13 March 2019

So I had my CVS (chorionic villus sampling) for this pregnancy on 13 March 2019. My husband was on nightshift, so I had to take the bus to the city to meet him. When I lived in Edinburgh I didn't have a car and got the bus all the time. Obviously I'm no longer used to getting the bus, because I realised at 06:33 that I need to pay for said bus, and I don't usually carry cash, because I can contactless everything small!! Bus was at 06:46. Text the hub, he inconveniently called when I was heading out the front door. I ran to the cash machine (further than our closest bus stop) got some moulah, rapido over to the bus stop for 06:41 (thankfully buses in this backwater do give change!) Bus didn't feckin turn up till 06:55!!!

Anyway, once on the bus was texting hubster, and realised I had forgotten my appointment letter. Then he asked if I had remembered my notes! Argh! Clearly I was very stressed about the whole thing. Met him at the bus stop just next to the bypass, and we headed towards the hospital.

Obviously with no appointment letter I didn't know which department to head to. So I go off to find the early pregnancy assessment unit (we've had all our other scans apart from the 12 week in the EPU in the smaller hospital half an hour away.) Turns out my scan isn't there. So we head up to the info point, and someone happens to be signing in as I ask the question - hears my question and says I'm with her, and she'll take me, phew!

She tells me it doesn't matter about the letter, and is surprised that I'm already carrying my own notes, but not to worry.

Then head midwife Lesley arrives and takes us into a separate room to explain the procedure again, she was lovely, but one of the things she said was "and you know the risk of miscarriage is 1-2% and you've accepted that." So that stressed me out. She went off to find our consultant, who had been on nightshift, so was definitely around, but she hadn't yet seen him. She explained that my stomach would be numbed, once on the surface, once below the surface, then a large (she emphasised the large) needle would be inserted, and would act as a guide for the sampling needle, so it would stay in for the duration. She said the sampling needle would go in multiple times (I'm thinking four, but I can't recall entirely, blame the stress for the memory, I don't think I can blame baby brain... yet! :P) We also discussed gender, as the chromosome test can give us gender. I was clear that if there is something wrong with baby, I would want to know gender, however if there is the right amount of each chromosome, I want to make sure that we don't find out. Lesley smiled, noting that it almost gives me something extra to push for when it does get that far down the line. We both feel that we really don't care, we just want it healthy, and it will be a nice surprise either way. Plus, I'm far too superstitious to buy more than the bare minimum for baby before it comes. (the idea of a baby shower to me really doesn't sit well, I respect other people's choice to have one, but I'm unlikely to want to go along to something like that.) So there's really no benefit to knowing the gender, except maybe for helping to name the child.

When we were brought through, Dr. Gordon scanned me to figure out the best site. I think it's standard in my region to carry out CVS abdominally, rather than vaginally, but I'm not sure. I've seen some people on the support group on Facebook stressing because things are happening abdominally due to where placenta is. I think I'd be more stressed if it was happening vaginally, as it would be so much more uncomfortable, and logically, I would think it would be inherently riskier to go that way, as you're puncturing the mucus plug, part of the 'exit route'! Anyway, I was pleased, once again in this pregnancy, that another person was not going to be venturing through my lady garden! That very first scan in January I was sure I was going to need a dildo scan because it was so early.

So, we had that wee scan, and Dr. Gordon explained what was what, I had never realised that the top of the screen was my belly, but he showed that baby was on it's belly, wriggling away, then he moved on to looking at the placenta. I acknowledged that as we get closer to the time of my first miscarriage I get more and more nervous with every scan that we won't see a heartbeat, so I was relieved when he pointed it out. He explained that the placenta was at the back of my womb, but that there was some at the bottom of my womb that was small, and he believed that he would be able to sample enough villi from that.

So off he went, and over the next half an hour (ok, probably 5-10 minutes, but everything feels much longer, doesn't it?) Lesley, a registrar named GG, and Dr. Gordon all came in/back and prepared all the bits and pieces required for the procedure. GG was holding the wand to monitor the needles at all times, Lesley was handing everything to Dr. Gordon, and he was taking the samples, and discussing with Lesley if there was enough taken each time.

They spread a disinfectant/numbing wash over my stomach, well, that was, refreshing!!! (Translation: it was fucking cold!) before starting off, and at that stage I decided to close my eyes. My husband could not hold my hands because of all the people round me, but my hands were, for some reason, scratching both my legs, well, my index finger was sort of scratching my leg, on both sides; I started, I was conscious that I was doing it once I started it, but didn't try to stop myself. I figured it wasn't going to hurt, meh! I did have someone wonderful stroking my hair for the duration, which really helped. I've always been a bit like a dog though, even when there's nothing wrong with me I do love a scratch behind my ears! (My husband, the someone wonderful was my husband, this is the NHS!!!)

And then it was done! GG kept the scanner on to show me (/reassure me) that the amniotic sac still had clear definition round the edges, and I got a wee photo printout of bubs to add to my collection. Dr. Gordon advised me that due to the sample being taken near to the bottom of my womb, it was more likely that I might have some spotting. All the paperwork does warn that you're likely to have some spotting, and also some cramping afterwards, so it wasn't unexpected to hear that. Then was allowed to empty my very full bladder. We made our way very very very very (very) slowly to the car. I did go into the hospital shop for a treat, but decided a treat was not worth the hospital prices! We did go past a Lidl, and I was left in the car while the recommended paracetamol for when the anaesthetic was purchased along with the not so recommended peach loops. Although I was told that I should rest for the next 48 hours and I could have whatever I wanted by Lesley. I stopped myself from telling her that I really wanted a gin!

So the rest of the day was spent on the sofa, napping, television, nothing that will make me either laugh or cry too much. Or anything scary, so basically chat shows and quiz shows. Delightful. I had a call about midday telling me that the lab needed a delivery that there was a delay in receiving, which meant that the early result (looking at the major chromosome disorders, 13, 18, and 21.) might not be available on Thursday, so I may get it on Friday. The full microarray, that will show the full spread of baby's chromosomes, might take around 2 weeks or more. With the chromosomes affected by the husband's BT being 4:13, and trisomy 13 one of the common trisomies that they look at for the early result, I'm hoping the early result puts my mind a bit at ease. However I know I need to wait for the full microarray before I can properly relax. Another thing that will help me properly relax is the pain and cramps going away; although I knew to expect it, it's still disconcerting and worrying.

The strangest thing about it though, is that each morning, the bump shrinks because the muscles had had a rest, and each evening it's bigger as the muscles get tired. Straight after the procedure, the bump had popped right out! My tummy muscles had decided that being stabbed with a ten inch needle was as much as they were willing to take!

And now, we wait.