Dejavu!!!!!

[eidsvold]

Was finally given an appointment for my 20 week scan this morning - rushing around - had an hour and half's notice - takes an hour to get there... service was wonderful... very little waiting and lots of room in the waiting room.

The procedure was different to the UK - there is a screen high on the opposite wall so that you and your partner can see all that is going on rather than waiting until the sonogapher is finished and then points out all the relevant bits..... very positive except when we both became aware that she was spending a lot of time looking at the heart and doing different things. ( dd's heart defect was diagnosed at 20 weeks!!) SO we were aware of what she was doing with colouring to check the flow of blood and so on.

Finally at the end... we were told that there was one ' soft' marker for Down's syndrome - a small spot of calcification in the heart.... HOWEVER, physically everything looked fine - measurements of nuchal fold, nasal structure and so on showed everything to be 'norma'(for want of a better word!)

IT still caused us to be a little concerned.... the sonographer went on to say that this was very common and it would be very rare if this babe was born with ds as there were no other accompanying markers.... so this is a very very soft marker but that they have to check and see what is there. This type of thing can be found in over 20 scans a week so that put us a little at ease.....

Then we were asked to just speak to the genetic counsellor who asked is a little about our backgrounds ( dd was with us!) She also went on to say that this finding was very common and only increased our risk by 1 1/2 rather than 10 or more times.... She also stated that it really wasn't that strong a marker.

As I declined further testing - the outcome remains to be seen in early Nov. I am to continue shared care between GP and hospital ( normal antenatal care) and await the birth of this one.

One bright moment - we were given a number of pics in a little folder - did not have to ask or pay for them.... and whilst the woman was doing the scan and running the wand around my belly - dd kept reaching out to stroke my belly like the sonographer was

eidsvold, it just sounds like they are being over cautious to me and I am sure you have nothing to worry about - it doesnt sound like it anyway. I imagine your feelings of doubt/worry are very normal for a parent with an SN child, I know I would be thesame but I am not brave enough to have another

It sounds in someways a positive experience particularly with your dd I guess at this stage everyone worries altho in your case it is a critcal time for you because of past history, God luck for November and keep remebering the nice bits about the day

It does sound as though they were being extra-cautious with the scan. Hopefully it will all go well for you and dd2/ds.

eidsvold- I suspect because you had dd with you- she looked closely at everything iyswim. Without a translocation the chances of having 2 babies with DS must be miniscule.

I hope this doesn't cast a shadow over the pregnancy (but how could it when you have lovely dd anyway- at least this time there isn't fear of the unknown). So sweet that she was stroking your tummy!