Today’s anatomy scan was disappointing for me. It was found that the baby has a single-artery umbilical cord. Often times this means nothing, but other times it can be indicative of a birth defect - especially the kind that my other daughter’s is associated with. Having 1 child already with a surprise set of birth defects, we are naturally very worried. They are sending us for a fetal echocardiogram and I have to go back for another anatomy scan next week because she wasn’t cooperating to get necessary images of the heart.
Otherwise all seems fine, but this is a red flag we didn’t even have with DD so I am terrified and upset. It’s hard to hope for the best when I’ve been through this once. It’s even harder when we’ve been reassured of how extremely rare it would be for this to happen twice. I just don’t understand. I’m trying not to go down a rabbit hole here and to enjoy the remainder of my pregnancy but these are findings that mostly won’t be revealed until birth, so it’s going to be a very long summer for me.
@runningonindie that must have been hard for you. I know sometimes a week makes a huge difference in the findings in the AS. Maybe they were just unable to see something that they will see in a week.
If it bring comfort, my cousin also had what seemed to be a single artery to the umbilical cord at her AS. She had no birth defects.
@paulpaw yes 75% of the time it ends up being nothing but given the history they are raising it as a red flag, which sucks, because i’d like to enjoy the second half of this pregnancy.
@runningonindie I'm sorry, that's so hard to be leaving an appointment like that full of stress and worry. I hope the follow up appointments can bring some answers
@runningonindie I hope the follow up and more u/s give you some peace of mind for the next half of your pregnancy. Try to savor it as much as you can ❤️
At the MFM for our anatomy scan and it is 35 minutes passed our appointment time. They had me sign a late arrival policy because we were literally 1 minute late because we got lost in the parking ramp. It’s just a bit ironic. The receptionist keeps apologizing but I just hope they can still get us in so we don’t have to reschedule.
*TW LC*
Me & MH: 32 DS: 6/1/18 (Pre-E; IUGR; seizures; NICU) TTC #2: 12/2019 Sept 2020: HSG possible blocked right tube Nov 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFN Dec 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFP!!! EDD 9/18
@krash_ uuugh bring them an “appointments running behind” policy to sign 🙃
my alpha fetal protein came back all normal, so I won’t have any more ultrasounds this pregnancy except for the ones I do on myself at work. I’ll see this baby on the outside!
Update: they were able to see us and everything looks good! She’s measuring right on track, amniotic fluid and placenta look good. Confirmed she’s a she 😆 she was breech at the beginning of the scan and had totally flipped head down mid-scan without any of us realizing it and didn’t want to give us any profile shots. The tech was like jabbing my stomach and shaking it to get her to turn her head. It was pretty aggressive and said to MH “see DS definitely can’t hurt her in there.”
*TW LC*
Me & MH: 32 DS: 6/1/18 (Pre-E; IUGR; seizures; NICU) TTC #2: 12/2019 Sept 2020: HSG possible blocked right tube Nov 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFN Dec 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFP!!! EDD 9/18
I had my anatomy scan yesterday and it all looked good. Baby boy is hiding wayyyyy low. Like huddled down in a ball in my pelvis which explains a lot of the low pressure feelings and low kicks. Baby did not wanna cooperate for pictures so it took a long time but it was kind of nice having a break 😂
@krash_ Every single ultrasound I've ever had has been late. You'd think they would try to be prompt for the pregnant ladies with full bladders...
I paid for that private clinic ultrasound last week to finally be told the gender, after my frustration with the tech who wouldn't tell me at my anatomy scan and then not being able to get an appointment with my doctor before his vacation. THEN OF COURSE the next day who calls me? My doctor. To follow up on my ultrasound. And confirm that it's a girl. OF COURSE. But he was super annoyed that his office wouldn't give me a quick phone appointment before he went away, so that made me feel better lol
Anyways, upshot of all that is that he says baby girl is looking all good, but my placenta is super low so he wants me to have a follow up ultrasound at the end of May. So taking that as an extra chance to see this little one!
My second attempt at the anatomy scan went well today. Baby boy still wasn't helpful, but moved around enough that the tech could get all her angles and measurements, plus a nice profile shot at the end. He seems to be on the bigger side, already estimated at 1 lb 3 oz (I'm 21w6d today).
Other than that, I have a telephone appointment with my OB on the 18th and then nothing until June.
@lmcw yes to the bladder! I went before we left the house and went again when we got there to make sure I was empty. Then after waiting so long I needed to go again and OF COURSE right as I went to go again, they called my name. And then half way through the scan it was full again. She was scanning and goes “here’s baby’s full bladder and that’s your full bladder” I was like yeah I can tell every time you push on it 😒
*TW LC*
Me & MH: 32 DS: 6/1/18 (Pre-E; IUGR; seizures; NICU) TTC #2: 12/2019 Sept 2020: HSG possible blocked right tube Nov 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFN Dec 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFP!!! EDD 9/18
@runningonindie I am so sorry you have that cloud hanging over you. I really hope the echocardiogram gives you answers. 💜
@krash_@sawasap I'm in the uncooperative fetus club too. 😂 Both scans the tech was shaking my belly to get baby to turn. I have a feeling this child is going to be stubborn for life.
@krash_ I no longer drink all the water by whatever deadline they give, I just drink it on the way to the appointment and hope for the best since I figure I’ll be sitting there way longer 🤷🏼♀️
@runningonindie I’m so sorry you’re in this position. I feel for you on this. My second pregnancy had really horrible NIPT results (‘not compatible with life’ type results) at 13 weeks and it destroyed me for the rest of my pregnancy. We did extensive testing, I ended up working with a maternal therapist to cope (didn’t help much), and spent countless hours in research papers and emailing geneticists.
