Ultrasound Update (19w4d)

Well, for the most part everything was good until the tech said she was just going to show some pics to the Radiologist and not to get up. From prior experience, I know that this usually means bad news. It turns out we (FM and I) have a two vessel umbilical cord instead of three. This happens in around 1% of pregnancies. So the radiologist wanted to take an extra look around for other problems. She didn't find any, but by that time I was pretty hysterical. Actually, as soon as she said "two vessel cord" I started crying. I had read about two vessel cord (TVC) somewhere and I could remember it isn't good. I knew one of the problems was intrauterine growth restriction.

I am very worried about Intrauterine Growth Restriction with the Anti-Phospholipid Antibodies and TVC can cause IUGR, but she said everything looks great and most of the time in these situations every thing is fine. FM is measuring perfectly on target. (Actually, he is more on target than any other reading so far.) So I shouldn't worry. I am trying very hard not to worry. I should also mention she is the Chief of Radiology for Kaiser Oakland. So, perhaps I should listen to her. I was given strict instructions to stay off the internet and not to do any research. I asked her a lot of other questions, which she answered, but she kept saying that I shouldn't even be going there, because everything looks fine.

I left the room in tears with a bright red face. Then she had the geneticist talk to me. She also told me not to worry because the amnio came back fine and the baby measured fine. She said they don't even recommend that people go to perinatalogists in circumstances such as ours and that this is the most benign finding they see. She gave me a handout on Single Umbilical Artery and her card and told me not to go on the internet.

On a more positive note, FM was very wiggly and active during the ultrasound. I heard that if you drink orange juice, they are more active. So I had a glass before we left. Maybe I should have thought twice about doing that since she was trying to take measurements.

I wish I could feel him . . . The tech actually laughed quite a few times because he seemed to move in exactly the wrong way to take whatever picture she wanted to take at that moment. She had to say "We'll come back to that . . ." quite a few times. She was surprised I couldn't feel him yet. The whole thing took what felt like forever.

Here are a couple of new pics of FM. The first is a profile of his face with his hand up near his mouth.

And another profile. You can kind of see his stomach and his spine. Also the placenta is at the top.