I’ve had more appointments than I can poke a stick at so far this month: 12th - OB & ultrasound in his rooms 13th - gyno 13th - imaging place ultrasound 14th - phone consult with gyno 17th - face-to-face gyno follow up/final surgery consult
Tomorrow morning, the 18th at 11:30, I’ll be going in for surgery to remove my left ovarian cyst as well as both the ovary and fallopian tube. My gyno believes my ovary twisted when I presented to the ER with severe pain in week 5 and again in week 6, which is why I’m still in so much pain.
Won’t know what recovery will be like until I’m out of surgery as won’t know if it can be done keyhole until he’s in there. No idea how many follow up appointments I’ll have either, guess that will also depend on the extent of the surgery.
To say I’m scared is an understatement. Just hoping it’s not necrotic after being twisted for so long and the removal all goes smoothly.
Holy smokes @wiseh! Glad they could figure out what's going on -- diagnosing is often the tricky part, so you've got that piece done, yay. Wishing you all the best that the rest goes smoothly!
Thanks for all your support, ladies! I’m out of surgery and it went much better than expected. My gyno was able to remove just the cyst so I get to keep my ovary and Fallopian tube! Turns out it was all twisted a few times around which is why I was in pain, but not enough to cut the blood supply off which is lucky!
ETA- gyno just came and spoke to be and said he did have to take most of the ovary (it was the nurses that told me my ovary was saved) as it had twisted and was mostly dead. BUT there’s still a little bit of ovary left that was ok and has some eggs, and my other ovary is presumably ok. He couldn’t see it because it was tucked under my uterus and he didn’t want to move it to look at it but in previous ultrasounds it’s fine. About to have an ultrasound to check on bub but I think I can feel it so I’m not too worried. Excited to be in the mend and looking forward to being pain free!
Late to post bc my appt was not as expected. Ob saw excess fluid at our prenatal and rushed the nt scan and had me go for prelude testing. Our lo is showing excess fluid behind the neck so we are awaiting our dna results next week but the baby has a 51% chance of having downes or Turner syndrome. I opted not to have a cvs yet bc our blood test is 99% accurate for testing for those disorders. DD never had any abnormal tests or scans so this is my first experience with this. It’s been a tough couple days . I’ll know more next week so hopefully the results don’t get delayed with the holiday.
@wiseh glad surgery went well! I hope your recovery is easy and quick.
@BlondePeanut sorry your appointment didn’t go as planned and that you’re dealing with uncertainty now. All of my fingers crossed for good news from the blood test. Big hugs.
@wiseh sorry to hear that you were at first given good news to find out that the doc had to remove some of your ovary. Glad that everything looks like it went well though and LO is doing good! hopefully your pain will be behind you now.
@BlondePeanut I'm sorry to hear that your appointment didn't go as you had expected. FX for good results from the bloodwork!
Thank you everyone. I really appreciate all the support. It's been hard to digest. The genetic specialist read our ultrasound measurements, and told us that because of the amount of fluid (measured at 6, and it should be below 3), that even with no chromosome abnormality, the baby has a 10% chance of not surviving the pregnancy full term due to incapability with life. If the blood test is negative for chromosome defects, there is a 25% chance that the baby will have a heart defect of some type, so my pregnancy is now rated as high risk no matter what the blood results reveal. DH and I are both on the same page that even if the blood test reveals the baby to have a birth defect or disorder, we will continue the pregnancy and pray for the best. No judgement toward anyone who has had to make a choice in this kid of situation. Just based on our personal and spiritual beliefs and what we came to decide together as a couple, we want to give the baby the same chance we would give a baby with no birth defects, even if we need to be ready for a child with special needs. I'm clinging on to hope that the baby is completely healthy and we got the crap scared out of us for no reason, but we are preparing ourselves for the worst case scenarios. They said the blood results should be in by 12/27 at the latest so we have a week approx until we get more definitive answers.
@BlondePeanut thank you for the update and I’m so sorry you and your husband are having to make such difficult decisions. I know it sounds overwhelming, but 51% chance that something is wrong is still a 49% chance that everything is ok. Hopefully your results come back quickly and baby will be okay.
