General information, not an individual diagnosis. Ask a healthcare professional if you are unsure about your situation.
After amniocentesis, seek urgent medical care for fever, contractions, abdominal pain, bleeding or abnormal vaginal discharge, including fluid. Reduced fetal movements also require care without delay if you had felt them before the procedure.
Amniocentesis takes fluid from around the fetus through the abdomen under ultrasound guidance. The laboratory analyses the sample according to the medical question; this examination does not look for every possible disease.
Before deciding, ask why the sample is offered, what the analyses can and cannot show, and about the risks, including miscarriage. You may ask questions and accept or refuse after receiving information; written consent is obtained if you agree.
Tell the team your medical history and medicines and bring the requested documents, including your blood group card. Before the procedure, if you have fever, bleeding or contractions, contact the service where it is planned for advice on what to do.
After the sample, rest according to your team’s instructions and ask whom to contact at any hour if symptoms occur. If your Rh status is negative, ask the team which precautions are needed according to the fetus’s Rh status.
Result times vary with the analyses. Before leaving, ask how you will receive the results and who will explain them. Your doctor will then discuss what they mean and any choices with you.
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