April 2013- part 3 scan scan scan

[trying2bpos]

Started a new thread for all us April ladies.

aufaniae I am sorry that your results are worrying. 1 in 120 is much better than 1 in 17... What a relief that you are being offered another scan to look for other soft markers. Forgive me for having missed this part but may I ask the results of your CVS last time?

Thanks everyone I've been trying to get through to the midwife for reassurance but she's busy with someone so will call me back. trying I have had my scan and all looked fine then. I had just been to the toilet when I saw the blood, I think I'm slightly constipated so just made me bleed a bit....
I guess everything is more worrying first time round!

Nuchal translucency measurements are reliably measured up to 13 weeks + 6 days so maybe it is worth asking to have it done again?

aufaniae - it is a very tough decision and perhaps some of the decision making depends on what you might do if you get a bad CVS result. If you would carry on with the pregnancy in any event, perhaps not worth it.

However, 1:120 is still pretty low risk although and as someone once mentioned to me, imagine a large room with 120 cots in it - only one of those babies would be affected. It starts to sounds much lower risk, well under 1% chance (and well over 99% chance that you are not affected).

Hopefully the scan on Monday will clear things up for you.

Sorry this is a me post...

I'm a little bit confused about the combined test - do they have to take a separate set of bloods from the first set they take?

Today I went to the MW for my first blood test, and ended up going to hospital because she didn't have any luck. Eugh. Remember why I hate blood tests - awkward veins! Was relieved it went OK and I wasn't sick.

Anyway, then I phoned to try and change my scan time and they said something about needing to be able to take more blood for the combined test. I quickly said I'd ditch the nuchal and blood test in that case, after today's palava!

Rather annoyed though - seems the fact that my booking was pretty late has resulted in delaying the scan, as they couldn't find a single alternative appointment next week (I'm working on Friday afternoon when it was scheduled), so it'll be Tues 16th when I'll be almost 14 weeks. I really want to hear a heartbeat and see a bubba now!

Makes me wonder where I'd be if I hadn't relentlessly chased up the midwife. Honestly - if my surgery's MW is on holiday, you'd expect them to pass on cases to another MW in the team wouldn't you?!

12 weeks (I'm 35, for the stats!)

cadmum, as DP reminded me yesterday while looking at DS, the outcome was good last time. The CVS result was clear and we have a lovely little boy.

I know this is a contentious issue and some people may think badly of me, but if the result was bad, I would consider termination as an option. It would be something DP and I would have to think very carefully about before making a decision. I don't know what we'd choose as we haven't had to go down that road. However, I'm certainly not of the opinion that I would carry on with the pregnancy in any event.

I'm genuinely sorry if that offends people, I really don't mean to, and I know it's such a difficult and sensitive subject. However I've decided not to hide the fact that we'd consider a termination as I feel it shouldn't be brushed under the carpet - many people must have to go through horrible decisions like that.

I suspect the low Papp-A may be to do with the notch on the blood flow on my artery I had last time, rather than a chromosomal abnormality, and I want to investigate this option also, the hospital aresn't offering me a Doppler scan atm, but I'm going to bring it up with the consultant and see what they say.

I actually feel less worried than I did before the results as I was expecting worse news. I now feel I'm on a fact-finding mission, these next few days, and we're not going to evern try to make any decisions at all until after the scan.

LoobyLou33 they take new bloods after the scan.

Are you deciding not to have the combined test?

LoobyLou In my experience, they do need to draw more blood for the nuchal test. You could go for the scan and then decide to forgo the blood work if you are satisfied by the scan. No tests are mandatory.

It sounds as though you are having a rough time with everything antenatal. Maybe it is because you will have an effortless birth in exchange?

aufaniae it sounds like you are on the right track with another scan. Fact finding is best when you have facts. I am slightly surprised that they did not check for soft markers at your first scan. I have never had that experience and I have never had a scare like you have.

I am glad you feel reassured. Here (in Thailand) I was told that anything less than 1 in 200 is considered high risk. I wonder if that is because patients pay for testing here?

Cadmum "Fact finding is best when you have facts." Indeed!

The sonographer was cagey (no idea if I should be paranoid about that or if she's like that with everyone!). I told her my concerns but she just said we'd have to wait for the results.

Very different experience to my first scan with DS (different hospital) where they volunteered the information that they could see the nasal bone, and that the nuchal measurement was good, without me asking them.

