus the actual CVS procedure. I also do not think i was numb at all and in fact the pain almost caused them to loose the sample on the way out.

I went through a private clinic (SWUC) but the doctor who did my procedure was terrible. I went to SWUC for the rest of my ultrasounds but went to a different location. I would most certainly be checking up on the doctor who would be doing my CVS prior to the procedure if I ever had to have it again (My OB had heard bad reports about that specific doctor before when I finally got to tell him about it so i only wish I could have/or thought to ask him about it before hand).

But positive news from a negative experience was that we got the all clear knowing our little baby was perfectly healthy and I now have a beautiful healthy 1 year old daughter (She turns 1 on the 18the August) who is the apple of my eye and makes me giggle every single day..

[Gigi]

SMILES - i havent had a CVS, i had an emergency "ordered by the hospital" amniocentsis test, WITHOUT THE ANAETHETIC (after being told i WOULD be given an Anaesthetic) that was really awful, and i remember the LONG two weeks wait, being told i would be called and told the news after 14 days and then no-one called me, and when i went to the hospital to chase it up, i got told "the specialist who did your test has gone on holidays" etc - the royal runaround.

so i do sympathise.

but CONGRATS on the decision to conceive a sibling for C !! that's wonderful news!

i'm not sure i could go thru another amnio/cvs type test, after the trauma of the first one. plus the five days of intense cramping that followed. all for nothing. the nuchal test that came back with 1 in 6 chance of genetic problems, turned out to be a false reading !!!! they put me thru that amnio for nothing!!!

[DaintreeDream]

Smiles - I had a horrible horrible experience with my Amnio, it was done without anaesthetic (as with Gigi I was also told I was going to be given it) and they made my DH leave the room so I was alone and scared, I blacked out and was turned head down feet up on the table with the needle still in my belly!

I said that I would never have an amnio again. You proberly know my story but the results weren't good but I now have my beautiful DD and then when I fell pregnant with this baby I recieved a 1:2 chance of Trisomy 21 and a 1:11 chance of Trisomy 18, I felt I needed to prepare for the chance that the baby would have the same chromosome deletion as DD so I decided to go for a CVS.

I went to a different ob who was highly recommended, for me it was so much better than my experience with the Amnio. to me it still wasn't the nice-est thing to have done, but I WOULD do it again anyday but only with that ob (he is in Mulgrave, VIC, I am happy to pass on his details if you ever wanted them, he was wonderful). He used anaesthetic and allowed DH AND DD to stay in the room for the procedure. I experienced some nausea/dizziness (about 15 minutes later) but that is normal for me and just a little discomfort due to a little bruise, no cramping pains.

Just thought I would offer my experience, as it went from the Amnio being horrific and something I never wanted to do again to a CVS experience that I would happily do again to know that I have a healthy baby.

[csab]

HI hun, I had a cvs done with DD last yr, and my experience was quite good. I had the head of the feto maternal unit do mine. We were booked originally to have the cvs done internally, but he decided to check to see if it could be done thru the stomach. Due to the location of the placenta he decided against going thru the stomach as it would be to dangerous for him to do it that way as the the bowel was in the way. We ended up doing what we were originally booked in for, internally. I didnt need any aneasetic as it was more like a pap smear. They had my legs up on stirrups, put a hose inside and then washed inside after they clamp you open a bit, then put the needle thru the hose to get the sample, the whole time they watched the u/s. They then removed the sample then washed inside again then removed the clamps. After the procedure I laid there for about 10-15mins and was able to go home. I had my quick results in 2 days, and the full results in 2weeks/ Thankfully all turned out ok with both results.

All the best hun. Hugs

[SJM]

Hi there,

I will post my feedback even though this thread is a bit old...

I had a CVS done (2009) at 11 weeks at Ashford Specialist Centre in SA- they were great, very caring, and explained everything well. They were the only place recommended by my obs too. The actual procedure was not too bad (and I often faint while having blood tests!!!), it was just a bit uncomfortable, only lasted 5 mins or so I think. The worst thing for me was the stress of possibly causing a miscariage and what we would do if the results were not ideal.

I got a referral from my Obs for the CVS and she referred me to the Dr that she had used herself when she had a CVS while she was pregnant. I would say in my opinion for this sort of test it is worth spending more $$ to get a more experienced specialist perform this sort of test as I imagine that inexperience of the Dr increases the chance of miscarriage.

Cheers,
SJM

[melthatsme]

Hi, I am 13 weeks now and need to have a transvaginal CVS as my placenta is at the back. Has anyone had one of these? All the comments seem to be about the transabdominal?