So, I finally decided to do a blog so I can remember some of the feelings that I am having and to document the experience we have had while being pregnant with our third child. She is going to be born with a condition called, "Spina bifida".
Greg and I had been trying for another baby for about seven months and in that time I had had two positive pregnancy tests that sadly ended in miscarriages. August came around and I started to feel kind of weird, so I decided to take another pregnancy test. The test showed positive, and we were so excited, but I was still really nervous because of the last two miscarriages. One night as I was praying that this baby would be a healthy baby, I got such a strong feeling that this time was going to be okay. I had such a feeling of peace come over me which kept me from worrying that I would start spotting or that something would happen to the baby.
We had just recently moved from Idaho to South Florida in June so I asked around to find a good obgyn to go see. I was recommended to Dr. Parker, which has been and provided excellent care and has been such a great doctor through this whole experience. When I was about eleven weeks along my doctor asked me if I wanted to get some testing done for disorders that was supposed to be more accurate than the typical test that they do for Down Syndrome and the Trisomies at around 16 weeks. This test was a blood test that had to be drawn before the 13th week, and then they did an ultrasound to check the tissue behind the babies neck, then another blood test at 16 weeks. They then factor all three into an equation to come up with your risk factor. With my other two I didn't even care if I had this kind of testing because I knew that no matter what the results, we would keep the baby and I really didn't think it was a big deal or mattered either way. Twice during my appointment my doctor mentioned the testing to me and I think she was inspired to do so. The second time she mentioned it I decided what the heck if my insurance is going to pay for it I might as well do it.
At 171/2 weeks pregnant I got a call from the high risk OB that does the testing with my test results. He told me that my risk came back very high for Spina Bifida and that he wanted me to come in for a ultrasound the following Tuesday (this was on a Wednesday). In hearing this I was immediately worried...but the more I talked to my husband, mom, and family about it I felt like I was probably just one that got a false positive and everything would be fine at the appointment.
So, the next Tuesday we went for the ultrasound and my husband and youngest son came with me. The tech started the ultrasound and checked everything just like they do at the normal 20 week ultrasound and at this time we knew we were having a little girl! After two boys I was very excited but nervous they were wrong because I always felt like we would have all boys. The ultrasound tech finishes and the Doctor comes in and looks around at the baby for a few minutes and tells me that he does see some abnormalities in the baby. He could see a sort of lemon sign in the shape of the brain, and also he could see where there was a hole in the babies lower spine that had not closed up. He knew that she did in fact have Spina Bifida, he didn't know the extent of her damage but knew that what we were looking at would be alot of problems. I was in shock.. I didn't know what to think, it was hard for me to breath, and I was trying to hold the tears in and compose myself so I could absorb what he was saying to me. At that point he told me I had the option to terminate the pregnancy which wasn't even an option. I didn't know much about SB but I had researched a little and talked to family and knew there was an in utero surgery available that might be beneficial for her. I asked Dr. Lowe about the surgery option and he told me I was only the second person in twelve years that had asked about it, but he said he would look into it for me and give me a call in a few days.