The sonographer on Monday will be a consultant, and the midwife gave me the impression she would be happy to answer lots of quesitons and go over everything in some detail with me, so I hope that's true.

I expect you're right about Thailand . My American friends have also had a very different experience (more scans & appointments) because, we suspect, it's a paid-for service.

LoobyLou my MW at my booking in had real issues drawing blood from me and tried both inner elbows, wrists and the back of each hand and eventually drew blood from the back of my right hand, I was bruised for 2 weeks. I usually ask to see the phlebotomist at the GP's rather than the MW as they listen when I say fine needles and that my veins jump.

I had a check up at the AN clinic last week, a nurse take the bloods, fine needle, made the insert quick and caught the vein first time. It was a relief to have them taken so easily. You can ask for bloods to be referred to the phlebotomist to take them instead.

Just to add my bit to the full bladder comments, I read a pint is all that's needed (~1/2 litre) but I really think it depends upon your bladder (you know it best). For all of my scans of which over the years there have been a few I never drink this at home as I just need to go to the loo as soon as I get to the hospital and I usually drink a couple of the little cups full of water (ones they provide in the hospital by watercooler) or a small bottle of water and have never had a problem, if you know you won't have a problem holding a full bladder then go for it but you deffo don't need to drink a litre that is just torture and remember they are going to be pressing on there too with the probe, ouch ouch ouch!

loobylou the bloods need to be taken same day as the NT. It's always puzzled me that some women have bloods done at the booking appt taken by the MW, I never have and wondered why, I think it depends upon where you live. It seems a bit daft to have to have more done at the antenatal/scan appt (esp if you have poor veins), why not just get them done all together which is what they do here I guess it may save time at the hospital. Having said that I had to have extra taken as I have hypothroidism and it literally took 2min to take all of them. I feel for you but not sure you should rule out combined test (if you wanted it) just because of the extra bloods? Remember the people at the hospital who take your bloods will be doing it all day every day and in my experience (I have very small veins that get even smaller at the sight of a needle!) are really quick and very good.

cadmum when I was pg with my son about 2y ago it was 1:200 too! So I think it has only just changed to less than 150 recently.

aufanaie I admire your honesty and courage. I'm sure you will do what is right for you and your family if it comes to it.

Congrats on all the good scan news.

Good luck with the scan Aufanaie I really hope that they are able to offer some reassurance. I think it is a tough choice with the CVS and it is hard to say what I would do with those odds - it is a really tough call. Hopefully the scan will help make it a bit easier to decide and the input from the consultant should be useful.

I had a day yesterday where I think I could feel some movement - almost a popping sensations and a bit of discomfort from time to time. I guess it is everything down there stretching. I have to say that I can't wait to have a bump - I just look like I have eaten too many pies at the momen!

14 weeks and 1 day!

itsaruddy am trying to 'listen' for movement but haven't truthfully detected anything yet. can't wait til it starts though. I have been feeling a little 'nervous' from time to time like i have butterflies in my stomach, but not sure that is a typical movement feeling and so will assume it's not movement!

snap - desperate to have a proper bump too - definitely look like i've been eating waaaay to many pies here

14 +1

hey aufaniae that is good news, it is streets away from 1 in 17, and must be a relief. I am crossing fingers and toes for you that you get further good news on Monday.

xx

Just briefly checking in again to say hello.

Some of you have been having such a rollercoaster of events!

Good to see so many nice scan stories and pleased to read that everyone who was in hospital is back home again. :)

Oh, and welcome to the new people!

Just to update I spoke to the midwife and she said bleeding from your bottom is quite normal caused by constipation and nothing to worry about! Such a relief I can't even describe my feelings when I saw blood.
About having a bump versus fat I have a little bump already (although my tummy was definitely never flat) and my MIL said to me today "it's funny how your getting big so quickly" I don't know whether I should be insulted or not, my SIL is also PG but she's 5 months so has a nice proper bump already

Hello all
Starting to worry when the blood results from unchallenged scan will come back, had scan last Friday so I'm assuming I would have heard if anything serious, was 13 weeks at scan and had nt at 2.3 so hoping all is normal. Guess just paranoid after mc/blighted ovum in jan. still can't quite believe there is a baby in there!

Now onto get rid of this stinky cold and I may feel better.

birdbrain glad you're feeling reassured :)

shomes why not ring your midwife / the midwife team at the hospital if the wait is doing your head in. I did and they were really nice to me and gave me the name of the results coordinator to harrass call if the wait got too much. (She beat me to it in the end as my results were not the best.)

