You may be concerned about the idea of a needle going through your abdomen, or a catheter into your cervix; however, the majority of women find that these procedures are not particularly painful. If you are having a transabdominal procedure, the needle usually doesn't hurt any more than it does when you are having a blood test. Some doctors use a small amount of local anesthetic before the transabdominal procedure to numb the area, although the anesthetic itself can occasionally sting. Although afterward it's common to experience uterine cramps, similar to the cramps you feel during menstruation, rest assured that these cramps alone do not mean that you have an increased risk of miscarriage.

If your blood type is Rh negative you should receive an injection of anti-Rh after the procedure to prevent complications from occurring during this and future pregnancies.

After the procedure

It's generally thought that being active after CVS or amniocentesis does not increase your risk of miscarriage. However, you may feel better if you don't exercise heavily right away; it's not necessary to remain in bed. In most cases, you should be physically able to return to work within a day or so after a diagnostic procedure, although some women may feel emotionally fragile and may not feel up to returning to work right away.

Getting the results

Usually, chromosomal results from diagnostic tests take around 1-2 weeks to return, and sometimes may take as long as three weeks. If you have had your AFP level tested with amniocentesis (see Amniocentesis), the results for this are usually available fairly quickly, after around 1-3 days. If you are considering terminating your pregnancy based on the results of a diagnostic test, opt for testing earlier in the time frame during which it is offered, rather than later, to reduce risks of complications.