@BlondePeanut, I’m so very, very sorry that you are having to face such uncertainty. I think what @TJtheGoat said is something to hold onto - 49% that everything is ok. I’ll be holding onto that hope for you in the next week and through the holidays. Regardless, you have all our support and positive energy. Again, I’m so sorry you’re having to deal with this.
Married 25 May, 2013 William Alexander born 18 September, 2015 Harper Grace born 9 June, 2017 Colton Miles born 9 June, 2017 Bowen James due 19 June, 2019
@BlondePeanut my heart hurts for you. Like others have pointed out -- this is essentially a coin toss, and there's just as much chance everything is totally normal. I wish phrasing could be different, or our brains would focus on the likelihood of positive outcomes, but know that's tough to do. For whatever it's worth, my OB actually warned me off of the scans/tests because she had seen so many false positives -- the week I was in to see her, she had your exact circumstance happen to another patient, whose scan had given her a terrible outlook for her baby's health, but when they did the follow-up, the baby was 100% normal. I know it's anecdotal and it's one person and her story is not every story, but it does happen. And if for whatever reason your baby does have some troubles, modern medicine is amazing, and the resources for special needs kids are growing so much -- and this baby has the best parents in the world who will love and fight for him/her. I know it's easier said than done, but I hope you can find a way to relax and let go over Christmas, and just worry again when it's time to worry. Hugs, friend.
I'm scheduled for an appointment next week, and ob-gyn says there'll be AFP screening. Is that good to have/necessary? What are the chances that it's covered by insurance? Not high-risk pregnancy & below 35yrs old. My NIPT & NT scan came back normal.
I just had my 16-week appointment today. Sadly no US, but we got to listen to baby’s strong heart beat on the Doppler! It was a really good appointment despite my day kinda sucking. I am so exhausted and I puked up my entire breakfast at work today and I’ve just been feeling generally crappy. I want to go to sleep tonight at like 7 pm.
@mcassiee yes, the AFP is totally a normal thing and it will most likely be covered mostly by your insurance. Like you, I also got my NIPT and NT scan done in 1st trimester. Normally, if you didn’t do those tests they’d do the Quad Screen which would include the AFP. But since you got the other tests done, they were normal, you only need to get your AFP which has to be done in 2nd trimester. Hope that helps!
** lurker from your F'17 board/August ** I will be praying for you @BlondePeanut! I have a cousin who had similar results at her NT scan, and her son's fluid did resolve before delivery & he's now a healthy almost 3 year old. So just know it is possible, but so so scary! Hugs!
Hey all - FTM here and just wondering what’s normal appointment-wise?
Questions:
*How many ultrasounds, for example? (Normal pregnancy - or so I hope.)
*How much genetic testing is “normal” or medically necessary?
*Did everyone get an NT scan?
***What are the benefits to knowing about genetic abnormalities? (Especially if you don’t plan on terminating pregnancy regardless?)***
@BlondePeanut I am SO sorry you’re struggling with the results. I haven’t gotten the same testing done but I can only imagine how hard it would be. I hope these questions/comments aren’t crass in the face of your uncertainty 💜
My journey - trying to condense:
At my first appt (Nov at 8 weeks) did a vaginal US.
***At that appt, we were given 3 “tiers” for gen testing, ranging from most to least accurate - we chose the second “tier” because we didn’t know any different and I was afraid ins would end up not covering. (I was right! $600 for the one genetic blood draw I’ve had.)
December had 2nd appt (at 12 weeks) and another US, this time no probing required (lol.)
I never had/was offered the NT scan that I keep reading about - guessing we somehow opted out (?) but it seems so normal based on the boards and stories I read from you all.
Was also told that the genetic test (the $600 one) is the first of two that we “need” - and our gen abnormalities are avg of the 2 tests.
I’m so overwhelmed and confused - which is compounded by my distrust of the American healthcare systems we operate within. I work in healthcare and see everyday how profits are put over patients and it’s made me quite cynical.
Thanks for reading novel - is anyone else utterly confused?