Hey Ladies,
Just had my downs risk results through (by poat a week after scan) and I'm very lucky that we are 1 in 2603! Though DH looked dissapointed and said he'd hoped we'd be 1 in 100,000 - bless his optomism.
Aufaniae - I totally admire your honesty on a subject many would hide away from saying how they really feel. Good luck with whatever tests come next and fingers crossed things turned out well.
Congrats on all the lovely scan news everyone it really does put a smile on my face reading these every day. I feel like times dragging again now as I can't wait to see LO again at 20 weeks!
X

13+3

somewherebecomingrain yes it is a relief compared to what I was bracing myself for :) I'm much less worried than I was before I got the result.

I'm leaning towards suspecting it's probably the same thing as last time (the notch on the bloodflow from the artery) as they sent me for a doppler after the CVS came back clear with DS. It was because of the hormone being low, it must have been Papp-A last time too after all, although I will see if I can check. Frustratingly no one I've spoken to seems to recognise my description of being offered an early doppler and being prescribed low-dose aspirin. The best I've had is the midwife today saying "yes, we do them at 24 weeks"

If this is the same problem again, I want to start taking low-dose aspirin as soon as I need to, as the risks IIRC are a small baby or failing placenta (leading to mc in the 2nd / 3rd trimester). Google tells me that other risks include thrombosis and pre-eclampsia (aspirin would help with the first but not the second). If there's a real chance of IUGR (poor growth) I don't want to wait till 24 weeks if there's something I can do about it now. I took low-dose aspirin last time and the result was a lovely healthy baby, so you can see why I'm tempted to take it again!

I'm going to talk to the consultant on Monday about it. If they don't agree to try to check if there's a notch again, then I'm going to change my question to "is there any reason why I shouldn't just take low-dose aspirin anyway?"

Marking my place while I catch up! Latest I've been up for a week compared to my normal 7.30 bed time!!

MrsSimkins great result :)

Thanks to you and everyone else for the kind words.

Right, am going to stop going on about myself (sorry!) and go and do something more useful instead ...

BonaDea the first time round, I found when the movements started they were a bit like like butterflies :) Or kind of like a little bit of wind - tiny "flips", sort-of (hope that makes some kind of sense!)

*I should have said aspirin might help with the first (thrombosis) but I don't know about the other (pre-eclampsia)

(Just in case I'm spreading mis-information there )

Evening ladies, had my scan and unfortunately it's not all plain sailing for me.

Firstly they couldn't get a good enough normal scan so had to go internal, not nice but I'm fine with it.

Then the sonographer said that the baby wasn't staying still enough in the right position for her to get the measurement at the back of the neck she said everything else looked ok the baby had grown ok and that was that.

However, I then had my consultant appointment and he pointed out that there were a few issues with the scan firstly there is a cyst on the umbilical cord. He said that he had had a good look and he was happy that all of the needed vessels etc had been established so it wasn't an immediate risk but we would have another look at the next scan.

He then said the baby was showing an enlarged bowel. He did explain this could just be because the baby needed to wee but again this would be looked at in a further scan incase there are complications.

He then explained because they couldn't get the nuchal measurement I could have a quad test instead which is a straight blood test and very accurate. However, they only do this between 14-18 weeks (ish) as any earlier is pointless as the results are so inaccurate.

We discussed problems in my previousl pg and he has decided we will do lab tests on my week every month from 20weeks and I will have further scans at 20 weeks, 28 weeks, 32 weeks and 36 weeks.

He also said not to be suprised if I get a letter in 2 weeks asking me to come for another immediate scan to check on the abnormalities they found. He said this could happen as they have a fortnightly team meeting and it may be decided at that to scan me earlier that 20 weeks.

I'm a bit fed up. Very happy that the baby is growing well and over the moon that my consultant is quite possibly the nicest man on earth but I just wanted a straight forward, boring pg.

I've come to terms with not having a downs risk result and may not even bother getting the blood test as thinking about it it makes no fucking difference to me any way. I wouldn't change anything, I would have the baby and love the baby full stop. Also I don't want to ruin my pg by having a high risk, worrying sick about it and all for nothing because most high risks are inaccurate.

The rest I'm worried about and feeling horrible for. Sorry to bring the mood of the thread down