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Happy Me, I dont know, but ill be interested to hear what happend and how it went I am following behind your steps take care

I had a CVS a few weeks ago. It is to test for genetic defects (mainly Trisomy 13, 18, & 21) and can determine the s_x of the baby. I was scared about having the test since there is a chance you can miscarry after the test is performed, but I was more scared that there was going to be something genetically wrong with my baby since my 1st trimester test results (blood test & ultrasound) showed I had an increased risk of DS (which I have a family history of). Overall, the test wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. Since they use a long needle to extract a small amount of the placenta for testing (and I'm scared of needles) I thought it would be painful. I chose a doctor who does 4-6 of these procedures a month . I had read that it is always good to check how many the doctor who performs the CVS does per year and and make sure they are just as comfortable doing the test v____ally as well as abdominally. Try to get one who does at least 50 per year - this cuts down considerable the chance of miscarriage because, as the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Since I had a washcloth over my face the entire time, I didn't actually see the proceedure, but my husband told me that you don't see much anyway. The doctor uses an ultasound image to guide the needle and takes a couple of samples of the placenta. These sample are sent off for testing and, if available in your area, can have preliminary results back within 24 hour. The final results usually come back within 7-10 days. Back to the CVS itself...the procedure itself doesn't take very long at all - maybe 5-10 minutes. Once the doctor is finished, you will need to take it easy for the rest of the day. You may experience some cramping or spotting, but I didn't have any of these probs. It was a big relief for me when the final results came back showing that everything was OK and that we are having a girl. I'm sure everything will go well for you too. The next step you will probably go through is the AFP test. This is a blood test done around 16 weeks and tests for neural tube defects. Although it has many false positives, it can help the doctor know where to spend extra time looking at your 20 weeks ultrasound. Good luck with your CVS...let us know how it goes.

Hi Toni, You mentioned that you should check to see how many times the doctor has done the procedure....How do you do this? do you ask the doctor itself, call the hospital? Please let me know as I'm very eager to find out being that I would rather have a doctor with lot of experience rather than someone that's only done a few. Thanks.

I had my CVS performed at the perinatal unit of a hospital in Denver, CO. I was refered to this place by my regular OB/GYN because of my age (my Dr. office spoke highly of her). Since she was the only doctor at this particular place who performed the test, I asked the doctor herself, then verified what she had told me with her office staff (nurses). I was determined that if she told me she hadn't done the proceedure very often, I was going to find another place to go. If you are getting the procedure done at a hospital where there are several doctors who do the procedure, I would recommend asking some of the nurses who they would recommend "unofficially" since they can't really officially direct you to a doctor. Make sure you let them know you would like to have someone who has done the proceedure ALOT! After researching, I found that the doctors who don't perform the test very often are the ones who drive up the chance of miscarriage in the statistical data. Hope this helps...

I will update all of you on Weds. after the test is done. Since I am a WIMP, I will tell you all the truth about pain, cramping, etc. Mine will be done v____ally.

Toni, thank you so much for your prompt response. Your answer has helped me tremendously. Here's to a happy and healthy baby for all of us!! :)

Yesterday, my doctor tried to do a CVS and was unsuccessful due to my uterus being VERY tilted. I am now scheduled for an amnio in 4 weeks. Before the procedure, a genetic counselor took our histories and gave us percentages of chance on having a healthy or unhealthy child. I know now that I should not have slept through biology... Anyways, this all means that I have about 5 more weeks of worry before I know what chances my baby has of being healthy....