@raemy12345 Insurance covers the genetic testing based on age/risk factors. My first pregnancy was 2 years ago and I was not given the blood test because I am under 35 and my NT ultrasound was normal. This time, I am 30 but because of my abnormal NT scan the Dr required the blood test as a secondary testing so the insurance covered it. As far as ultrasounds it depends on if you are high risk. From my experience with my daughter 2 years ago, we had 3 ultrasounds in the first trimester (OB performed 2, one at 8 weeks and one at 12, then the NT scan was done at the hospital before 13 weeks). I had an anatomy scan ultrasound in the second trimester, and one final ultrasound during the third trimester I believe 2-3 weeks before my due date to see how big the baby was. If you are high risk, which I now unfortunately am, I will be getting extra scans and tests done to ensure the health of my baby. It also depends on where you live as to what your OB requires and insurance covers for your tests/ultrasounds. We don't get options at my OB for the genetic tests. She requires the NT scan, and if you are over 35 or have an abnormal scan or other children with birth defects/disorders, then she also requires the blood test portion along with that.
@raemy12345 honestly I feel like it’s all different. For example my NP told me that I’m our state they are only allowed to do one ultrasound in the 1st tri. unless there’s a medical necessity. But my friend in the same state got two with no medical necessity. I will only have two ultrasounds; one in the 1st tri. and the anatomy scan. I think if you’re rich and can pay for more then they will do as many ultrasounds as you want ex: celebrities.
I personally don’t think the genetic testing is medically necessary unless you have a family history of a genetic disease. I did not do any genetic testing because it was very expensive. Though, I would have done it if it was covered by my insurance. I don’t see any benefits in knowing about genetic abnormalities if you aren’t going to terminate. But if you are the kind of person who wants to be prepared ahead of time then that is the benefit. I am not becuase I had so much anxiety about getting past the 1st trimester I wanted some down time to actually enjoy being pregnant.
Edit to clarify: my NP told me the genetic abnormalities they test for in the 1st tri. can be detected at the anatomy scan. Plus I know of at least two people who were told their babies were high risk for chromosomal abnormalities, or had a disease, and their babies are perfectly healthy. Becuase of my PGAL brain I decided it was worth it for me to wait for the anatomy scan to make sure everything was ok. I would have been extremely stressed and freaked out if I got a false indication that something was wrong. That’s what I mean by I wanted time to enjoy my pregnancy. I just want to put off the possibility of anxiety until later
@raemy12345 It really varies from woman to woman and doctor to doctor.
With DD, I had an ultrasound at 8 weeks to confirm due date and I didn’t have another one until 21 weeks for my anatomy scan. I never had a NT scan or a third trimester ultrasound, but a lot of my friends did and it was just common practice.
This time I am using a different doctor. She doesn’t do dating ultrasounds, but I had one around 6 weeks because of bleeding. I will have my anatomy scan next month, and then nothing else. I didn’t have an NT scan or test this time either. I was offered, but my insurance wouldn’t cover a penny of it, so we declined. We are having a blood workup (not sure what else is covered on it besides Down’s) and my Dr said that test in combination with the anatomy scan is really good at detecting abnormalities.
If you’re a high risk pregnancy or a multiples pregnancy than that really changes things. I’m not high risk so my doctor is pretty hands off and doesn’t get involved unless something is wrong. When I was bleeding in the first tri, I had a few ultrasounds.
I had an US at 8 weeks for confirmation of pregnancy, then another one at 12 weeks. I have my anatomy scan next month then because I’m high risk I’ll have growth scans every 3-4 weeks starting at 27 weeks. We did genetic testing only because it was covered by insurance. At first they said it wasn’t covered so we declined it but they came back and said it was so we did. It was approved because I’m 36.
With my first two pregnancies I opted out of all of the genetic testing and the only ultrasound done was at around 20 weeks. I honestly would have opted out of it this time, even being over 35, but the father is a worrier and loves to have all the data. I think having it done regardless of choosing to keep no matter what can be good for planning. Some things that show up can cause significant changes in your life that it can help to have more time to prepare for.
I've always been pretty comfortable with a very hands off approach to the whole thing. I didn't care in the least if I saw the same doctor or the delivering doctor was someone I knew. I'd honestly just have a midwife and deliver at home if I had more space. That 100% suits me better.
