I returned today to the Maternal Fetal Medicine department at the hospital for a repeat ultrasound. We had completed the Nuchal Translucency scan last pregnancy with little man, which screens for chromosomal abnormalities based on a fluid measurement from the back of the baby's neck in addition to comparing this number with running blood work and analyzing different hormone levels in your blood. Both of those two measurements gives you a risk level for having a baby with a chromosomal abnormality.
The MFM department asked that I return to them around this time anyway, to check on the baby, and look at the dark spot in the sac. Since we were going to be there anyway, we went ahead and completed the NT scan again. This time, however, we did not complete the associated blood work. Based on the information I was presented with today, if there is any problem with the placenta, which they were questioning my problem to possibly be a placental hemorrhage at this point, that it would throw off the blood levels they were attempting to obtain for the screening. Apparently, it would decrease the accuracy of the test and increase the false positive possibility. Seeing this, and all the other scary stuff we have been through in this pregnancy, I declined that part.
During the ultrasound, both the tech and the doctor were back in the room. They confirmed that the 'mass' they are now calling it in the sac had not gotten any smaller, but it had also not gotten any bigger, and it didn't really look any different than before, which was good. Based on the NT part of the scan, they gave me good numbers and a low risk for chromosomal abnormalities as well.
Since this was around the time last time that they predicted little man's sex (at 13 weeks 1 day) and it was the same tech that performed that ultrasound, I asked her if she'd peek down a bit and let me know if she saw anything leaning towards another boy or a girl baby. She took a look and while she was really sure last time with little man, she said this time she was unable to give me any more than a guess right now and it could be wrong. So, I'm taking that to mean it could still be either way, which is fine by me. Because she was unable to tell today, DH will actually be able to be present for the next appointment in which hopefully they can give us an answer at that time so that we could find out together, as a family.
They set me up for my next ultrasound at 18 weeks, 6 weeks from now so that they can look again, and then from that point, determine how often they will have me return for ultrasounds until the end of the pregnancy. I think the doctor mentioned something about having me return at least every 6 weeks if things continued to go well, and more frequently if the mass began to grow or change at all.
This ultrasound was the first one that anyone bothered to give me any pictures of the baby, even though I've had so many. This ultrasound was also the first that I was relaxed enough and calm enough that I probably would have asked for them if they hadn't offered. It felt really, really nice to feel like this is starting to be just a 'normal' pregnancy again. And of course, hearing that sweet, reassuring heartbeat, and watching those little legs and arms and body move around during the test, just makes me feel so proud, so happy, so strong that I am carrying this child, despite what I previously was told.
In other news, I meet my new Ob this week at my first appointment with her at the end of the week. I'm a little nervous, but hopeful that it will go well and we will hit it off, since there aren't a whole lot of options left to me of doctors that deliver at my hospital that are not in my old Ob's group that he could possibly cover for. I did cancel all my appointments with the old Ob. I am thankful for the care that he provided to myself and my son during my first pregnancy, but I just think there were a lot of things I would have liked to happen differently with this pregnancy and it didn't leave a lot of trust there, which is imperative to me.
Thanks again all for checking in on me and the baby, I so appreciate all the kind words and love we've been shown in the past few months.
♥ the naptown organizer