Impending Amnio - bonding issues
Hi All,
I am having an amnio next Wed (day after my 39th b'day :redface:). We already have a child with special needs (complex heart condition) who has a limited lifespan and lots of limitations and has had four open heart surgeries etc etc. Not been easy.
We finally became pregnant again - after being told we had a less than 5% chance due to DH sperm being dodgy, even though we didnt have any trouble conceiving DS.
Now we have had the NT scan and my risk is 1:100 basically due to my age. I cant have another baby with special needs and a limited life span. The combination of two would just be too hard.
We also have the added complication of 1:25 chance of having another baby with heart disease as the chances increase if you have already had one. We wont find out about that until the 19 week scan.
Also, (it just goes on doesnt it?) I had a very complicated preg with DS with irritable uterus and pre-term labour, two vessel umbilical cord, reversal of flow from bub to me and inter uterine growth retardation. DS was born at 36 weeks as he was struggling with my (daily) on-going contractions which started at 24 weeks. He was born via emerg c-section weighting 1.6 kg (3pd10oz).
I am holding it together mostly but as we get closer to the amnio its getting harder. When we had the NT scan I couldn't even touch my belly or watch the DVD after the scan as I just felt that I was shutting down all my bonding just in case. That has eased up now but I am felling a bit like it is happening again just so that I reduce my connection to this bub that I might have to terminate. Believe me this is not a decision I am taking lightly.
Can anyone help with advice on this? I guess it is just anxiety with fear about what might happen. Its not just the amnio its also the 19 week scan and then the 24 week mark when I went into first round of pre-term labour last time.
No wonder I am not sleeping very well...
Any help?
Prelim results are IN !!!
Hi ladies,
Thank you all for supporting me. Thought you might like an update;
We had our amnio yesturday morning at 9am. It was a bit stressful and painful but our Dr was very professional, competant and well reccommended so I knew that it would be done well.
Forgot that as I am an O negative blood type I would have to have the anti D injection after (ouch!).
We decided to go for the FISH test and pay the extra $200 to get the results in early (they are 99.7% accurate so you need to wait for the full results anyway but still...). We were told to expect the results late on Friday afternoon.
My OB's MW just called with the results! All good! :dance: Thank you God. :pray:
I am so relieved - as you can imagine, had a little cry.
We need to wait for the confirmation in 7 days still but VERY unlikely to overturn the early results. YAY.
I am resting to minimise m/c risk. My DH took Wed-Fri off work so that he could look after DS and I. I have had quite a few cramps, mainly yestuday and overnight but no loss of fluid or blood. I feel like I am about to get my period and my belly isnt as big as it was before the amnio but I think that is because I am spending most of the day on the couch and not running around and working etc etc.
Also, they took out 25mls of amniotic fluid! They had me hold the vials after to check my details on them were right and sign them. I didnt actually realise what I was holding at first and then I realized, it was a bit odd. The vials were warm! Kind of made me feel icky. Like I shouldn't have been holding my own amniotic fluid with my babies wee and skin cells in... Odd.
Now we are going to tell our 4.5 year old that we are going to have another baby. Even if something happens at the next scan we need to tell him soon, he keeps asking about my belly and if I am going to have a baby - he only wants a sister apparently. I opted not to find out the sex of this one.
Also, the Dr had a look at the babies heart yesterday before the amnio and showed me there are four chambers this time! Thats better already than my sons u/s. We will wait until the 20 week scan to really get an idea of the heart though.
A relieved Rach,
XX