With every medical procedure there are risks to be considered and side effects to know about.
Often times the benefit from the procedure out weighs any risk or side effect that may occur.
One procedure during pregnancy that you may have to consider think about the risks and side effects is an amniocentesis.
Am amniocentesis is when then insert a needle into the uterus and retrieve a sample of amniotic fluid.
This test can be extremely important to find out things about the fetus.
This procedure can be a bit painful since you aren't allowed much more then a topical pain killer.
However, it is not as painful as some might think.
The needle is thin which allows it to enter and exit easily.
I have never had the need for an amniocentesis so can not tell you whether I felt pain or not.
I have talk with a few woman and the general consensus is that the insertion is relatively pain free, but when it is pulled out, there is some sharp, momentary pain.
More then likely the pain will not stop you from getting one, but you will want to weight the benefits versus the following risks and side effects.
-Spotting You may have some light spotting for a couple days.
If you experience light to heavy bleeding then you want to contact your doctor.
-Cramping Normally last a couple of days, but some woman will experience it for up to a week.
-Amniotic Fluid Leaking This can be very nerve raking and some woman may question whether their water has broken.
Normally only 1-2 tsp leaks out and then the membranes seal once again.
If you experience any more then just a couple tsps or it lasts longer then 2-3 days then you will want to contact your doctor.
-Miscarriage This is the most extreme risk involved, however, it only slightly, less then 1% increases your risk of having one and often the benefit of it is much higher then the slight increased risk.
There are also other factors you want to consider when you think about the miscarriage risk.
For instance, if you are already at a high risk like being age 40+ or already had previous miscarriages you may not want to undergo the procedure since you are at an already high risk.
Another factor is when you do it, the early in the pregnancy the higher the chance of a miscarriage, so if it is really important to get one, you may want to talk with your doctor about waiting until your 20-30 weeks or more along.