Have you had an amniocentesis? I'd like to hear your experience...

[StarMama]

Next Wednesday I've got an amnio scheduled to check lung maturity before our scheduled c-section on Friday (done at 36 weeks due to complete placenta previa/severe bleeding a few weeks ago/prior full term loss). I've been googling around to see what the pain level is like, and honestly don't find much information out there except for tiny little sentences on baby center and such in their articles.

I know they won't be doing a local first, the doctor said its just two sticks with a needle then and that the pain level isn't very bad to need it. I remember how much lidocane stings from a few experiences in the past, so avoiding that extra ouchy sensation sounds alright to me as well.

Will you tell me how it went for you? My husband will be going with to hold my hand and for support, but he's seriously afraid of needles (I had to ask if he could be my support or if I needed to get someone else to go with me)... thankfully needles in general don't freak me out, but the idea of such a long one going into my uterus does have me worried!

[Kim]

Have you had your ears pierced? It's no where near as painful to have an amniocentesis.

The lidocaine prick is uncomfortable -- feels like a pinch, really. The actual amnio needle felt like a "pop"...at least that was my experience.

Wishing you the very best of luck!

[tracymom1]

I had an amnio at 35 weeks to check for lung maturity with my first baby. I really expected it to be easy, but in all honesty, it was a bit uncomfortable. My fluid was a bit low and DS kept moving around so she couldn't get a good pocket from which to extract. It hurt a bit more that I thought it would. But really - its just a few minutes and its not that bad. I am a nurse who worked at an ob/gyn office for years and I can say for certain that everybody reacts differently to the procedure so you may breeze right through it or you may have some discomfort.

Wishing you the very best!!

[pollyanna123]

I HATE needles!! My disgust of needles was the first thing that inspired me on the path to unmedicated birth!

That said, the amnio was absolutely no big deal. I barely felt the needle and it was over very quickly.

[kwilki8]

I had an amnio at 36 weeks in my last pregnancy. I'm needle phobic and the worst part was seeing them set up for it. It wasn't painful, but it did feel pretty uncomfortable for a couple of minutes. It was just a disconcerting feeling.

[Buzzer Beater]

Another vote for disconcerting... I am a huge weeny and terrified of needles. I practiced some deep breathing and kind of checked out of the whole thing. I felt pressure and a pop, no pain at all. You'll do great.

[homemademom]

I had one at 37 weeks. I was completely freaked out beforehand, but I made sure NOT to look at the needle and I looked away while they did it. It wasn't painful at all for me. And no heebie-jeebies since I didn't look. It honestly was no big deal for me. I hope you have the same experience

[StarMama]

Thanks everyone! Knowing what to expect in things like this really helps me to be prepared for it (even if knowing what to expect *is* that it does hurt). I've got anxiety issues like crazy that I can't medicate for during pregnancy, and its very helpful to know what you all felt.

Luckily I'm not scared of needles just by themselves.

[myk]

i had an amnio to check for down syndrome. it was fairly straightforward. first they checked on baby to see positioning etc, and found a good-sized pocket of amniotic fluid. they didn't freeze the skin first, which i kind of wish they did.. but going through the skin didn't hurt significantly more than a blood test prick, so no biggie.

they had the u/s on all the time to make sure the needle didn't get too close to baby. punching through the uterine wall hurt, i won't lie to you - but in general, i feel pain more accutely than average people so it's very possible (even likely) that it won't hurt anyone else as bad as it hurt me

the neat thing was, when they put the needle in, you could see on the u/s that katie moved her feet up, as if to say "hey, there's something WEIRD down there. i'm going to move over here, instead." it took a minute to remove a couple tbsp of fluid, which looked a bit like very dilute pee, and then they pulled the needle and put pressure on the wee hole. they didn't show me the needle ahead of time, and i don't remember how long it was.. all in all, not as bad as i expected in any case.

unlike some people, i DO need to look if possible when i'm getting a needle.. due to my sensitivity i jump pretty easily if i'm startled, pinched, etc. i had them count to 3 before they went through the uterine wall so that i could do my best NOT to jump. it was fine. i didn't see the actual needle due to the angle, so i had to ask for a verbal warning. for most people, looking away is probably the best idea. hope this helps!

