It’s a girl!

November 20, 2007 at 6:38 am (development, family, miracle, technology)
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First off, I cannot tell you how relieved I am that this amnio is over. Well okay it’s not really over because we don’t have the test results, but the procedure is over and MAN I didn’t realize what a bugaboo I had going on in my head about this.

It was gross and it did hurt but nothing really like I expected. My doctor was great – the explanation – “It’s going to hurt like you’re getting a shot – then it’s going to feel like menstrual cramps” – was right on except it hurt a lot more like a mofo than a shot or cramps.  C was a TOTAL CHAMP and held me and talked to me and helped my lizard brain focus on vapid gossip rather than the impulse to fly off that table like a shot.

It’s still a little sore today but LAA! It’s over. And we’re going to have a girl! LAA! I am so happy to know. C, on the other hand, doesn’t know the bean’s gender yet. So if you know him, please don’t say anything to him yet. He’s liking the surprise, though I’m sure I’ll tell him before Thanksgiving when we go to his family’s and everyone and their dog will be asking about it.

The ultrasound exam was amazing. She spent 20 min at least identifying all these specific organs and body parts, and snapping photos of them for medical records. We could see the 4 chambers of the bean’s heart pumping away – what a freaking miracle – as well as lungs, kidneys, bladder, diaphragm, arm and leg bones, and a teeny tiny spine and rib cage.

I am so glad that is over. And I’m glad I know. I’ll post photos as soon as I sort them off the disc.

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To know, or not to know?

November 17, 2007 at 12:55 pm (technology)
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My amnio is on Monday.

Honestly, I’m a little grossed out by the whole idea of sticking a needle in my gut. Of course childbirth is much grosser than this, so I realize I will have to get over myself.

But the larger question is this: Do I find out the gender of this bean, or do I wait?

The pros for finding out are numerous. Perhaps most importantly, a lot of people have told me they “feel” like it’s a boy. Nobody seems to feel it’s a girl. In some ways, unconsciously I think, I have been assuming they’re right. It takes some effort to consciously reject their predictions and hold neutral energy toward the bean. And that’s really sort of dumb, because I can feel it’s affecting how I bond with, uh, him or her. So I want to get the straight scoop about that. Plus, it will help us scale back on the already-daunting list of potential names.

The cons are a little more amorphous. I get the sense that – among pregnant women – it’s not “cool” to find out. Or it’s more old school or something to wait til birth. Friends who have found out describe it as “peeking” or “couldn’t wait.”So I guess it’s about not spoiling the surprise. I suppose I do like the idea of being surprised, but shit I’m already going to be plenty surprised when the kid actually comes out!

Nope. I’m finding out.

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Down’s Syndrome and Trisomy test results

October 18, 2007 at 10:29 am (medical)
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I got my test results yesterday from the combined screening of last week. Because this is a screening, it’s only a measure of probability, not a definitive YES/NO on these various conditions.

But that said, my probabilities for Down’s Syndrome and Trisomy-13 and -18 are extremely low: 1 in 681 for Downs (average for my age group is 1:35), and 1 in 1200 for Trisomy (average is 1:64). So WOOT! So rather than doing the invasive CVS this week, I will go for an amnio in 3 more weeks. This has lower risk of miscarriage, and higher accuracy.

So one more hurdle crossed! YAY!

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Today’s medical update

October 16, 2007 at 9:08 pm (medical, relationships)
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Went to my OB today. She has this amplified digital stethascope thingie that she probed around my belly until we found the baby’s heartbeat. BAM BAM BAM there it was.

Tomorrow, I get the results from last week’s Combined Screening. I spent an hour on the phone with the SF Perinatal counselor trying to synch schedules with results and make it work with this crazy compressed timing.

Ultimately, tomorrow, I should have the screening results for Downs, trisomy and spina bifida. If the results come back with no hint of any problems, I will forego the CVS tomorrow and get an amnio in 2 more weeks. If there’s any kind of issue in these results, I will go in for the CVS tomorrow. I am actually a few days too late for the CVS but the doc said it’d be okay in my case.

Whee! I cleared my calendar tomorrow afternoon.

C and I are nearly done processing our thang from the other day. We are getting better at this, thank dog.

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Why the Bay Area rocks: Reason #34256 in a series

October 12, 2007 at 6:12 am (development, miracle, second trimester)
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I have never felt more grateful for technology than I am now, in the aftermath of yestereday’s “Combined First Trimester Screening.” The scope of this included an ultrasound wherein the measure the width of the baby’s neck to determine risk of spina bifida, as well as a blood test to determine likelihood of other birth defects (specifically Down’s syndrome and trisomy, which I had never heard of before, but is particularly icky).

The office that does this is SF Perinatal in San Francisco. Before you begin, you sign your rights away on forms printed on trademarked letter head that reads Genezyme (TM). WTF, we’re living in the heart of the genetic revolution, I suppose, and before the end of this appointment, I am very grateful for it.

Anyway, C and I spend over an hour and a half talking with a genetic counselor about the gazillions of different tests you can take to determine the health of your baby. These tests are either based on probability (blood tests, ultrasounds) or pure genetic analysis (more invasive procedures like CVS and amniocentisis).

I had an appointment for an Integrated Screening, which would have taken 3 more weeks to get results. After reviewing all the options, we opted for a Combined Screening, which is less accurate but has a shorter results window, with the caveat that if there’s anything even remotely weird on the results, we’ll do a CVS next week. If the resuts of the Combined come back super positive, we’ll skip the invasive procedure til the amnio at 17 weeks.

Then, I go in for the ultrasound. A wonderful woman administers it, and she’s showing us all the different views. The bean is 6.5 cm from head to rump, and is bouncing all over the place in these herky jerky motions OF ITS OWN VOLITION! It looks like a protozoa from high school science class, bouncing and flopping under the microscope. At one point, she turns on the audio and we can actually HEAR the heart beat, along with a graphical print out of the most beautiful beat track I’ve ever seen. 151 BPM for the DJs in the house. Now that’s some slammin’ shit!

Then the Doc comes in and shows us more detailed neck measurements – looks good, she says. Looks good. LAA! She gives us a full-0n DVD of all the images, alas no audio (would that not be cool to sample and put into a dance track??) But there is a little Quicktime movie of the bugger kicking, too!

Here are a couple stills from a whole myriad of images.

The bean in repose:

The bean in repose


The supine bean

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