@raemy12345 it depends what genetic testing you are talking about. In the first trimester you are mostly likely to get a non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) or the NT Scan. Most insurance covers the NT Scan which is an US + a blood draw. The NIPT is cell-free DNA in the blood. Both tests are looking at risk of Trisomy 13, 18, and 21. With NT you also get an early look at anatomy since there is an US. The NIPT test is the more accurate of the two tests. In 2nd Trimester, there would typically be the Quad Test for genetic testing. If you got the NIPT or NT and they were normal, then you’d only need to get the AFP blood draw as part of the Quad because that looks at risk for spina bifida. If your NT scan was unsure or indicated an issue then you might wait for a Quad test or they would recommend more extensive testing. That would depend on your doctors and a genetic counselors recommendation/opinion. There are other genetic tests though for things like Cystic Fibrosis, Fragile X and one other that I can’t think of right now. Those are only covered by insurance if you meet certain criteria outlined by your insurance company. But they can be really expensive. As far as US, I think it can depend on your insurance and your OB. I got 2 US at my doc’s office and one for my NT Scan. So if you assume a “normal” pregnancy then, I think you only get a handful throughout your pregnancy. But I think it just varies on the practice you go to and your insurance coverage.
I think the benefits to genetic testing IMO is that it’s good to just understand what it’s going on. It can help with expectations and helping you to prepare if there is a need for extra care when the baby is born. I’m a FTM, so I’m not speaking from experience, I’m just speaking from my own perspective and what I’ve absorb from others’ stories on this board. Also, sometimes there are things that can be corrected. For instance, **TW if you were to find that your baby had a high probability of having downs, there are physical deformities that can occur in the heart that can be surgically corrected prior to birth. This can be really critical to the health of the baby. End TW** So I think knowing if there’s a chance for those types of interventions is powerful and something I’d personally want to know.
Re: Appointments thread for December
12th - OB & ultrasound in his rooms
13th - gyno
13th - imaging place ultrasound
14th - phone consult with gyno
17th - face-to-face gyno follow up/final surgery consult
Tomorrow morning, the 18th at 11:30, I’ll be going in for surgery to remove my left ovarian cyst as well as both the ovary and fallopian tube. My gyno believes my ovary twisted when I presented to the ER with severe pain in week 5 and again in week 6, which is why I’m still in so much pain.
Won’t know what recovery will be like until I’m out of surgery as won’t know if it can be done keyhole until he’s in there. No idea how many follow up appointments I’ll have either, guess that will also depend on the extent of the surgery.
To say I’m scared is an understatement. Just hoping it’s not necrotic after being twisted for so long and the removal all goes smoothly.
ETA- gyno just came and spoke to be and said he did have to take most of the ovary (it was the nurses that told me my ovary was saved) as it had twisted and was mostly dead. BUT there’s still a little bit of ovary left that was ok and has some eggs, and my other ovary is presumably ok. He couldn’t see it because it was tucked under my uterus and he didn’t want to move it to look at it but in previous ultrasounds it’s fine. About to have an ultrasound to check on bub but I think I can feel it so I’m not too worried. Excited to be in the mend and looking forward to being pain free!
@BlondePeanut sorry your appointment didn’t go as planned and that you’re dealing with uncertainty now. All of my fingers crossed for good news from the blood test. Big hugs.
@BlondePeanut I'm sorry to hear that your appointment didn't go as you had expected. FX for good results from the bloodwork!
@BlondePeanut I'm hoping and praying for good results!
William Alexander born 18 September, 2015
Harper Grace born 9 June, 2017
Colton Miles born 9 June, 2017
Bowen James due 19 June, 2019
@mcassiee yes, the AFP is totally a normal thing and it will most likely be covered mostly by your insurance. Like you, I also got my NIPT and NT scan done in 1st trimester. Normally, if you didn’t do those tests they’d do the Quad Screen which would include the AFP. But since you got the other tests done, they were normal, you only need to get your AFP which has to be done in 2nd trimester. Hope that helps!
Questions:
*How many ultrasounds, for example? (Normal pregnancy - or so I hope.)
*How much genetic testing is “normal” or medically necessary?
*Did everyone get an NT scan?
***What are the benefits to knowing about genetic abnormalities? (Especially if you don’t plan on terminating pregnancy regardless?)***
@BlondePeanut I am SO sorry you’re struggling with the results. I haven’t gotten the same testing done but I can only imagine how hard it would be. I hope these questions/comments aren’t crass in the face of your uncertainty 💜
My journey - trying to condense:
At my first appt (Nov at 8 weeks) did a vaginal US.
