NT Screen

Well, I made it through the scans with only minimal freakout.

The tech had to take a bunch of other measurements before locating the baby, and then it took a minute to pinpoint her/him. But once I saw it, I calmed a bit but still needed to see/hear the heart beating in order to feel ok. She located the heart but baby was moving a lot so it took a bit to get the measurement - 152bpm - perfect. It took 40 minutes to get the baby into the right position to measure the fluid behind the neck which came in at 1.2mm. Baby is CRL 6.92cm and measuring at 13 weeks 3 days - right on track.

Here are a couple of photos of Baby J.

The blood draw was a piece of cake and off we went home. So now we are waiting for the results. Based on the NT measurement, we are likely looking at a negative screen but we do need to have all info before knowing for sure. Hopefully the results will be in early next week. I don't have that same worry that I had before the test so that is good...especially for me, the self-pronounced Queen of Worry. I will update once we get the call.

13 week update

My baby this week: size of a peach

Weight Gain: 1.6 lbs. total. Still struggling with seeing the scale go up and seeing my belly round. It is especially noticeable at night. 

Baby bump: My normal pants/jeans are now feeling tight by the end of the workday. But not wearing maternity clothes yet.

Sleep: Still sleeping very light and therefor spending more nights on the couch than in my bed.

Best moment of the week: My mom accepting my invite to come to tomorrow's ultrasound. 

Symptoms: Still very tired. Usually asleep on the couch by 8:30pm. 

Food cravings: French fries and candy - sprees, sweet tarts, sour candy... stuff like that.

What I miss: Sleeping through the night.

What I am looking forward to: Seeing the baby at tomorrow's NT screen and the Level 2 US/Gender scan on Feb 14. Happy Valentine's Day!

Milestones: 2nd trimester!!

Emotions: Excited. But nervous about the Downs/Trisomy screening tomorrow.

A pleasant surprise

Last night at my appointment with the midwife, I got to hear the baby's heartbeat. I had no idea she would even try to find it. It was tough to find at first and I admit I got a bit nervous. But then, suddenly, there it was. A strong 168 beats per minute. I felt badly the IJ didn't get to hear it. The midwife grabbed my purse for me so I could try to record it on my phone but I guess the baby moved so we couldn't find it again.

After that, I had to get some basic "girl tests" done. It seems my retroverted uterus is even more retroverted now that baby is on board. I have never had that much pain during a basic pap. Otherwise, the appointment was fine, lots of questions about medical history and talk about my hypertension. I am right on the border of it being too high for pregnancy. I knew as soon as that BFP came in that my medication would be at least doubled. So I need to talk to my own doctor about that today.

I also decided on my Downs Syndrome and Trisomy 18 testing. Since I have no intention of aborting (note: this is our personal choice, I am not soap boxing here) I decided not to do the diagnostic testing (Amniocenthesis or CVS). I felt it would be irresponsible of me to not do any testing (note: again, a personal decision for IJ and I) so I decided to go with the sequential screening. It involves bloodwork and an ultrasound in both the first and second trimesters. This way, if there is an issue, we can take some time to understand the situation and research how to best help our baby once he/she arrives. I feel good about the choice. And I am looking forward to another ultrasound of course!