(Our son ended up being healthy and neurotypical miraculously but I’m not telling you that for reassurance as I know our outcome has no bearing on yours.) More so, I just entirely empathize with this long running fear and how consuming it can be. It’s really really hard to go through a pregnancy with that fear attached.
I’m sorry you’re dealing with this and I hope everything works out perfectly.
@agea ugh I’m so sorry you dealt with that. It’s funny because with DD we were completely shocked and gutted 45 mins after she was born. I always said I’d rather know (or have an idea) - but now that I’m getting a taste of the alternative scenario I’m like “ignorance is bliss really would have been better” - so I think the moral of the story is that it’s awful no matter how you slice it. I’ll be speaking to an old therapist of mine on Monday to hopefully get a grip on the anxiety that the uncertainty is causing for me.
That being said, the advice I’m getting from doctors has been that if the fetal echo is ok, we should really assume she is 100% for now. Given that this is the most common umbilical cord anomaly and oftentimes leads to nothing.
If she were my first, I can guarantee I’d think much less of it but after what we went through...... forget it. It’s totally shot until she’s born. I’ll just cope as best I can.
Circling back to say that my fetal echo and repeat anatomy scan went well today! I can breathe a small sigh of relief that despite having a single umbilical artery in her cord, major defects in the heart kidneys and spine have not been detected. Now we watch and wait - growth scans at 28, 32 and 36 weeks which will include checking my amniotic fluid levels for signs of the esophageal atresia that my daughter had. Other than that, we just keep trucking on assuming for now that all is well.
I had my fetal echocardiogram this morning and everything looks good! Munchkin was cooperative, thank goodness. The MFM noticed a teeny narrowing of the pulmonary artery, so we need to follow up with a pediatric cardiologist just as a precaution. It doesn't seem to be affecting blood flow, so that's good news. It's likely just a "variation of normal" (doctor's words), but better to have it on our radar now!
I've got my anatomy scan on Monday and follow up appointment on Tuesday. I'm excited to see baby, but also less thrilled about it being done at the hospital rather than in office. Though, to be fair, it took 3 rounds to get *most of* the stuff they wanted last pregnancy, so I'm sure it's just supposed to help bypass that. Don't get me wrong, I would enjoy seeing the baby more, but not if it's going to cost me $570 out of pocket if I have to repeat the scans at the hospital!
Had my anatomy scan today. Confirmed baby is indeed a girl, measuring 1 week ahead for everything but both of her leg measurements are 2 weeks ahead. So different from J who had a giant head and short arms/legs. She’s about 1lb 1oz
I do have to go back in 2 weeks for two things they couldn’t get. One was the face because she was pushed up against my placenta. I don’t remember the other. Also confirmed anterior placenta and I was right about the exact location!
@paulpaw omg i read your post and was like, did I already update this!? haha
I had my scan this morning (20w2d) as well and confirmed we're having another girl! Everything was pretty much measuring 21+w, and I doubt they'll change my due date, so I'm just mentally sticking with the Sept. 25th date since the 12 & 20w showed a date more in line with my original due date. I've got a follow up with the OB tomorrow afternoon to see if I'm going to have to repeat the scan because the tech didn't quite get everything, but said she'd leave it up to my doctor.
agea
member
Re: May Appointments
DS: 6/1/18 (Pre-E; IUGR; seizures; NICU)
TTC #2: 12/2019
Sept 2020: HSG possible blocked right tube
Nov 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFN
Dec 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFP!!! EDD 9/18
@runningonindie I'm so sorry you're dealing with that! Here's hoping a comforting and reassuring follow-up is headed your way!
my alpha fetal protein came back all normal, so I won’t have any more ultrasounds this pregnancy except for the ones I do on myself at work. I’ll see this baby on the outside!
DS: 6/1/18 (Pre-E; IUGR; seizures; NICU)
TTC #2: 12/2019
Sept 2020: HSG possible blocked right tube
Nov 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFN
Dec 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFP!!! EDD 9/18
I paid for that private clinic ultrasound last week to finally be told the gender, after my frustration with the tech who wouldn't tell me at my anatomy scan and then not being able to get an appointment with my doctor before his vacation. THEN OF COURSE the next day who calls me? My doctor. To follow up on my ultrasound. And confirm that it's a girl. OF COURSE. But he was super annoyed that his office wouldn't give me a quick phone appointment before he went away, so that made me feel better lol
Anyways, upshot of all that is that he says baby girl is looking all good, but my placenta is super low so he wants me to have a follow up ultrasound at the end of May. So taking that as an extra chance to see this little one!
Other than that, I have a telephone appointment with my OB on the 18th and then nothing until June.
DS: 6/1/18 (Pre-E; IUGR; seizures; NICU)
TTC #2: 12/2019
Sept 2020: HSG possible blocked right tube
Nov 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFN
Dec 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFP!!! EDD 9/18
@krash_ @sawasap I'm in the uncooperative fetus club too. 😂 Both scans the tech was shaking my belly to get baby to turn. I have a feeling this child is going to be stubborn for life.
More so, I just entirely empathize with this long running fear and how consuming it can be. It’s really really hard to go through a pregnancy with that fear attached.
I had my scan this morning (20w2d) as well and confirmed we're having another girl! Everything was pretty much measuring 21+w, and I doubt they'll change my due date, so I'm just mentally sticking with the Sept. 25th date since the 12 & 20w showed a date more in line with my original due date.
I've got a follow up with the OB tomorrow afternoon to see if I'm going to have to repeat the scan because the tech didn't quite get everything, but said she'd leave it up to my doctor.