Weeks 20 and 21 (and 1%)
5 Apr
So, I’ve been MIA…but, for good reason. Y’all know that when I disappear, it’s because something’s up. You do know me well, don’t you? First, let me get weeks 20 and 21 out of the way (sans my typical stats)…
*Week 20*
*Week 21*
The 20-week appointment is the big one – the one where they measure every little tidbit of the little bitty’s bits. From the valves of the heart to the kidneys to the brain; from the tiny fingers to the tiny toes.
Because of my miscarriage in August, we have been lucky enough to have ultrasounds every single appointment that we’ve had up to this point (6, 8, 12, and 16). No concerns came up and baby looked healthy. THEN week 20 happened and here we are – fresh off of another big blog hiatus.
Things could’ve gone better, but you better believe that they could’ve gone worse.
2 red flags were identified with precious Baby T. (this is where anyone squeemish or disinterested in pregnancy jargon should abandon this post and click on Facebook for the tenth time today, instead) – -
1. It appeared that my cervix was thin. My awesome ultrasound tech and even awesome-r doctor just couldn’t be sure because of the baby moving so much and some shadows that appeared to be present. A thin cervix could mean many things, including a cervical stitch, bed rest (like yesterday), and early labor. Not ideal.
2. What was very clear is that our baby has a 2 vessel umbilical cord, aka – Single Umbilical Artery (SUA). Neither Scott nor I had ever heard of this before, so we had no idea what this meant. We learned that babies are supposed to have 1 vein and 2 arteries in their umbilical cord and our little peanut has just one artery. This occurs in 1% of babies.
ONE.
PERCENT.
Super.
5 longer-than-long days later, we had an advanced ultrasound completed at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). We, thankfully, found out that my cervix is as average as Will Ferrell’s acting (but equally as lovable). Disaster averted. One, anyway.
Unfortunately, a new artery did not come into view during this ultrasound. A 2-vessel cord, this baby has. Most of the ultrasound results delivered good news. But you know we couldn’t walk outta there without some negative. Such is life. Overall, baby appears to be compensating with what he/she has like a strong Costantini/Trottier that he/she is. Baby is growing and so is Mama!
There are many risks for this baby, but this is also a significant likelihood that this baby will be absolutely fine. You better believe that my Google searching has been on overdrive (don’t do it – it’s scary business), but I am desperate to know the possibilities. Lots of things to keep an eye on over these next few months. More doctor appointments, more ultrasounds, more stress, more anxiety.
MORE PRAYER, MORE PRAYER, MORE PRAYER.
Did I mention that March 23rd was our first baby’s due date and also the five year anniversary of Scott’s marriage proposal? Yeah – it’s been quite the roller coaster, kids.
We’re on the upswing now that we’ve had some time to process all of the info we’ve been given. I turned 22 weeks on Tuesday. I will catch y’all up with some fun (and less depressing) developments before week 23. PROMISE! Please know that we continue to feel incredibly blessed and excited for this baby’s existence and are CANNOT WAIT for his/her arrival.
Well, we can wait a little while…we still have lots of paraphernalia to get!
THANKS FOR LISTENING and HANGING IN THERE!
I’m back and have missed blogging SO MUCH!!!
p.s. As always, I share all of this personal info as a form of a therapy, to keep loves in the loop, and to candidly share my experiences (no sugarcoating here, my friends). You’ve all been there for us before and I have no doubt that y’all will be there for us again.
Beach Count: 69
High Temperature: 84°
keeping you all in our prayers every day! You are looking great:)
Thanks, Jenny xo
You are all so strong (Mama, Daddy & Baby T) – That I have all the faith in the world that the litte one will be just perfect
Love you guys! Keep up the positive thoughts!
Thanks, Christina – miss you!!!
Hi there. I’ve been reading your blog for a while – found it through baby center. I wanted to let you know that my daughter also had a SUA. We had never heard of it either and did the dreaded google searches (my husband had to rip my laptop from me as I sat with it crying!) Because everything else checked out fine with my baby, my doctor wasn’t concerned at all, but of course I couldn’t help but worry. I had to get growth scans every 4 weeks and then non-stress tests and amniotic fluid measurements every week for the last 8 weeks. I never had any issues (and I’ve even read some studies showing that SUA as an isolated finding is NOT associated with growth restriction, etc.). I delivered her 5 days past her due date. She was a healthy size and is now a thriving almost 4 month old. Since having the SUA, I have noticed how common it is…I know 1% sounds rare, but that’s 1 in 100 – and think of how many babies are born! In fact, when I was delivering, there were 2 other girls on the same floor of the hospital delivering babies with SUA! Anyway, it always helped me to hear positive stories, and to remember that the SUA alone means nothing, it’s just that fetuses/babies with other problems might also have it. Good luck with everything!
Meghan – thank you for following the blog since BabyCenter. I am so glad that you have a healthy, baby girl on your hands…who happened to also have an SUA. Thank you for sharing your story! I am part of the BabyCenter SUA group. I have been following to listen to other people’s stories and it seems 9.5 times out of 10 – baby is born healthy and without any SUA repercussions. I try to surround myself with these stories! Thank you again for reaching out to me – I truly appreciate the support and will keep everyone posted! =)
everything will be fine! and wonderful! you 3 are in my prayers.
xo
Thanks, girl =)
So I watched you two fall in love so of course I’m watching you two fall in love for a second time (or perhaps a 3rd time). You two are strong, fabulously full of humor and you have oodles of support. You also already figured out parenthood is oh so not what we dream of or expect. Big surprises with loads of worry are part of it but so is the greatest joy you’ve ever known. Congrats on you super uterus (we always knew you’d impress us)! I know we will be nothing short of impressed with your two vessel umbilical cord too! Prayers of course will be coming (insurance policies never can hurt).
Hugs,
Christy
Christy – you are so sweet. You HAVE watched us fall in a love a few of times, haven’t you?! “Super uterus” – OMG, I love that – haha. We are incredibly lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful people in our lives who make us laugh and keep us from falling. Thank you for being one of them. xoxo
I have a 16 month old so I know how scary all of this can be. Just keep your eye on the prize knowing that once he/she is delivered, all of these doubts go away. My cousin had the same issue you are with her 1st child. She did go through some bed rest (again worth it for the outcome) and she has a very healthy now 5 year old girl. This is much more common than you think. And remember, God never puts more on you than you can handle. He knows you’re tough!
Thank you, Misty. It’s definitely hard to hear that your baby has something that you have never heard of (and neither have most people that you know). I feel a bit more relieved after learning more about it. Thank you for sharing yet another SUA success story – I can never hear too many! =)