Has it been twenty weeks already?
Seriously, I feel like this pregnancy is just flying by. And it is so bittersweet. On one hand, I can’t wait to meet my new baby, but on the other, I really enjoy being pregnant.
Especially when sweet baby flutters come into play.
We held off on going to the obstetrician until after the first trimester had passed. My plan was to make an appointment at around the 12 week mark. Our three-year-old ended up having eye surgery during this time frame though, so I held off until 14 weeks. And then they were super busy and were making appointments two weeks out. Oops. Anyhow, at 16 weeks I made my way into the obstetricians office, and I learned firsthand how “advanced maternal age” appointments can be frustrating.
It’s like when I turned thirty-five something magical happened, and all of a sudden I’m no longer able to birth healthy babies. (Just kidding.)
After refusing genetic testing an ultrasound was set for the 18-week mark. While I couldn’t wait to see our new little one, I winced, because every time I have an ultrasound at 18 weeks a choroid plexus cyst is found on the baby’s brain. This is investigated further, at which point it has dissolved and all is forgotten. So far, whenever the anatomy scan is completed at 20+ weeks no cysts are found and all is well in the first place.
This 18 week scan was no exception, and a choroid plexus cyst was found, along with an amniotic band. We also received the exciting news that we are having a girl!
At this point I was referred to a specialist, and I searched the internet regarding amniotic bands while I waited. Big mistake! Amniotic bands in theory were not what the doctor described seeing, and so I took some solace in this.
Well, I’m happy to say they found…NOTHING! Absolutely nothing. No trace of a CPC. And absolutely no trace of an amniotic band. The sonographer said everything looked perfect.
After the sonogram my husband and I met with the specialist. He changed my due date to August 30th, which matched up with my suspicions much better than my original due date of August 21st. He was an older man with a hefty dose of common sense, and really, a breath of fresh air compared to my previous two appointments.
We discussed the procedure of amniocentesis for a few minutes, and his words were like music to my ears. He said he didn’t like the procedure and didn’t recommend it. Since there is nothing that can be done in utero if a child did have a genetic defect (besides termination), why risk your child’s life to have the procedure done? Is knowing your child has a defect before birth worth this risk? He said it would be one thing if the test could lead to treatment, but it doesn’t.
He likened it to his dog. He said while it was the type to have it’s ears clipped, he figured it foolish to do so. Should he clip the dog’s ears and put his pet in jeopardy just so he’ll feel better about the situation? No. He called it selfish.
I know that for me, I would never forgive myself if something happened during the procedure. While there are no indicators of a genetic problem, just because I’m thirty-five, my OB has suggested it.
Sure, there is a 1/200 chance my child might have a genetic disease due to my age, but how is the 1/200 chance of miscarriage supposed to make the procedure worth it? Would I rather risk not knowing about a genetic disorder, or risk causing my daughter’s death?
It’s a no-brainer, really. No matter what, I plan on accepting my children with a grateful heart.
Today, I am just so thankful.
Now we are onto names…and this might be a tricky situation. All of our children’s names begin with “M,” and since this is our sixth girl I’m running out of favorites! I want something feminine and southern.
So far, I’m favoring Mabrey or Molly-Rose.
My husband’s not so sure, ha! {His faves are Milah and Mercy}. So we shall see. I do think I should hold him to the specialist’s suggestion of nightly back rubs since I’m expecting my eighth child. It only seems fair. 😉
Thanks for stopping by. We are so happy for this fabulous news!
Congratulations!!! Another lovely girl!
I’ve recently been thinking a lot about the oh-my-goodness-you’re-OVER-THIRTY-FIVE hysteria, and it really upsets me. If God didn’t want women to have babies after thirty-five, then our fertility would end by thirty-five. It doesn’t. And if you want to reason via evolution, the same logic stands. It frustrates me to no end how women over thirty-five are treated like time bombs of disaster when they have babies. It’s happened to several of my friends.
You and I must be about the same age, because I’m about to turn 35 in a few months. If we are blessed with children from here on out, it will be interesting to see how I’m treated. We do use a homebirth midwife, and they tend to freak out less than OBs about almost everything, so I’m hoping all will be sane.
