We are already at our 12 weeks! With that comes our 2nd trip to the doctor for a sonogram (thankfully from the outside, on the stomach) and nuchal translucency screening. As I was told and as it seems to be true, as I near the end of my first trimester I finally feel energetic... yesterday I was almost to the point of being hyper active, which I think was more influenced knowing we were going to see our babe again. It could have been the sweet cinnamon rolls we made in the waffle iron (that's right, you read me right) topped with that sugary glaze. Regardless, I am alive once again.
The sonogram was beyond exciting. As I laid on the table with the technician scrolling over my lower abdomen with the whatever you call it, caked in hot goo... came a shape on the screen of a teeny human head... a human body and all 4 limbs. With every moment she put pressure on my belly, the baby kicked it's legs up as if to say "Uhhh, do ya mind?". Of course I balled.
Speaking with our Doc, we learned that not only was my blood work fine but the reading of the sonogram/nuchal put our babe in the low risk category. What I thought was funny was that the Doctor informed me that I, ME was the high risk because ... get this... of my "advanced maternal age".... I raised my fist in jest and gritted my teeth through a smile but also knew this was just part of the procedure and schpeel when they have a prego woman who is of the (young and fabulous) age of 35 before them.
The realities of being 35 can present some risk factors genetically speaking and Joe and I were privy to a chromosomal lesson yesterday. I could feel Joe rolling his eyes as he sat slightly behind me in the chair behind the table as the words flowed in one ear and out the other. Don't get me wrong. Joe is incredibly savvy when it comes to numbers and he could sell a rain jacket to a person who lived in the Sahara Desert. Listening to a lesson on how and when chromosomes divide and the percentage rates of women with complications as their age rises? Not so much his forte.
Prior to this appointment, Joe and I made the decision that in no way unless deemed absolutely necessary (something indicated there was something SERIOUS with our babe) would we go through any invasive testing. Amniocentesis, CVS (Chorionic villus sampling) both have a slight miscarriage rate and that just didn't seem ok with me. In addition, let's say we found out our child had Down Syndrome or any other disability... we wouldn't terminate, so... what's the point? I did happen to find out that a blood screening was available, MaterniT21 that screened for the same things as the Amnio and CVS. Call me crazy, but blood drawn compared to either a massive needle in my side (near the baby) or a part of my cervix removed seems to be the optimal choice.
Considering our low risk label for the babe, our blood work on the good and the facial expression from the Doctor that basically said "Fuck it"... we feel comfortable moving onward and upward. The last thing we need to do is put ourselves through more testing than necessary. Onward to the second trimester!!
xoxoxo
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