You will normally be offered invasive prenatal diagnosis if there is a reason for concern about your baby. This decision might be made on the basis of your age, whether you and/or your partner suffer a disease that can be passed on to the baby, or an ultrasound examination of the baby that suggests further investigation is required.
Amniocentesis: Guiding the needle
First, to help the doctor be absolutely precise when inserting the needle, an ultrasound scanner is used to establish the exact position of the fetus and the placenta. Second a fine needle is inserted into the womb and into a pool of amniotic fluid.