Today I had my 1st trimester screening ultrasound & even though it went well, it was not what I had expected. I guess you could say I was a bit disappointed with how it went.
We first met with a genetics counselor who went over both our medical & family histories as well as what kinds of chromosomal abnormalities the tests will be able to tell us. We were told that just based on my age alone, we have a 1:74 chance of having a baby with Down's & a 1:96 chance of having a baby with a Trisomy abnormality. Then we discussed what the Perinatologist will look for during the ultrasound & whether or not I was going to do the blood test that goes along with the screening.
Next was the ultrasound. The tech took us back to the room & got me ready. Then the Dr walked in, introduced herself & she was ALL business. There was no small talk, no warmth in her personality, no questions...nothing. She didn't even say one word to Shane. All she said was that she was going to take a look & started up with the scan. The scan itself took all of 2 minutes. She looked at the baby at different angles, froze some images, measured the crown/rump length, showed us the head, face, arms & legs, printed off 3 pics & that was it. No nuchal translucency measurement. No indication if the nasal bone was present or not. All she said was that "everything here looks real good so I want to see you back in 8 weeks."
I don't know if I was stunned or in shock or what but I forgot to ask about the measurements & before I could think to ask them she was out the door. I was left alone with Shane to gather my things & I looked at him & said "what the hell just happened? was that all there is to it?" He was as stunned as I was.
Before the scan, we had decided to do the blood test so I don't know if because we were doing that then there was no need to do a nuchal measurement & worry us or what but I just thought it was strange & not very comforting. I know she said everything looked real good but I just felt like she was hiding something from us & that we didn't get the entire screening. I was a bit disappointed & a little pissed at how she had treated us.
As of last Nov, they have a new blood test called the MaterniT21 test which detects fetal DNA in the mother’s blood & reveals whether the fetus has the extra copy of
chromosome 21 that causes Down syndrome. It is 99% accurate. It also can detect Trisomy 18 with 99% accuracy & Trisomy 13 with 91% accuracy. If the test is negative then it is pretty safe to say the baby has no chromosomal abnormalities. If the test is positive the next step is an amniocentesis just to verify 100% what the abnormality is.
I discussed it with Shane & we both agreed that if there is something wrong with the baby, we would both want to know so that we were more prepared so I went ahead & did the blood test. The results will be back in 8-10 business days. Yes I am nervous for the results but I've decided I'm not going to worry about it until I have proof of something to worry about.
So that is how my appointment went. I guess all is good but for some reason I expected more. Regardless, we got to see Baby T again & that in itself made it all worth it!
5 comments:
I hate doctors that forget just because they do this everyday, parents do not. There is no need for the cold "this is not important to discuss" attitude. I am sorry you were treated that way. I will anxiously be awaiting the results. Yeah for a good doc appt overall. Because you are right...that picture totally makes everything better. :)
I just hate that for you! My doctor didn't have an ultrasound in his office, so we always had to go to a separate place for all ultrasounds. I always slipped in something like, "We're so excited to see our baby today." And the doctor would usually just nod and smile. Then I would add, "We had to do all kinds of fertility treatments, but then I got pregnant on my own, so this whole process has just been such a blessing!" Then the doctor usually perked up and was more excited, too. Which totally bugged me, because it should be a special thing for EVERYONE!
Aw, I hate that it was all business and brusque. What Nickie said - they do it all day every day and tune out to the fact that it's your BABY!
Anyway, I'm praying for you that everything turns out great - I know it will! And I can't wait to see you!
I seriously think that it's some sort of med school requirement for peri's to have zip-zero in the personality department and leave a lot to the imagination regarding bedside manner. I, too, can't wait to hear all of baby T's results, which I know will be just perfect.
I just went through the very same thing. Fortunately my doctor was very nice but the Trisomy 18 scare was very hard on its own. I was not at risk for down syndrome but did have a 1:95 chance of having a Trisomy 18 baby; this was based on the first blood test and not age. I had never heard of this so I did a lot if research to educate myself. The internet can be so cruel; hearing of all the people that carry these children knowing only a small percentage live to age one is devastating. I cried for weeks; couldn’t focus on my work or think of anything else. Like you I opted for the latest blood test. They said it would take 8 business days but really it took 2-3 weeks. That was the longest 2 weeks I’ve ever waited for anything. It was like winning the lottery when my results came back negative for the chromosome defect. Yesterday we had a level two ultrasound. our baby is now 18 weeks, weights half a pound and he is a BOY!. He is healthy and does not show any defects of any kind. The test they perform on every pregnant women can be helpful in preparing you for the worst but they also put unnecessary fear into a lot of young mothers. I hope your situation turns out like mine did. I can plan to bring home a baby again; I felt before like a brick wall went up and I couldn’t see the future. I hope this gives you some comfort and wish you all the best for you and your baby. Take care.
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