No I dont mind you asking, ask away! The opening is not really big at all I'd say only approx 2cm? and is to the right of his belly button, this is going off the usual presentations of gastroschisis though, and not definate. No-one can tell you how big the hole is or how bad the gastroschisis is until bubs is born.

We always try and get them to tell us something but they never can, and that's fair enough. Only my bubs small intestine can be seen. Sometimes it can be other organs like the large intestine and liver too, and in baby girls it can be the ovaries as well.

The gastroschisis can be repaired by either a primary closer or a staged repair. Primary closer means everything fits in first go and is simply closed up. Staged is that it does not fit and the exposed organs are placed in a silo bag and suspended above the bub to be put in bit by bit over a few weeks. Sometimes there is not enough skin so a graft will be done afterwards. Obviously we are hoping for a primary closure!

Then its a matter of giving the bowel time to adjust inside. The baby will be given TPN (IV food) in the meatime, and then his colostrum and breastmilk once the bowels are functioning via tube feeding. Once this is all tolerated, he can go on the boob and hopefully we wont look back after that and will be able to come home.

Sometimes gastroschisis babies need several operations and longer hospital stays. If there is severe damage to the bowel and some needs to be removed, or if they squish it all in and it restricts their other organs or breathing is a couple of examples. Also if the baby picks up any sort of infection in the hospital than that will delay progress.

But we will cross those bridges if we come to them!

Thanks also Caro! Thats very reassuring!