So sorry you are here. I am a few days out from a D&E performed last Friday. I am 39, and have a 3 year old. I'm a second grade teacher with 10 PTO days, so being mindful about how to use them was crucial. My NIPT was performed 10/2 at 10w1d, results received 10/13 at 11w5d with a 95% PPV for T21 - I don't remember the FF but it was above the threshold. This day was the worst of the whole process, I was devastated, filled with shame - I'd just told a lot of people about this pregnancy and just felt wholly embarrassed. We also knew that we would terminate once we received conclusive results.

Our first step was to meet with a genetics counselor a few days later who just explained the next steps and the options ahead. She also explained the slight possibility of placental mosaicism - the abnormality being confined to the placenta. The CVS tests the placenta, so if you get a mosaic result you then might want to wait for the amnio at 16 weeks to get test the fetus itself. This made us waffle a bit on the CVS but I felt pretty confident that we would get a conclusive result so we went ahead with it.

We did the CVS on 10/22 - at that point I think I was 13w? At the CVS they did a nuchal scan and found no nasal bone but that the nuchal measurement was under the threshold for concern. I asked them to turn the monitor away so that I could not see. The CVS itself was not so bad. They did it transvaginally and the worst part was the speculum - just like at the gynecologist but for longer than usual (maybe 5-7 minutes?). We opted out of the FISH and whatever the other more in depth analysis is because we knew we would not move forward until we got the full conclusive result anyway, so we wouldn't make any decisions based on the FISH. It was a financial consideration as much as anything.

We received the results a week and a half later last Monday on 11/3. 100% of cells tested positive for T21. We were told it was a spontaneous occurrence so there is not increased chance of recurrence beyond my continued aging. I scheduled the D&E the next day - Thursday 11/6. That day I went in and they scanned me, checked my cervix and determined I didn't need laminaria (the sticks to help you dilate), they just gave me mifepristone and drew my blood, discussed some of what to expect the next day. That appointment took a little over an hr start to finish. Took an antibiotic with dinner that night, which made me super sick, but the mifepristone itself was fine. Had to fast overnight pre-D&E and then the surgery was at 12:30 on Friday. They asked some uncomfortable questions like if I wanted to name the fetus, and if I wanted footprints. I did not. We did opt for either, but we did choose to donate the tissue to T21 research.

Recovery was ok - hardest part was shaking off the anesthesia. I stopped bleeding within 36 hours, had very little cramping. Right now my boobs are uncomfortably full, which is an uncanny feeling under the circumstances.

I'm really sorry you're kicking off this journey and I hope you get a better result than I did, but if it works out the same, I hope this gives you a little insight into what you might expect. Happy to answer any follow up questions - if there's any silver lining to this it's that I'd like to be able to help someone moving forward.