26 Week Pregnancy Update

July 06, 2011

27 weeks… 1 more week until 28 - my second goal!
Yesterday was a BIG day for appointments.  I spent 8:30 am to 1:00 pm at the hospital for tests.  First, I had a fetal MRI.  This is where they put ME in a scary and super tiny MRI machine for about 80 minutes, and do a bunch of scans of the baby.  The purpose of this test was to have very detailed pictures showing the structure of the cystic hygroma on the back of our baby's neck/head.  These pictures will then be given to pediatric surgeons, who will begin the planning for the surgeries our daughter will need after birth.  Yes... surgerIES.  We are told it will likely take multiple surgeries to remove the hygroma, depending on its structure and interconnection with blood vessels, etc.  This is not a test to let us know what is wrong with the baby, but simply another piece of the puzzle so doctors can help her in the future.  We will likely begin meeting with the surgeons in the next couple of weeks.

I have to say that after spending almost 80 minutes in the MRI machine all I could think of was hilariously:  "Thank God I am not as fat as I used to be!"  That thing is tiny, and 100 pounds ago I have no clue how I would have fit.  At least it distracted me somewhat from the close quarters and hammering and car alarms sounds that were coming from all around me.

After the MRI, we had a follow up echo cardiogram.  At our first they found a small heart defect called a VSD in the baby, and could not see the aortic arch, which is one of the key things they wanted to see.  The cardiologist could not find the VSD this time, and they still couldn't see the aortic arch very clearly (we are told it is very hard to image in utero), but they were able to trace blood flow through it and it appeared normal.  The VSD could have possibly closed or it is just harder to see.  Apparently, it gets harder the further along you get.  The conclusion was that the baby would need to have an echo cardiogram 24-48 hours after birth.  The cardiologist told us "not to worry about it." Ah... OK, easier said than done, but the heart seems to be the least of our worries in the whole scheme of things.

Overall things continue to be stable, and we are grateful for that.

Overall my health is still pretty good.  My cold symptoms have eased up, although I still have a sporadic nasty cough.  My blood pressure is a bit higher than I'd like, but it is still normal.  I have really little if any swelling.  I've gained a total of 27 pounds.  The baby is measuring close to normal overall, and she is kick, kick, kicking away!  Her patterns have become much more regular and I feel her more often than I have in previous weeks.  It is very comforting to feel her punches to my bladder, even if it results in - at 34 years old - me peeing my pants.  I'd like to think the punches mean she is training to punch my doctor (Sorry Dr. P)  as she is delivered for giving her such a grim prognosis only 8 short weeks ago.  That's my girl! 

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  1. Always thinking of you and your family, Sarah. Being in an MRI machine for 80 minutes is a remarkable feat! I spent 20 minutes in one and it required a lot of imagination to keep myself still for just that length of time. There's only so many songs you can sing to yourself! Hope you are resting comfortably this evening.

  2. I haven't had the time to stop by to wish you well in a while, though I read your tweets and you're often in my thoughts. I am happy to read this post and get a sense that your little girl seems to be strong and fighting. By your words, I see you are, too. Hang in there. You are so strong, and I'll continue to pray for you and your family. Take care of you!

  3. They did have music, but the sounds are so loud when they start I couldn't even hear it after a while.

    Thanks Jenn for stopping by, and your kind comment!

  4. Glad you made it through the MRI. It doesn't sound fun.

    So glad to see another week pass by with things still looking strong.

  5. You are always in my thoughts! And I hope your baby girl does give the doctor a nice big kick when she comes out. :)

    And that MRI sounds miserable. I can't sit still that long!!

  6. This all sounds like good news! It's good to know that little girl of yours is a fighter!!!

  7. Good news!!! Praying for you all!!!

    Love & Hugs!

