My Second Phone Conversation with My Midwife

Unfortunately since I got the news about the NFT yesterday (see previous post) while I was at work, I had the unfortunate circumstance of having my co-workers see me cry.  I didn't want to face that today so I took the day off.

After doing a bunch of reading yesterday and compiling a list of questions, I decided to call Min today to address them.  She called me back around 6:30 to discuss.

I asked about the fibroid, just to know.  There's just one, it's sitting in the anterior middle of my uterus and is 3.5cm x 2.3cm, which is apparently not very big.  She's not concerned now, but I'll need a 3rd trimester ultrasound to ensure it's not jeopardizing the baby's development.

Min finally received the bloodwork results from the IPS screening and we were negative for neural tube defects and spina bifida.  Wonderful news!  And the 12 week ultrasound showed a normal NFT (not sure what the thickness was then).

And now onto the fun stuff.  I asked what my odds were of having a baby with Down Syndrome, as that is made available from the 2nd trimester ultrasound.  Min told me mine is 1:920.  That's only slightly lower than the ratio for a 29 year old (1:1000).  I don't know if I should assume that it also includes the additional NFT reading, but I'll ask at my next appointment with Min.

This is also the only soft marker that was detected.  No short limbs, no bright dot in the baby's heart or bowel.  That's good news.

She also said that there's the possibility that there's nothing actually wrong with the baby.

This abnormal NFT reading could also indicate a congenital cardiac abnormality, she informed me, which is why we're being sent to McMaster for genetic counselling.

She said they might do a fetal EKG.  If the results come back negative, I can have the baby at Grand River, although a pediatrician would most likely have to examine the baby after delivery.  If they find anything abnormal with the EKG, they would want me to have the baby at Mount Sinai hospital, which I think is in Toronto.

Anyway, it's great to have all the additional information, although I don't feel tons better.  Maybe just a little.