At this stage of your pregnancy (8th week of gestation), your doctor may suggest a test called Chorionic villus sampling. Chorionic villi are tiny finger-like units that check the placenta (a disk-like structure that sticks to the inner lining of the uterus and provides nutrients from the mother to the fetus through the umbilical cord). They have the same chromosomes and genetic makeup as the fetus. This alternative to an amniocentesis removes some of the chorionic villi and tests them for chromosomal abnormalities. Its advantage over an amniocentesis is that it can be performed earlier (amniocentesis can’t be performed before the 16th week). The CVS results can also be obtained quite rapidly.
Did you know…
It’s the fertilizing sperm’s X chromosome (girl) or Y chromosome (boy) that determines your baby’s sex. The egg and sperm each have 23 chromosomes (22 identical ones plus a sexual chromosome). The egg has 22 + X and the sperm either has 22 + Y or 22 + X.
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