who;s had an amnio?

[happynifer]

I had an increased risk of downs (1:165) on my triscreen and am scheduled for an amnio on Tuesday.  I'm 36, and my DH is 50, so that's a big part of our risk.
I know I need to know, but I am still scared that something is going to go wrong with the procedure.
Any personal experiences to share?
After many years and IVF to conceive this baby I guess I am just extra scared to lose it...
jenna
EDD 12/25

[jc4138]

i know from experience how hard making the decision is! with my first pregnancy i had a .8% chance of my baby being born with ds. i struggled with the decision & after an excellent ultrasound with ekg, and finding no "soft markers" chose to not do the amnio. currently with my second pregnancy i have a .4% chance. i am having the ultrasound and plan to make decisions from there.

best wishes to you! i know how much better you must be feeling!  : )

[pertykitty]

im so glad you are able to relax now and enjoy your pg!  keep us updated, and i feel it will all be ok ;)

[adgal]

I am glad to hear you went with the decision that is best for you, and that you feel happy about it.  While it's great these tests exist, they are definately not the best option for everyone, and the decision should never be taken lightly.   I am glad all looked well on your scan!  Congrats on your little girl!!!

[worried2451]

Good to hear your u/s went well and that you and your dr. found the best solution for you and your bub! :)   Have a happy, healthy pregnancy!

[happynifer]

well after waking up this morning planning to do the amnio, i decided not to after the scan.  She is perfect on ultrasound and the doctor felt that since termination was not an option that we could pick up downs on further ultrasounds.  He felt pretty good that she is healthy given all her measurements were perfect and her longbones actually measured long (not unexpected since both of us are very tall).
so we will repeat the US in 2 weeks and follw her closely that way.
thanks all :)

[happynifer]

exactly.  i want to be able to either relax and enjoy the pregnancy or use the time to prepare myself emotionally as well as get resources in place for early intervention, day care etc.
thanks all you are making me feel better about this :)

[pertykitty]

the m.c rate is lower than most realize.  but there is a risk, everything has a risk.  i had an amnio and i passed out haha.  im like that though, its how i roll!  i had a risk for ds 1:3 and my little sleeping angel next to me was born 8 weeks ago with down syndrome.

if you are like me and need to know simply to be prepared then go for it.  if you are doing it based just on the drs pushing you , you dont have to have it done.  if you are having it done purely do check for down syndrome, your odds are quite low, and these tests they put us through scare us more than anything.  if i had more kids would i have another amnio? maybe.  maybe not.  i didnt do it to see if i would abort, i did it just for peace of mind and to go into delivery relaxed and excited rather than scared (well less scared) and uninformed.  good luck!

[worried2451]

I had an amnio a few weeks ago. No cramping, no complications. I've read that the miscarriage rate due to amnio is actually much lower than the commonly quoted 1:200. A 2006 study indicated that m/c due to the procedure was closer to 1:1600. Personally, I think it is very safe. Good luck, I'm sure everything will be fine.

[happynifer]

thanks everyone.
not worried about it being painful at all (after IVF needles don't bother me), i'm worried about the m/c risk....
10am tomorrow....trying to relax.
at least i get to see the baby again....

[rdh1981]

I had one with my first! At his 18wk ultrasound we found out he had HLHS (severe heart condition) so my High Risk OB thought it would be a good idea to rule out any other conditions, so we opted for the amnio. It did not really hurt at all, I just kept my eyes on the ultrasound screen watching my little man! What Tricia described is exactly what I felt too!

I know it will be fine, just relax.  

[SoCalTricia]

I chose not to have an amnio to check for downs...can't remember what my odds were, but I know that they were better than the miscarriage odds, which are 1:200. I did, however, have an amnio at 36 weeks to check for lung development. As far as the pain goes, it's not painful...a slight pinching feeling. A little soreness at the site for a day or so. But that's it. You'll do fine!!!

Tricia

[adgal]

Hello there.  My risk came back as 1:13 so I too chose amnio.  All I really did to prepare was ask an awful lot of questions of the clinic and in particular the Dr. who would be performing the procedure.  I came to find that his actual risk factor was about 1:1600 and he had been doing this for a very long time.  This helped a great deal.  Other then that, my DH and I sat through a class beforehand that explained the procedure and away we went.  For me there was really no discomfort at all.  The needle is intimidating looking, so I closed my eyes and held my DH's hand.  The whole procedure was ultrasound guided so to ensure that the baby was not knicked.  When the Dr. performing the procedure told me he was in the amniotic sac, I actually opened my eyes, looked at him and said "seriously?, that's it?" It was that painless. I have had more pain getting freezing at the dentists office.  The whole procedure took less then 10 minutes. Afterward I just took it easy all day...stayed in bed actually and let DH take care of me.  I just relaxed.  I also had taken the next day off (my procedure was on a thursday), so had 4 days and I did nothing...no housework, no lifting, nothing.  I have a history of miscarriage (not from amnio) and was not taking any chances.  I had no complications and no problems at all.  Found out a few days later (I had FISH) that I was having a perfectly healthy, chromosonally normal baby boy.  He is 5 months old now and life is great!!!  I agree with chinesebones, the anticipation was horrible...the procedure itself was really no big deal.  I would make the same decision again.  

Good luck to you!!

[chinesebones]

Hi, I had a 1:60 risk and opted for amnio.  
What I did beforehand was: drank lots of water to make sure there was plenty of amniotic fluid, warned my dh I was going to be a "hypochondriac" and lie around for a couple of days, and rented some light novels from the library and a funny movie.  We also collected info about any illnesses/genetic conditions that run in our families.
The day of the test, we met with a genetic counselor first.  She was wonderful and very reassuring.  During the procedure, I kept my eyes on the u/s screen, away from the needle (never saw it) and tried to relax and take deep breaths... good practice for labor.  The needle going in felt like a regular blood draw, and when it reached the uterus it just felt weird, not painful.  In the car on the way home I reclined the seat back and relaxed.  I had some strong cramping at first, but it went away after an hour or so.  I stayed in bed for 24 hours, then got up but took it easy for another 24.
One more thing I did was take homeopathic Arnica just before and after the procedure.  I had it handy and thought it couldn't hurt...
Honestly the worst part is the anticipation beforehand and the waiting afterwards.  
Best wishes to you and your Christmas baby!