Ultrasound Results

The ultrasound for our baby girl was scheduled for 10:00 this morning. My husband has been wonderful about coming to all of the ultrasounds that I've had while pregnant this time around and being there for any appointment that I may have some anxiety about. Today would be no exception.


I wondered if the Choroid Plexus Cysts that they had seen in my last ultrasound, when I was 18 weeks along would still be present. The cysts are a "marker" for Trisomy 18 and I'm at a higher risk of having a baby with Trisomy 18 because of my age (41) and then with this "marker" the likelihood is even higher of our baby having Trisomy 18. I am now 30 weeks along (today).


I have been struggling so much in the recent past with trying to come to grips that it has been almost a year since our little Caleb died, that I wondered if I would be able to handle the appointment without being overcome with emotion.

The technician Brenda immediately focused on the baby's head, which is where the cysts were present at 18 weeks. I have had enough ultrasounds that I was pretty sure I knew what "normal" looked like and I knew that, as far as I could see, there weren't any cysts anymore! She made no measurements like they had at the 18 week ultrasound (to measure the cysts).


She then went on to measure other body parts...abdomen, femur, etc. She told me at the end that my baby is already over four pounds, and is 10 days ahead, development wise, of my due date. I have big babies, so this is "normal" for me. Caleb was 11 pounds 1 ounce at 39 weeks when he was delivered.


My husband and I then got to see my doctor and he confirmed NO CYSTS!!!!!!!!! :)))))))) We were so happy and the doctor was too. He said that was good news. My chances of having a baby with Trisomy 18 just lessened with that result.

He pointed out that I have a little more amniotic fluid than "normal", which could be caused by the fact that I am pregnant with a big baby, which can be the cause of extra fluid. He is going to watch me closely so that he will notice if the fluid increases. He said that I might have to come in every week to be hooked up to monitors if he should notice too big of an increase in fluid, which may indicate other issues.

Never a dull moment, but I'm hoping that the good news that the cysts have gone away will allow me to entertain the thought of having this new baby without worrying if she will live or not. I want to be able to hold her and bring her home, not tell her goodbye.

Thanks for all of the prayers. I appreciate your thoughtfulness more than you know.

With Hope,
Cheryl