[pregnant@40]

Originally Posted by Kim

Have you had your ears pierced? It's no where near as painful to have an amniocentesis.

The lidocaine prick is uncomfortable -- feels like a pinch, really. The actual amnio needle felt like a "pop"...at least that was my experience.

Wishing you the very best of luck!

Same here. And to put it into perspective, you'll soon go through childbirth! The discomfort from an amnio is no comparison.

A nurse kept me calm & occupied throughout the amnio. The needle didn't bother me, but rather the thought of complications due to the amnio (though they are very, very rare). The procedure itself is incredibly quick.

It's an ultrasound guided procedure in order to ensure correct needle placement, so it's just like getting an ultrasound w/ the addition of the needle poke. You will lie flat on your back, your belly will be cleansed w/ iodine, a sterile drape will be placed, you may or may not get a lidocaine injection to numb the area (ie. I did not, since the lidocaine poke is just as painful as the actual amnio procedure, so why get poked twice), and a thin needle is inserted into your abdomen while the physician looks at the ultrasound screen. It only takes a moment to withdraw some amniotic fluid, and then the needle is removed & fluid placed in tubes. Finally, the MD checks out the baby again on the ultrasound to make sure he/she is OK.

In the following few hours, I had very minimal cramping that eventually went away. Though bedrest is not necessary, I took it very easy while my mother watched my 5yo.

[urchin_grey]

I'm not scared of needles at all and have a pretty high pain tolerance. I won't lie though, my amnio hurt like a MOTHER. Actually, just going through the skin was no big deal. It was when the needle went through my uterus that hurt so bad. I think I was just caught off guard though because I was laying there thinking "oh this is no big deal, just feels like getting pierced and then BAM - it was like the worst cramp I'd ever had. I think I actually went "AHH". Luckily though, it only lasts a second. Once the needle is actually in there, it doesn't hurt anymore. After that, I was actually more freaked out by the fact that she was like "don't. move. I'm right by the baby's head".

I think you'll be fine though if you just relax and breath. I think that was half of my problem. I tend to tense up in those situations.

[zjande]

I also had one at 35 weeks with baby #1 to check for lung maturity. I can't stand looking at needles poking me- I did not look at the giant needle for one second. And otherwise, it felt exactly like someone just poking their finger into my belly kinda hard. Not even painful, just the sensation of a jabby finger poke. It was easy.

[samstress]

Originally Posted by pollyanna123

...the amnio was absolutely no big deal. I barely felt the needle and it was over very quickly.

[MPsSweetie]

I had one done at 15 weeks. I thought I would be fine, but had a major panic attack on the table, so they went ahead and lidocained me. That was the main prick, but not bad. The actual amnio felt like a hot cramp that went down my legs like electricity. Not hugely painful, but not comfortable either. It was over real fast and I felt silly for overreacting so much, lol.

My dh held something in front of my face so I couldn't peek, like I ever would!

[StarMama]

Thanks mamas!

It'll be the after childbirthing part that's going to hurt for me (planned c/section due to complete placenta previa)!

When they went from just having the needle in the skin to into the uterus was that a smooth one motion situation, or do they pause in between with the needle in skin but not yet in the uterus? I think a warning of when it's going to hit uterus might be helpful for me, but don't know if that would really work or if its more of an all in one motion sort of thing...

[myk]

they paused, with me, probably because i told them to. because i jump so easily it gave me a chance to take a deep breath and have a controlled exhale when it went in. it wasn't a very long pause, just a second or two. i imagine they might pause for some people just to double-check the u/s monitor to make sure they're in a good spot, but i'm not sure

[MPsSweetie]

Mine was a smooth motion, but they gave me a warning before the poke. I can't imagine I would've wanted them to wait right there between my skin and uterus, but thats all there is there for me. Not much in the way of fat.