Hello all! Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! Mine was nice - went to the in-laws for the holiday and spent Christmas with them and some of our Rhode Island friends. Our trip was cut short slightly when we heard about the snowstorm coming so we high-tailed it home late last night. VERY wise decision...not only did we beat the snow but traffic late on Christmas night was super light. Awesome! And now we are snowed in quite nicely with nowhere to travel tonight, perfect.
Tomorrow we'll do our first trimester screening at 1pm (hmmm, I wonder if the snow will change this plan at all, I really hope not.) Anyways, I did not have these tests when I had my first two children ages ago. This test is made up of two components. A blood test and an ultrasound. The ultrasound is used to measure the amount of fluid behind the baby's neck (nuchal translucency.) A larger measurement typically equates to a higher risk of Down's syndrome, Trisomy 18, or Trisomy 13. But it's important for DH & I to remember that this is not a diagnostic test, this is just a screening test. There are a large amount of false positives in the b/w & u/s so that's something to keep in mind. If our risk is high, we could then decide to proceed with CVS (chorionic villus sampling) or amniocentesis to get an actual diagnosis (or to get the all clear.) To be honest though we most likely would not move onto any diagnostic tests. Partially because we don't want to add any additional risks of miscarriage and two, we would not terminate the pregnancy anyways unless the abnormality was incompatible with life. Hopefully we will not have to cross that bridge.
So some may ask, why bother even doing the first trimester screening? Well, it is optional so we certainly don't have to do it. However, if we find that our risk is very low we can have that piece of mind. And if we find that our risk is high, we know to look for other markers in future ultrasounds. Future u/s findings could confirm the initial screening results or completely dispell them. But if confirmed, we could begin to prepare and educate ourselves on whatever help our baby may need. So we're proceeding with the tests tomorrow and we should have the full results by the end of the week. Again, the results would not be a diagnosis. It will just provide us with our level of risk.
On another note, I can't believe my surgery is 8 days away. WOW! I can't even imagine how I'll be feeling next Sunday night. Ummm...I'll guess nervous, anxious, and more nervous. Will I be able to sleep? Oh, I so doubt it!! I'm already nervous just thinking about how I'll be feeling. I think I better dig out my old New Age CD's and get my meditation groove on.
Will report back tomorrow! For now, hope all my friends & family on the East coast are snuggling in with some hot chocolate while the snow falls and falls and falls and falls....
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