Friday, September 4, 2009

The Results...

I would have posted earlier, but my munchkin has given me the crud and I've felt too stopped up to actually think clearly enough to write. That said, my doctor's appointment went fantastically!
I am now 4 months pregnant. Apparently everything is right on track. My blood pressure was great and I haven't gained any weight. Now I know for a fact that is not true, but if their scale says so then I will let them believe that! The baby's heart rate was 163 so the doctor is predicting another girl.
I also received the results of the nuchal translucency test and blood test that I had done a couple of weeks ago. According to Babycenter.com:

"This prenatal test (also called the NT or nuchal fold scan) can help your healthcare practitioner assess your baby's risk of having Down syndrome (DS) and some other chromosomal abnormalities as well as major congenital heart problems.

The NT test uses ultrasound to measure the clear (translucent) space in the tissue at the back of your developing baby's neck. Babies with abnormalities tend to accumulate more fluid at the back of their neck during the first trimester, causing this clear space to be larger than average."

With my first pregnancy we opted not to have this test done. Instead, there is a 15 week blood test that can be done to test for neural tube defects and Down syndrome. We chose only to have this test done. We got quite abnormal results and were told that it looked like the fetus may have Down syndrome. That meant we went through much concern as well as a consult with a genetic counselor and a 3D/4D ultrasound. All of this was rather expensive and also an hour away. Of course, we could have opted not to know until delivery, but we wanted to be able to properly prepare for whatever the circumstances required.
This time around we thought we would rather do the earlier screening and perhaps avoid some of the time and worry. It was something I was able to do at my doctor's office (which is only about 5 minutes away).
All of the results were good. There is a general range of risk of having a baby with Down syndrome based on the mother's age. For me (at 28) the risk is roughly 1 in 774. After having done this test my estimated risk has dropped to < 1 in 10,000. For me, the roughly two and a half hours (split over 3 office visits) spent in the ultrasound room trying to get the baby to get into the exact right position for the measurement needed were very well worth it.
So I am thrilled to say that thus far my pregnancy is progressing beautifully. Because I know that that could change in a heartbeat, I am going to enjoy every minute of smooth sailing I can get!

1 comment:

Reya Mellicker said...

BRAVO and congratulations on your upcoming motherhood - well, you're already a mother, so ... your upcoming baby. You know what I mean!

Glad all is well.

Love the pics of your dog. What a sweetie! Not to mention your beautiful daughter.