I’m so excited to see you so far through this baby’s gestation, and I’m thrilled that your alarms didn’t turn out to be serious. Hurray for that!
“Today, I am thankful. Thankful for a healthy pregnancy. But, you know what? Even if my pregnancy wasn’t going so great, thankfulness would be in order. God is good. All of the time. In every situation. His gracious love and mercy lasts forever!”
Amen to that!
Diana
P.S. Sorry to hear about the crazy church situation. Very glad to hear that you’re out of it now!!
Thank you so much Diana! We are so excited about our little bundle. I turned 35 in October, so we are pretty close in age! 🙂
Congratulations on another girl! I’m so glad that the ultrasound went well and that they didn’t find any cyst or amniotic band. And, now our due dates are only a day away….I’m due 8/29! I will be waiting until birth to find out baby’s gender unless I find out by accident at a 28 week ultrasound (I have a low lying placenta).
Thanks Bridget, and congrats again! I will be praying your placenta rises. Thankfully, they normally do. 🙂 I had the same concern with my sixth baby and it rose as expected.
Thank you, Nicole! This is baby #6 for me, so maybe low lying placenta is a baby 6 thing 😊
I’m sorry also that they treated you that way because of advanced maternal age. I’m 38 and will be 39 by the time this little one is born, and I’m pleased to say that my ob office is very “hands-off” when it comes to AMA. I wasn’t told about any early genetic testing (verify, harmony, maternity T-21) that I hear about a lot of people getting and they didn’t even mention a more in-depth ultrasound. Although they do always ask at my initial appointment if I plan on getting my tubes tied.
Also, did you have a “feeling” that you were pregnant with another girl? I know that every pregnancy is different, but of course I’m wondering if your cravings, intuition, baby’s heart rate, etc. made you think you were pregnant with a girl? My youngest daughter will turn 5 this summer and I would love another girl, but I have a feeling that baby is another boy (same cravings-anything potato, low heart rate-138-148, etc), which would be awesome too because I’d have 2 boys close in age.
Enjoy your day 🌷
Maybe so.😉 It is wonderful that your OB is so hands off. I’ve been right with my intuition with every pregnancy except this one regarding if it was a boy or girl. I was sure this was a boy…my cravings are different and I’m carrying her higher like I have my sons. Well, two different sonograms have now proved me wrong lol! Her heart rate has always been between 151-154 which did indicate a girl though. I’m really excited to have three little girls in a row, and I’m positive if you have a boy it would be tons of fun. Of course, girls are precious! Hope your day is fantastic!
Congratulations on another sweet little girl to love! If you think the way the treated you at 35 is something, try being 42 with 6 losses and on pregnancy #11! Thankfully this baby is doing well and I’m 29 weeks. I also have an awesome ob, it’s the nurses who can be ugly. I’ve been told I shouldn’t risk having more children, that I should use birth control, and that I need my tubes tied. (All from nurses.) My ob says I’m perfectly healthy, and can continue to have babies if I get pregnant again. My dh and I are leaving it in the Lord’s Hands. Blessings to you!
Thanks for sharing Amy! I’m so thankful your pregnancy is going well! This time around when I went for my initial work up, the nurse paused and whispered “I don’t want to say this out loud,” when it came to verifying my number of children (7 + 2 losses). I about lost it, because I’m so thankful for my babies and she acted like it was something I should be ashamed of lol. It is amazing that you have a supportive ob! Congrats on your little one!
Congratulations on expecting another girl! Glad to hear that your last scan showed no concerns. Our children are also “M’s”. I am partial to Mabry…..that is my oldest daughter’s name 🙂
Thank you, we’re excited! Mabry (or Mabrey) is my first choice. 🙂
Congratulations! Children are such a blessing! I love the name Molly-Rose! I have problems with ultrasounds. Twice I’ve had a specialist tell me my baby was in distress or had a horrible issue only to have the baby turn out perfectly healthy.
Thank you! I’m so sorry for those false alarms and am so glad all turned out well for your sweet baby!