My Rollercoaster Ride to a Happy Ending: A Personal Story of Hope and Resilience

I'd been trying to get pregnant for ages, and when it finally happened, it was a long-awaited and planned pregnancy. My gynecologist had already written 'unspecified infertility' in my file, but I was determined to wait for those two lines on the pregnancy test.

My Journey to a Happy EndingPregnancy wasn't a walk in the park for me. By 7 weeks, I was hospitalized with a risk of miscarriage. This happened twice more during my pregnancy. And then there was the first ultrasound that really threw me off.

'You have a 1 in 98 risk of Down syndrome,' they told me over the phone. 'You need to come in for a genetic consultation on Monday.'

That's the risk of Down syndrome. I found out on a Friday evening, and by Monday, I was a mess. I couldn't think about anything else and spent most of the days crying. The only thing that gave me a little comfort was reading reviews, which told me that a chorionic villus biopsy or amniocentesis (depending on the gestational age) would show the results with almost no margin of error. I also found some happy stories of people who'd gone through these procedures, which helped me stay positive. I wish I'd asked the person on the phone what my individual risk was, because one thing is a 1 in 4 risk, and another is a 1 in 98. When you're in a situation like that, every little detail matters.

I also spent a lot of time worrying about the possibility of an error due to incorrect data from the screening. My blood pressure was listed as 110/80, but my 'normal' blood pressure is actually 90/60. Plus, I'd lost 3 kg since my initial appointment, and the screening was done after an extremely stressful workday. I'd read somewhere that stress can affect the results, but I had no idea. Since there was no history of Down syndrome in my family, I tried to stay optimistic.

The genetic consultation was on November 1st, and I was a bit of a nervous wreck. I was invited to the MONIIAG on Pokrovka Street, 22. The geneticist didn't go into a long conversation. She just informed me that in this situation, I needed to have a chorionic villus sampling (amniocentesis was too early for me), warned me that the accuracy isn't 100%, but 99% with a margin of error. I could have even kept it to myself, because I was already heading to MONIAG, knowing I'd be going for the biopsy. Of course, I signed the consent form.

My Chorionic Villus Sampling ExperienceChorionic Villus SamplingMy appointment was scheduled for the right time, and I was invited to the ultrasound first. The screening at our women's clinic showed everything was fine with the fetus - and the MONIAG team didn't see anything critical either. Then I was invited to see the geneticist, where I found out my individual risk for Down syndrome was 1:84. That's high, considering the baseline is 1:461, but it gave me hope for the best. My Chorionic Villus Sampling ExperienceThe geneticist explained that a chorionic villus sampling is a procedure where a small sample of cells is taken from the placenta to test for genetic disorders. It's usually done between 10 and 22 weeks of pregnancy. I was still a bit nervous, but I knew it was a necessary step to ensure the health of my baby. The geneticist reassured me that the procedure is relatively safe and that I would be able to get the results within a few days.Chorionic Villus Sampling was performed on the same day at 12:00. I had about 2 hours of free time before the procedure. Following the geneticist's advice, I went to grab a snack so I wouldn't feel bad during the procedure, and took a short walk. Then I returned and waited for my turn. It turned out I was almost last on the list. Psychologically, it was tough, but the main thing was that the procedure went smoothly.

The room where I had the chorionic villus sampling was almost indistinguishable from a regular gynecological room, except there were at least 4 doctors, if not more. I was asked to undress below the waist and lie down on the examination table. The doctors were extremely tactful, chatted with me a bit before the procedure, and reassured me that everything would be fine. I'm really grateful to them, because it made the experience less intimidating.

Then the doctor's hand appeared with a huge needle (I'd estimate it was around 10 cm long, but maybe it just looked bigger due to my fear). Under strict ultrasound control, they inserted the needle into my abdomen, about 8-10 cm below my navel, and collected chorionic villi for the biopsy. It took around 3 minutes, with the doctor occasionally rotating the needle and applying pressure. At first, I didn't feel anything out of the ordinary, but then I started to feel some discomfort. Just as I was about to mention it, the needle was removed. The amount of biopsied material was sufficient for the procedure - no need for a second insertion.

The incision site was cleaned with a spirit swab. There was only a small red dot left, which disappeared within a few days.

After the procedure, I was sent home with some recommendations:

Papaverine or No-shpa if I experienced any lower abdominal pain.A week of rest and physical inactivity.To visit a doctor if I had any discharge or fever.I was lucky that in 2021, from November 1st to 7th, there were holidays, so I spent the entire week at home, following a pretty much bed rest regimen. I didn't experience any unpleasant sensations.

My experience with the biopsy of chorionic villi was a rollercoaster ride. I was allowed to take the test in the evening on the same day, with no restrictions.

Biopsy of chorionic villi Although I physically handled the procedure well, mentally it was tough for me. The wait for the results was really hard. I kept telling myself that a 1 in 84 risk wasn't that bad. Our team is roughly that size, so I imagined us all in a meeting room and thought the chances of it being me were slim. That made it slightly easier for me to cope. I convinced myself of a happy outcome and didn't want to think about the other result.

The results of the biopsy of chorionic villi were supposed to be shared within 10-14 days, but due to the weekend, I had to wait longer since only working days were considered. Around November 20th, I finally got a call from the genetic department. It was ironic that it coincided with a call from school. When I heard that the baby is healthy, I burst into tears right in front of my students - it was a 3-week stress relief.

The biopsy of chorionic villi comes with another perk: you can find out your baby's sex with 100% accuracy before the ultrasound. That's how I found out I'm having a son, although I was already pretty sure.

Biopsy of chorionic villi Of course, my trips to the MONIIAG with the biopsy weren't over yet. I was still on the genetic department's list until 21 weeks. It wasn't until after the second screening showed that the baby was fine that they took me off the list.

Biopsy of chorionic villi reviewThis was just the beginning of a tough pregnancy that ended in premature birth at 34 weeks. But that's a story for another review.Biopsy of chorionic villi reviewGirls, I know many of you will be reading this review after a tough call from the genetic department, searching for answers on how to move forward. I know how you feel, and I'm crying with you and hugging you tightly. I'm writing this review for you and because of you, because I was helped by other moms' stories when I needed it most - they helped me not give up and believe in the best. You got this, and may you have healthy babies!

Your Bogema 😊

More reviews on the topic:

A place where hope grows into confidence. 💖 I was on the genetic department's list until 21 weeks of pregnancy. 💗 Biopsy of chorionic villi and ultrasound. 💚 My opinion on the staff who performed the procedure, and more.

I've always been a fan of GV, and even in my worst nightmares, I didn't think it would fail me, but it did, and the world didn't come to an end!

The word 'lokhioneter' is scarier than it really is. Vacuum aspiration after childbirth isn't as scary as it sounds online.