The Second Trimester
I just came back from my ultrasound not too long ago with much relief. We were able to see two arms, two legs, two hands, two feet, one head and as I planned one little penis! Everything looked great. The baby moved around a lot - even though I still haven't been able to feel anything. Any day now I should feel a little movement - I can't wait! I asked the Technician about Spina Bifida and it was explained that they focus on the head to check for abnormalities and if they see any they will look closer at the spine. It looked as though the head was shaped fine and everything else looked great.
I took a blood test after my ultrasound that I will get results on in 2-4 days. This test will be able to rule out Spina Bifida and Down's Syndrome. But, after the ultrasound today - my worries have greatly diminished. I will let you all know the results. But for now - Alexander James Faria is looking good!
March 23, 2000
I just returned from my most recent Doctor appointment and to sum it up, everything is normal and fabulous! I have gained six pounds so far and it is estimated that in the first half you will gain 5-10 pounds, so I am right in the range for that. My doctor went over the ultrasound and she was reviewed the measurements of the head, abdomen, thigh bone and a few other things. They take the measurements to check for normalcy but to also see what week you are in. The ultrasound showed that everything was normal but they estimated my due date as August 20th. My doctor said she tends to stick with the first date if the new one isn't 10 days or more different. So - August 16th it is. The ultrasound also states that the heart, brain, kidneys and several other areas of the baby are normal.
She then spent a little time further reviewing the triple-screen test. As I already knew, it was negative. She further explained that the test showed a 1 in 8459 (some # close to that) that there would be a chance for down syndrome and a 1 in 4530 (some # close to that) that there would be a chance for a spinal defect. So, basically everything is great and there is a big sigh of relief for such great tests. Something new she did at this visit was to measure my abdomen - right now it starts down low and goes a little above my belly. She said that it measures right in the range for my stage in pregnancy. I started feeling the baby move a little the day of the ultrasound but I only feel movements every couple of days or so. She said in a few weeks I will feel him move every day and I really look forward to Brian being able to feel the baby's kicks! My next appointment is Tuesday, April 25th and my mom will be in town so it will be great for her to get to hear the heartbeat! I will keep you all posted and I must say that I had no idea this would all be as easy as it is and I am very, very grateful that it is going so well!