BABY NEWS

We had our ultrasound and found out we are having a BOY! However, things have certainly been "interesting" to say the least. I was told that my AFP blood test (Alph Feto Protein) came back positive for possible downs syndrome. Because of my "old age" (35), my risk for this type of thing goes up. The ultrasound showed a white spot in the left ventricle of his heart, which could be nothing, but could also be a "marker" for downs.

This past Tuesday, Shaun and I headed up to Maine Medical in Portland to obtain a Level 2 ultrasound which is basically a more thorough ultrasound. Meeting with a genetic counselor beforehand, she informed us of certain downs syndrome markers that they would look for in this ultrasound (12 to be exact), and that the white spot that was shown on my first ultrasound is actually fairly common to see (and goes away on it's own).

The Level 2 ultrasound did not show any other markers besides the white spot that we had already seen. The baby is growing right on mark, and things look fine otherwise. A doctor came in after looking at the results and told us our odds are 1 in 150 of having a baby with downs. Not too bad, but not conclusive enough for us. I was told I could have an amniocentesis done right then and there, and that the results would come back with 99.9% accuracy.

I've always been nervous about that procedure - picturing in my mind a needle the size of a baseball bat and a lot of pain. My genetic counselor assured me that it is a very quick, almost painless procedure. Since she had experienced one, she was able to describe it to me. I knew Shaun and I couldn't go through 20 more weeks of wondering, so we elected to go through with it (well, I elected to have it done - Shaun got off easy!).

I'm not a fan of watching needles go into my body, and in this case going into my womb was no exception. I closed my eyes and tried to relax as best as possible. The needle going in was simple, and I felt a little cramping as they withdrew a small amount of amniotic fluid. It was over in less than five minutes, and I felt fine afterwards. Because this procedure carries it's own risks - 1 in 300 for miscarriage - I was told to stay in bed all day yesterday and have my husband wait on me hand and foot. I also asked afterwards how big the needle is and was told it's about the length of a pen but less than half goes in.

It was nice to have one day where I didn't have to lift a finger, but one day was plenty!! I can't imagine being bedridden for any longer than 24 hours. So now we wait for the results (ten days) and go from here.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers!!