[NicoleT911]

Karen- I know what you're going through with the scary numbers. You have 2 options. Either wait til the anatomy scan and see how that goes and then make your decision on the amnio. Or, if you're worrying too much and would rather just get a definitive answer, do the amnio now and you may even have the results before the anatomy scan. It's just the matter of waiting. Are you going to stress yourself way out by waiting til the 12th? If so, the amnio might be worth it. I just had my amnio and was told that the risk of miscarriage is only 1 in 200. I had no problems after both of my amnios. They can do amnios at any point in the pregnancy, in fact, they do them late in pregnancy to measure lung maturity. The only reason they try to do them as early as 15 weeks is because they want the parents to have as many options as possible if there is a problem. The 1 in 240 odds are still okay, but I know, not as good as your first results.

Just think about what will be better for you in the long run. Waiting til the 12th, and hopefully get good news from the ultrasound. Or if the ultrasound raises some alarm, then you may opt for the amnio at that point. OR if the stress of worrying is getting to you, then maybe go for the amnio now. The small risk of miscarriage is there, but in the end, you get DEFINITE results.

Hope you are doing okay. I've been in your shoes with this issue and I know how worrisome it can be. Please know I am praying for a healthy baby and for as little worry for you as possible!!!!!

[Wishful2night]

Hi Everyone

I am sorry I haven't been around. I have been sick with pneumonia and its been rough to say the least.

I went back and read some of the posts that I have missed and it sounds like everyone is progressing well. It is so nice to hear. It makes me so happy.

I had my NT scan today. All these tests just stress me out. No one tells me anything. I think everything was normal, based on my internet research, uggg. This was my first scan since i left my RE. It is so hard to leave, I was more comfortable, everyone knew us and now we felt like a number and we couldn't even see a doctor today?!?
For anyone who can tell me more our CRL: 67mm =12 weeks 8 days, BDP: 24mm = 13 weeks 3 days, average size 13 weeks 1 day and Nuchal Trans : 1.6mm.

I have no idea what any of this means. I won't see the doctor (or meet her for that matter) till March 13th. I don't know how to cope with waiting :-(

If anyone knows how to translate these results I would be so thankful.

I see alot of you have been going through all this testing. It is sooooo not fun.

Love to hear from any and all of you. Wishing you all good thoughts and peaceful days.

xoxo S

[kirstyloo]

Karen & Nicole - You're right about amnio being an option. Most of the recent studies indicate that risk of miscarriage is actually 1:900-1600. The problem is that these studies were done in university settings and probably better than the "average" OB. If you go to someone who does quite a bit of these, their stats are probably much better than 1:200 loss rate quoted. That rate was determined in the 1980s when they did amnio without ultrasound.

The 2008 ACOG guidelines indicate that patients should be told that the risk of loss is 1:300-500 over the background risk of loss. Even if things are going well, there is a 1-2% chance that something will go wrong without amnio.

If you want to know more, I would recommend that you talk to a genetic counselor as he/she knows what the numbers are like in your area. I can only imagine how hard it is to figure out what to do.

[NicoleT911]

WISHFUL: 1.6mm Nuchal Trans sounds perfectly normal!!!!!! They told me 3.0 and above was abnormal.

[Wishful2night]

Originally Posted by NicoleT911

WISHFUL: 1.6mm Nuchal Trans sounds perfectly normal!!!!!! They told me 3.0 and above was abnormal.

Thank you Nicole, I so appreciate that. I hope your doing well. My sister went through exactly what your going through. She made herself sick with worry and my nephew is now almost 4 months old and beyond perfect.

xoxo

[CVICU-RN]

Happy to hear all the good news and read all the fun posts and see all the cute pics!!! Geez....get busy for a few days and fall so behind!!! =)

AFM: Went to the MFM today. My doctor talked to me for about one hour!!! Not the greatest news. We talked about my previous pregnancy and deliver (severe preeclampsia into HELLP) and my issues afterward (Severe PPD and bonding issues with our son). So, she recommended me seeing a therapist (not a bad idea-I have never spoken to anyone professionally about it and I still have a lot of issues I am noticing lately). But, then she talked to me about my 24 hour urine. I thought all my labs were fine, except for my blood sugar-which she was not even concerned with. I guess my protein level is already rising.... , so hopefully this will not continue and will plateau now. I am already over 150 and at 300 they will be placing me on the antepartum unit until further notice-so I am quite bummed right now. We also decided that if I have another <32 weeker-we will probably be tying my tubes. Lots of other discussions-but I think i hit the high points.

