Blood Results Are Back

My least favorite thing to do is have blood drawn. I am a complete wimp when you tell me you have to poke me with a needle. After three children and working on my fourth, you would think it wouldn't even phase me. Let's face it... another name for a pregnant woman is a pin cushion!

When I went for my first trimester screening at the UT hospital on the 28th of December, not only did they do an in depth ultrasound, but they also did a blood screening. It was my understanding that this screening would completely rule out certain chromosomal anomalies such as a few of the different Trisomy #'s and Down Syndrome. I was a little frustrated when the hospital called back with my results today...

Apparently, this test does NOT rule out these conditions! It only tells me what my risk is of having a baby with one of the above mentioned defects. Although my risk is at the very minimal for having a baby with any of these conditions, less than one in one hundred thousand to be exact, it doesn't make me feel any safer. I had less of a chance of having a baby that had Wyatt's condition and it still happened to us! I wouldn't have gotten the blood panel done if I had known it were only giving me odds. However, I am thankful everything "baby" related came back normal!

As far as me, I have a certain hormone that is elevated. I would give you the name of that particular hormone, but they didn't even tell me! I found all this out over a voicemail.

I'm told there is no risk to me now, but that my doctor would need to keep a close eye on me when I near my third trimester. Apparently, the increase in this certain hormone puts me at an increased risk of blood pressure problems and preterm labor. It worries me a little, but it makes me feel better to know I have this risk so it can be closely monitored.

Can I ask for your prayers please? Not just for this pregnancy, but also for a few bloggy friends that have some big prayer requests or needs? I won't go into any details, but there are some (yes, more than one) angel moms out there that could really use your prayers. Some are still struggling to get pregnant... Others are scared as they face first doctor appointments and new pregnancies... And there are even some that have lost yet another baby to miscarriage or are looking into the face of a possible miscarriage. My heart is scared and broken for these friends. I wish there was more for me to do than pray. It doesn't seem like enough. I feel so helpless.

Blessings to you all, and much love!

12 Week Ultrasound

I had a really great visit for my twelve week appointment and ultrasound. You have no idea how wonderful it is to say this. The best news of all is that "the baby's arms and legs look like they are growing perfectly in proportion with the baby's body", as Dr. G informed us! He also said the baby's head looks like it is forming absolutely normal. Horray! As many of you know, Wyatt's skull never hardened so that has been a constant worry for me as well as Thanatophoric dysplasia. It was a relief to see the baby and a healthy beating heart.

I didn't sleep the entire night before my appointment because I was silently dreading going into my appointment and finding out my baby died right after my last ultrasound. It was a ridiculous fear considering the fact that my waist is doing a steady disappearing act...

My doctor also addressed some of my fears without me even mentioning I was uncomfortable.

The biggest being that his office sends all the expectant mothers to the perinatal unit in Knoxville (the office we found out Wyatt would die) for all of the 18-20 week anatomy ultrasounds (the same time frame as with Wyatt's diagnosis). I have been freaking out about stepping foot back in that office since I found out this piece of information.

As I was laying on the table waiting for my doctor to start my ultrasound, he was looking over my medical records which I brought in at his request, and he said "I notice you had a lot of your ultrasounds done out of the perinatal unit in Knoxville... Would you be more comfortable if we sent you to UT instead of Fort Sanders?". I started shaking and crying with relief at the idea of truly never having to go back to that room again. I didn't realize until that moment how much I was truly dreading it. What a blessing.

My doctor is sending me for a detailed first trimester screening on the 28th. They will do an anatomy ultrasound and blood panels. This IS NOT the quad screen... I refused that particular test because the results often come back as a false positive. The doctor said he is very confident this baby is 100% healthy and that he is ordering the test simply to give me some much needed assurance. I couldn't ask for a better doctor. It's hard not to be joyful when he's around. Joseph calls him Dr. Joy! As a matter of fact, I think that is what we'll call him from now on (on here at least).

On a minor note, I found out I tested positive for Beta Strep. Let me just say I was shocked considering I've had this test done for THREE different pregnancies, MULTIPLE times each, and have always received a negative! Dr. Joy told me that Beta Strep is something that comes and goes, and although a woman tests negative for it, she can be positive for it later. So that raises this question for me... Why don't they just give everyone the antibiotic for it if there was the possibility that even though they tested negative for it, they could be positive for it when they deliver?

I feel it was a blessing to know this in advance. It's one more thing we can be prepared for to make sure this baby enters the world as healthy as possible. On the note of the baby, here are a few pictures from my ultrasound. Notice that you can clearly see ARMS and LEGS... especially in the second picture!