Perinatologist Appointment Update
We are delighted to share in some good news today with all of you, after our Specialist appointment this morning. I am about 24 1/2 weeks along now, and we have continued to receive positive news at our appointments and we attribute that to all of you, God, and the answered prayers that everyone is saying for us on a daily basis. I continue to remind myself that our little "Miracle with Designer Genes" is NOT supposed to be here! Just 3 months ago, he was given less than a 5% chance of even surviving and now we can see the light at the end of this rollercoaster!
Today, we had our Perinatologist appointment with Dr. Egly in Peoria. It was the day that he was going to do a detailed ultrasound of his heart and determine if we need to see a Pediatric Cardiologist for a complete echocardiogram. Remember, over 50% of babies with DS have heart deffects so this is very common. The news we received today was better than we could have hoped for:
1.Dr. Egly couldn't find ANYTHING wrong with his heart - and he looked, and looked for a long time. Blowing it up, putting color to it watching the flow of the oxygenated and non-oxygenated blood, septums clearly defined...he even mentioned, he didn't even see any "leaks" across the membranes. "This baby's heart looks good - of course, I can't tell you its normal, but its exactly what we want to see."
2.He said he's growing right on track and weighs about 1.9# (a little larger than average even) - guess its all of the good eatin' I've been doing...I'll just attribute that to nervousness
3.The HYGROMA is 100% resolved now:) No evidence except for a little extra skin on the back of his neck - probably will look like a fat roll when he's born. Yippeee!! God is good:)
4.Best part - he released me from his care today (not that we don't love him)...but said I don't have to deliver over at OSF in Peoria, and that I can deliver in my own hospital in Bloomington because he sees no reason not to.
Only one bit of bad news was actually on my part. I've been having more Braxton Hicks than normal, and I'm approaching the 26 week mark, which has been the time when I've been put on bedrest in my two previous pregnancies. So, today I asked him to check out my cervix to see if its started to change - and it has:( It's beginning to shorten (should be 4cm long, its already 2.7cm). He's putting me on progesterone pills for the remainder of the pregnancy and it certainly looks like bedrest is in my very near future. I was hoping to avoid going that route again - but doesn't look like it.
Maybe all of your wonderful prayers out there can start saying prayers for me now - to keep me off bedrest, and from going into pre-term labor. I know that's a tall order - but you've all shown your power up until this point, so let's give it a shot!
Please continue praying for health for our baby boy. We know we are not out of the woods yet. There are many things that can still go wrong and undetected, that won't show up until he is born...so we have to keep that in perspective. He's a fighter though and we can't wait to bring him into this world. We may just luck out that he'll be one of the healthier babies with Down Syndrome and won't have to endure countless surgeries.
Love to you all! XOXOXO - keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
Vist Baby Chadwick's CaringBridge Blog: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mandychadwick