Please pray for me!!! I really want to know what it is like to have a healthy pregnancy and baby! She told me they are fairly sure it is linked to the male part of the placenta-and basically Ryan and I do not mix. So, all of my pregnancies will have preeclampsia to some extent. So, that is why the decision to "fix" my hubby or I. I cannot imagine myself being so selfish to want more kids if this happens again and see another baby go through what my little Miracle has been through and is still going through. So, anyways...

On a happier note, my DH surprised me last weekend and took me out to a great restaurant (Slow's in Detroit) and to the Detroit Opera House to see Rent!!! LOVED IT!! Anyways, I am blessed to have such a great hubby to help me and Nick through this.

Praying without ceasing for all of you!! Have a great week! Oh yes-my gender/Anatomy scan is March 24 with my next appointment...then I start my every two week appts. And if I ever decide to show-I will post a pic!!! lol =)

[texasgirl]

Since I'm up for my first breakfast, thought I'd pop in and say good morning.

Ok, what is it about McD's biscuits?? I sent dh to get me 2 plain ones on Sat when I was feeling bad....I think they have healing powers.

Kirsten, you are going to have one smart baby! You'd think the smart ladies before you would have demanded better mat leave! But, at this point, I'm also just glad to have a job while it lasts. Sadly, more friends are in jeopardy right now.

Gloria, stinks you were sick on vaca. Hope you get better soon.

While I haven't bought anything either (diaper thing sounds brilliant!), some sweet friends gave our babies their first gifts....the cutest little blankets. And, another friend basically cleared out her attic to give me 3 containers full of mat clothes and tons of baby gear - I swear I thought dh was going to faint when he saw the car loaded down, but he just said how nice it was that everyone is so ecxited for us and proceeded to unload. It was really cute when he was asking me what some of the items were for.

So, yesterday, I see a missed call on my cell from my OB w/ no msg. By the time I saw it, they were already closed, but it dawned on me that they were probably calling with the blood results of the NT and hung up when they read on my chart that I didn't want to know. So, now I'm in this uncertain mode of do I call back for the info??? Ugh! Would you call?

Praying for the healthiest bunch of bundles for all of us. Hang in there, Karen, Nicole and CV.

[nrudolph0578]

Hi girls, I have not been that active online lately but have been keeping up with everyone's posts. Good luck to all having their NTs and with the amnios. I have been rather stressed lately as I went to a hematologist to take some tests related to why I appear to be anemic and she found as breast lump (which has been there for a while and my OB has done at least 100 exams on me since then and never raised concern) and a small lymph node under right armpit which I can't even feel! I guess she was definitely digging in there. Anyway, I immediately went back to my OB yesterday to have her do another breast exam even though she just did one at my OB appt like 2 weeks ago and she said she could not feel any node and the lumpy area is most likely fibroglandular tissue (??) and she is not overly concerned. I am scheduled to have an ultrasound today at 5:30pm on both areas. I am so worried. I am not sure if anyone has ever had this fibroglandular area and what it feels like but mine just feels like a hard bony area in breast under nipple when you press in really hard. I can't help but think of my baby and what if this is something serious, but yet I am only 30 and have no history of this cancer in my family. Uggh I am stressed, but any advice would be great.
Nicole

[CTdoglvrs]

Hi Nicole-
I just wanted to pass on a little bit of peace of mind for you... which I'm sure will not settle in completely until after you get the good news from your U/S's that everything is OK! My doctor had mentioned that breast lumps are very common during pregnancy and a very low percentage of lumps/bumps found during pregnancy are cancerous... In fact- here is a link to some information about breast cancer that speaks specifically to pregnancy. It says that 70-80% of lumps found in pregnancy turn out to be non-cancerous. I hope that makes you feel a little better!! We are praying for you though that you and your littleone will be Perfectly fine!!!!!