***At that appt, we were given 3 “tiers” for gen testing, ranging from most to least accurate - we chose the second “tier” because we didn’t know any different and I was afraid ins would end up not covering. (I was right! $600 for the one genetic blood draw I’ve had.)
December had 2nd appt (at 12 weeks) and another US, this time no probing required (lol.)
I never had/was offered the NT scan that I keep reading about - guessing we somehow opted out (?) but it seems so normal based on the boards and stories I read from you all.
Was also told that the genetic test (the $600 one) is the first of two that we “need” - and our gen abnormalities are avg of the 2 tests.
I’m so overwhelmed and confused - which is compounded by my distrust of the American healthcare systems we operate within. I work in healthcare and see everyday how profits are put over patients and it’s made me quite cynical.
Thanks for reading novel - is anyone else utterly confused?
I personally don’t think the genetic testing is medically necessary unless you have a family history of a genetic disease. I did not do any genetic testing because it was very expensive. Though, I would have done it if it was covered by my insurance. I don’t see any benefits in knowing about genetic abnormalities if you aren’t going to terminate. But if you are the kind of person who wants to be prepared ahead of time then that is the benefit. I am not becuase I had so much anxiety about getting past the 1st trimester I wanted some down time to actually enjoy being pregnant.
Edit to clarify: my NP told me the genetic abnormalities they test for in the 1st tri. can be detected at the anatomy scan. Plus I know of at least two people who were told their babies were high risk for chromosomal abnormalities, or had a disease, and their babies are perfectly healthy. Becuase of my PGAL brain I decided it was worth it for me to wait for the anatomy scan to make sure everything was ok. I would have been extremely stressed and freaked out if I got a false indication that something was wrong. That’s what I mean by I wanted time to enjoy my pregnancy. I just want to put off the possibility of anxiety until later
With DD, I had an ultrasound at 8 weeks to confirm due date and I didn’t have another one until 21 weeks for my anatomy scan. I never had a NT scan or a third trimester ultrasound, but a lot of my friends did and it was just common practice.
This time I am using a different doctor. She doesn’t do dating ultrasounds, but I had one around 6 weeks because of bleeding. I will have my anatomy scan next month, and then nothing else. I didn’t have an NT scan or test this time either. I was offered, but my insurance wouldn’t cover a penny of it, so we declined. We are having a blood workup (not sure what else is covered on it besides Down’s) and my Dr said that test in combination with the anatomy scan is really good at detecting abnormalities.
If you’re a high risk pregnancy or a multiples pregnancy than that really changes things. I’m not high risk so my doctor is pretty hands off and doesn’t get involved unless something is wrong. When I was bleeding in the first tri, I had a few ultrasounds.
I've always been pretty comfortable with a very hands off approach to the whole thing. I didn't care in the least if I saw the same doctor or the delivering doctor was someone I knew. I'd honestly just have a midwife and deliver at home if I had more space. That 100% suits me better.
In 2nd Trimester, there would typically be the Quad Test for genetic testing. If you got the NIPT or NT and they were normal, then you’d only need to get the AFP blood draw as part of the Quad because that looks at risk for spina bifida. If your NT scan was unsure or indicated an issue then you might wait for a Quad test or they would recommend more extensive testing. That would depend on your doctors and a genetic counselors recommendation/opinion. There are other genetic tests though for things like Cystic Fibrosis, Fragile X and one other that I can’t think of right now. Those are only covered by insurance if you meet certain criteria outlined by your insurance company. But they can be really expensive.
As far as US, I think it can depend on your insurance and your OB. I got 2 US at my doc’s office and one for my NT Scan. So if you assume a “normal” pregnancy then, I think you only get a handful throughout your pregnancy. But I think it just varies on the practice you go to and your insurance coverage.
I think the benefits to genetic testing IMO is that it’s good to just understand what it’s going on. It can help with expectations and helping you to prepare if there is a need for extra care when the baby is born. I’m a FTM, so I’m not speaking from experience, I’m just speaking from my own perspective and what I’ve absorb from others’ stories on this board. Also, sometimes there are things that can be corrected. For instance, **TW if you were to find that your baby had a high probability of having downs, there are physical deformities that can occur in the heart that can be surgically corrected prior to birth. This can be really critical to the health of the baby. End TW** So I think knowing if there’s a chance for those types of interventions is powerful and something I’d personally want to know.
Hope that helps!!