Tuesday I had my growth scan for Quinn. It was so exciting to see her via ultrasound again and she's so cute! She always loves to have her hands up around her face and likes to nuzzle into her arm. I also got to see her sucking on her hand and opening and closing her mouth. They even switched to 4D view for a little bit and it seems like she looks a lot like my husband. I get growth scans every 4 weeks to make sure that lupus isn't causing her to have any growth problems. On that front things are good right now and she weighs 1.5 lbs.
When they were doing the scan I started getting nervous and knew that something wasn't as it should be. The tech was taking a long time with the scan and I noticed that it was even longer and more in depth then even my anatomy scan. This was definitely not what I had experienced with C.orben. She also kept going back over the umbilical cord and the heart. After she said she was done she left and then a few minutes later came back in the room and said she needed to get the heart rate again. I thought things were off at this point, but wasn't too worried, just thinking it was my overactive imagination. Then the doctor came in to repeat the scan (as usual). After, she explained to me that normally in the umbilical cord a baby has 2 arteries and 1 vein. Quinn only has 1 artery and 1 vein. She explained that this can be present in normal babies and doesn't always mean there's a problem. However, it can also indicate a chromosomal abnormality/ birth defects, but in those cases there is usually also a problem with the heart or kidneys and right now all of Quinn's organs look perfect. BUT it can also cause a baby to have Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR), which is already a possible complication with lupus.
I can't tell you the panic I immediately felt. It was hard to breathe and I just wanted to get out of there and cry. I feel like I'm at double jeopardy for IUGR. It was just such a shock too because I wasn't expecting to find anything wrong or abnormal with Quinn. My perinatologist said that nothing different needs to be done because we're already monitoring Quinn closely as far as her growth is concerned and we'll just double check her heart and kidney's at my next growth scan in 4 weeks. I'm just so worried about my little girl.
I just need to stay calm and prayerful. I do believe that God is taking care of us and that everything is going to be just fine. I also need to remind myself of the facts. Many babies have a Single Umbilical Artery and have no other problems at all. For it to affect her growth is rare. She is being monitored closely and this isn't a serious health concern. Breathe in, breathe out, and stay away from google.
I also talked to my high risk ob about this more and he also assured me that while it is something that needs to be monitored, in most cases everything is completely fine. He said the only thing that is common, is during labor it can affect blood flow to the placenta which can cause decelerations with Quinn's heart rate. He said they could let this go on for a little while, but worst case scenario is it would be cause for another c-section. Obviously I don't want another c-section and I'm really hoping for a med-free vbac, but my first priority is the health and safety of Quinn. Also, once again, this is just a possibility and not a given, so I'm trying to remain calm and focused on the facts of everything and not on my fears.
Here's my little cutie sucking her thumb.
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| 24 weeks |
3 comments:
Oh I'm so sorry you are going through this. I'm a little late to find out (I've been a terrible blogger and follower lately!). I remember that first ultrasound where we found out that something was wrong with our Elliot.
The only advice I can give you is to stay positive. It can be hard to do, especially with all the scary possibilities, but the doctors have to tell you the worst case scenarios in order to cover their own butts. Elliot turned out to have a much less serious birth defect and no chromosomal problems, although they originally told me they were 95% sure it was a different defect and that he would almost certainly have chromosomal problems as well. I nearly had a panic attack just thinking about it!
Stay well for that little one, and hopefully things will turn out just fine. It is amazing what they can do/fix these days.
You and Quinn will be in my prayers, but I'm sure she'll be just fine! She is adorable!!!!
I'm SO sorry, my friend:( I can only imagine everything you must be feeling, and I understand how you would be very concerned..That is potentially scary news.
Though I know this is much easier said than done, try to also keep in mind that God "has this" - no matter what doctors may tell you, HE has the FINAL say;) I'll be praying you're able to find peace with surrendering this burden to Him and that He restores a deep, abiding peace to your heart. I'll also be praying absolutely NOTHING ends up being medically amiss with your precious Quinn. ((HUGE hugs))
And P.S. Thank you, thank you SO much for your beautiful comments on my last post..they brought me comfort and peace of mind about God's hand in my life. Thank you:)
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