Screening for Breast Cancer During Pregnancy

[Klbabynow]

Nicole, I hope for the best for your exams. I have also heard that a large percentage are non cancerous. I have had a lymphnode for almost 20 years under my right armpit and it get's sore with higher levels of hormones but I have never had any other issues.
Thanks to all for the feedback. I guess I am just concerned because the risk level went up instead of down. I don't know if that's a worse indication than if it starte out that way. I am afraidthat if I have the amnio, I might miscarry but on the other hand, I am wondering if I will worry for the rest of my pegnanct and I really wanted to enjoy the next 5 months (worry free). I know I will love my baby either way. I wish I never took the first trimester screenign tests to begin with. Someone posted that they told their doc not to tell them, well, I enjoyed the u/s because it gave me positive feelings but the bloodwork has only made e so anxious. Now I don't know what to do.

[LE201]

Originally Posted by kirstyloo

Karen – The second trimester screen usually has a 5% false-positive rate. This means that the test was created so that 5% of all women who take the test will “screen positive.” The vast majority of women who “screen positive” do NOT have children with Down syndrome. At our school, this means that of the women who “screen positive” 22 of 23 women have chromosomally normal babies while 1 in 23 women have a child with Down syndrome. Please note these numbers can vary slightly from testing site to testing site. If you can see a genetic counselor, he/she would probably help you to think about the numbers more effectively. They probably have info as to how your anatomy scan might change the numbers.

LE – the Integrated test includes the first trimester test (NT + blood work) with the standard second trimester test (generally the Quad screen). It is very similar to the Sequential Test. In the Integrated Test, you need to wait until the second set of blood work comes into get your risks. If you did the Sequential Test, you’d get two different sets of tests. One after the first trimester and one set after the Quad screen.

I teach Medical Genetics. This fall I worked with the school’s genetic counselor to put together a self-study on Prenatal Testing.

Kristen-The Dr said I would not qualify for theQuad Screen, because I had lost one of the babies early on. He said that since I lost one that my numbers might be all out of wack. I hope that the vanishing twin doesn't cause problems with my results.

[nrudolph0578]

Thanks everyone, I hope it is all right. Of course, my appt is not until 5:30pm tonight so I have all day to worry..

[texasgirl]

Nicole, prayers coming your way. Although, I don't think you have anything to worry about. Our bodies are going berzerk right now, so it's probably nothing.

Karen, you just helped me finalize my decision. I will not be calling back for the results. I kept telling myself that maybe there was a reason I should, but I'm stickin' to the plan. All of this is so overwhelming....here we all thought getting a bfp was the hardest part.

LE, you're in my thoughts too.

Hugs to all of you. Lisa

[frymomma2b]

Hey fellow August mommies i kinda scanned through and seen some of your post. There is no way to catch up as long as i have been MIA lol. but i am so glad to see so many healthy mommies and babies. I am still doing great i am finally getting over the morning (or should i say all day ) sickness! grrr it was killing me....still burping all the time which is the weirdest symptom ever. I go tomorrow for my 15 week check up and they said that they might be able to tell us the gender anyone heard of it this soon. We are hoping for a girl! anywho yall take care hope to be able to keep visiting more frequently

[NicoleT911]

Nicole- Please know that I am hoping and praying that this is just a simple lump that is pregnancy/hormone related and NOTHING else. I'll be thinking of you around 5:30.

LE- so if you can't have the quad screen, is an amnio the only test they'll do?

Karen- I know it is such a hard decision. Personally, with both pregnancies, I did not want to worry and wonder all throughout my pregnancies if my child was/is okay. If there is a problem, I personally want to be totally prepared. The unknown is what kills me. During my last pregnancy, when I got the amnio results, I was SO relieved. It was such a weight off my shoulders and I was able to relax and enjoy the pregnancy. The risk of miscarriage is so small, that I thought it was worth the risk for peace of mind and a worry-free pregnancy. I didn't want stress/anxiety to cause any problems for the baby either. Obviously, everyone isn't like me and can shut the worry off sometimes. Just thought I'd share my reasoning for doing the amnio both times. Whatever you decide, we all will be here for you!!!!! If you do decide to do the amnio, make sure the doctor who does it is experienced. They say the more experienced the doctor, the risk of miscarriage is even less.