My Amnio experience - Don't worry it's fine!

I had been busy all morning which was exactly what I needed. They wondered why I had gone into work first thing, thinking I should have been at home taking it easy, but that would have been worse as there’d have been nothing to do but sit and think about what I was going to be doing at 12 noon on summer solstice day. We journey down to Chichester hospital was slightly stressful but again, not for the reasons you’d think – it was because there had been an accident and we were all held up. After waiting for this appointment, I really didn’t want to miss it and reschedule.



We got there just in time.

I had managed to keep the nerves at bay sitting quietly (almost meditating!) in the waiting room until a very excited and animated young man sat next to me in the waiting room with his partner and a friend – it was going to be their fifth baby. He was in high spirits, and as he was talking and laughing the whole bench kept rocking forward (he didn’t realise). I think he probably wondered why I wasn’t joining in with their banter – little did they know I was trying to keep very quiet and calm and the more noise he was making, the more nervous I was becoming.

Finally they called my name. How are you? She said, Nervous was all I was able to squeak out. They wondered where Mike was, but he hadn’t wanted to come in for this one and actually I had wanted to be on my own for this too. There were four people in the room; I was introduced one by one and they were all there for some reason, they all had a part to play. I didn’t think an amnio would require so many people but I didn’t mind it as it all seemed very thorough to me.

Mr Jolly (Great name!) managed to very quickly without fuss change my mood in an instant – I was about to burst into tears by the time I sat down. He said 'After this you’ll wonder what all the fuss was about' and he was absolutely right.

I can honestly say to anyone worried about having an amnio, really, don’t worry and keep yourself busy prior to the appointment otherwise you'll sit and worry unnecessarily! They were right when they said it was no more bothersome than a blood test, and the horror stories about it taking 20 minutes are just that – horror stories. It takes about a minute and that really is all! The thought is way worse than the deed, and actually it was reassuring to see the baby again on a scan wriggling about and looking fine.

Now I’ve just got the wait for the results.