23 Weeks
Small Eggplant (22-24 weeks), or Large Mango
I missed last week. Not because I was forgetful, but because I was busy. No matter. Baby's size hit "eggplant" last week (though maybe this is a puny eggplant), and is about the same for this and the next. Somewhere around 1-1.5 pounds, this little dude is kicking up a storm. Had a Level 2 Ultrasound last week, which included a fetal echocardiogram (EKG). Because the firstborn had a ventricular septal defect prior to birth, they wanted to check to be sure this little ticker was ticking properly. No worries. 150bpm at the last midwife appointment three days ago. He's doing great. He had the hiccups during the entire EKG appointment, which made it fun for the docs to try and get a good image. However, they felt pretty confident that 90% of possible heart defects were ruled out. The other 10% cannot be diagnosed in utero (things like the hole in the top of the heart, which is present in utero, failing to close upon birth). I'm feeling pretty good, but noticing that my lower back is starting to ache. Gotta carry this little dude around for about 17 more weeks (maybe less). He's only going to get bigger. And wigglier.
Showing posts with label defects. Show all posts
Showing posts with label defects. Show all posts
Friday, November 7, 2014
Friday, August 17, 2007
Shot Through the Heart
I saw eleventy-billion pictures of my baby yesterday. Moving, kicking, squirming, and hiding its face with crossed arms. And hiding its sex with crossed legs (so THERE...baby doesn't want to be identified).
But they saw something on the ultrasound they didn't like. My brilliant husband noticed it too, and he immediately asked, "What is that bright spot in the baby's heart?" The ultrasound technician sort of waived it off as if it were nothing, but then the doctor called us back in.
The bright white was a calcium deposit, known as an Echogenic Intracardiac Focus, or EIF. He said that EIF is a fetal marker for Down Syndrome. Although I had the blood test a few weeks ago and it came up normal, those tests tend to miss approximately 20% of all known cases. We have the option of doing an amniocentesis (where they stick a large needle through my abdomen and draw some of the amniotic fluid around the baby) to get an accurate reading and know for sure, but the risk includes miscarriage at a rate of 1 in 200. The risk of actually having DS is about the same, maybe a little higher. My question is, what would knowing do for us? It wouldn't change the diagnosis, and it certainly wouldn't change our decision to keep our baby. So to me, it isn't worth the risk.
The other thing that was noted on the baby's heart was what is known as a Ventricular Septal Defect, or VSD. This is basically a hole in baby's heart in the muscle between the left and right ventricles. It means very little now because all of the baby's blood is being filtered by my heart. But after birth, the oxygenated blood will mix with and displace the de-oxygenated blood, causing some potentially long-term problems. The problem could fix itself, or baby might need surgery before the age of two. That is more of a wait-and-see thing. Here's a picture of normal versus not normal:
Here's hoping that hole they saw isn't very large (really, what is 3mm in the grand scheme of things?) and that it will repair itself.
I am scheduled for another ultrasound in two weeks, this time with a greater focus on the heart. I was just so excited to see it beating, that I don't even care about anything else.
But they saw something on the ultrasound they didn't like. My brilliant husband noticed it too, and he immediately asked, "What is that bright spot in the baby's heart?" The ultrasound technician sort of waived it off as if it were nothing, but then the doctor called us back in.
The bright white was a calcium deposit, known as an Echogenic Intracardiac Focus, or EIF. He said that EIF is a fetal marker for Down Syndrome. Although I had the blood test a few weeks ago and it came up normal, those tests tend to miss approximately 20% of all known cases. We have the option of doing an amniocentesis (where they stick a large needle through my abdomen and draw some of the amniotic fluid around the baby) to get an accurate reading and know for sure, but the risk includes miscarriage at a rate of 1 in 200. The risk of actually having DS is about the same, maybe a little higher. My question is, what would knowing do for us? It wouldn't change the diagnosis, and it certainly wouldn't change our decision to keep our baby. So to me, it isn't worth the risk.
The other thing that was noted on the baby's heart was what is known as a Ventricular Septal Defect, or VSD. This is basically a hole in baby's heart in the muscle between the left and right ventricles. It means very little now because all of the baby's blood is being filtered by my heart. But after birth, the oxygenated blood will mix with and displace the de-oxygenated blood, causing some potentially long-term problems. The problem could fix itself, or baby might need surgery before the age of two. That is more of a wait-and-see thing. Here's a picture of normal versus not normal:
Here's hoping that hole they saw isn't very large (really, what is 3mm in the grand scheme of things?) and that it will repair itself.
I am scheduled for another ultrasound in two weeks, this time with a greater focus on the heart. I was just so excited to see it beating, that I don't even care about anything else.
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