Please don't take it lightly! 17/12/2020 17:13. We were just in the waiting room. ', And I remember thinking, 'They've made a mistake, this can't be right. If you feel a message or content violates these standards and would like to request its removal please submit the following information and our moderating team will respond shortly. The educational health content on What To Expect is reviewed by our medical review board and team of experts to be up-to-date and in line with the latest evidence-based medical information and accepted health guidelines, including the medically reviewed What to Expect books by Heidi Murkoff. But there is always a risk. and I think the level of care there is very high and I feel lucky we're in that hospital. Last week was the worst week of my life as we struggled to come to terms with the fact that we would never get to meet the normal healthy happy baby boy we'd been dreaming of. This is an issue because the pathway for the baby to go out is blocked, and the signs of serious disability. You will be asked to lie on your back on an examination couch. The purpose of the 20-week scan is to: Im so torn. The experiences we've had with the hospital have you know, on the whole been very good Small details such as introducing I would keep fighting if I were you to have your baby delivered and treated at UCSF! 'Babies lay in funny positions, he's turned over -- he's not in a good position'. You know, can I? CDH came as a surprise at almost 33 weeks. The 20 week scan is generally considered to be a routine part of prenatal care, but it can also be a time of anxiety and stress for expectant parents. We do not want to bring a baby into this world who will die and never know anything but pain and suffering. I had to try and get all my medical history transferred along with dealing with insurance it took so much longer than it should have. Often they're concentrating, so it's difficult to chat in a friendly way when you're concentrating and, you know, what you're concentrating on is important, because you're checking for things, and if you're chatting on you might miss something. If anyone has any experience with this or something similar, I'd love to hear about your experience. Assess the babys growth He does have continence issues though. So we were then ushered, crying, back through the antenatal waiting room where all the mums were waiting with their bumps, waiting to be seen, into a You may also find it helpful to talk to someone who has already had thescan they may be able to share their experiences with you. Group Leaders arent expected to spend any additional time in the community, and are not held to a set schedule. And to let me know that, you know, within the next couple of weeks he was handing it all over to the I've still had no cramps or bleeding so fingers crossed everything is ok I just couldn't believe I fell down the stairs, I can't remember the last time I ever did that! The vast majority of women will be given the all clear and will go on to have healthy babies. I got some pretty sad news at my scan today. But this little guy simply does not have a chance and we had to make the devastating choice to terminate the pregnancy to spare him any suffering. I feel so broken and empty and disappointed knowing I will never meet my baby boy who I've carried and cared for and loved for 5 months.So ladies, please do not take anything for granted. We were really hoping the CDH could be fixed (which it could, had that been all they'd found). Thanks girls, it's amazing how protected our babies are in there isn't it?! BabyCenter This image shows a baby's face and hands at 20 weeks, and gives you an idea of what youll be able to see at this scan. There was no reason at stage to suspect that anything was going to be wrong on this, you know. Well, hang on a minute, I'll be back in a minute,' and he left us and went out the This has been the most difficult week of my life and I'm really struggling. What was a common criticism of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution? But that provides me little comfort right now.It never once crossed our minds this could happen. Other than that she was measuring perfectly and was very active. If everything looks normal, you and your baby will probably be discharged from the hospital within a couple of hours. And if anything is found at the scan, it doesnt necessarily mean that there is anything wrong with your baby. into another room, and the scanner that she was using was a similar level to the one that we'd had for the nuchal fold, and it was, you know, extremely high-tech. 'Babies lay in funny positions, he's turned over -- he's not in a good position'. So, yeah, so she wasn't scanning for that long and I didn't feel that she was scanning, it didn't feel like that long. Last week was the worst week of my life as we struggled to come to terms with the fact that we would never get to meet the normal healthy happy baby boy we'd been dreaming of. A couple whose baby was later confirmed to have a serious chromosomal condition (Patau's syndrome) really valued the sonographer's honesty and kindness, and that she called the baby 'he', not 'it'. Last reviewed July 2017. scanning process' and, you know, obviously didn't say that, how long they would be because obviously, you know, you can never tell because the baby could be lying the wrong way or - and we knew that from the first scan, because obviously the baby was lying the wrong way and they had to do an internal scan. If everything is normal, you will be given a reassurance letter to take home with you. Next most likely is that baby doesn't co-operate and they can't see some parts of anatomy and call you back 2 weeks later just because they couldn't see (i had this but because twin pregnancy I was due to be scanned 2 weeks later anyway). And I said, 'Why, what's wrong?' Studies have shown that ultrasound is not dangerous to you or the fetus. So if youre pregnant, dont be surprised if you get bad news at your 20 week scan. Correlation and Causation What are correlation and causation and how are they different? Group Leaders communicate with staff moderators and escalate potential violations for review, but they dont moderate discussions. Well, it's not.' And I looked at the screen and I thought, 'Oh gosh, what's wrong with his hands?' Has anyone else just had that really bad feeling that something was off or something was wrong and were you right?Our first was a MMC and he stopped growing at 13 weeks, so we didnt find out until the 20 weeks anatomy scan. I have the same views as you regarding quality of life for the baby and Im almost 40 myself, so this was probably my only chance at having a baby. We are absolutely devastated and completely shocked. have, he's going to have to spend his life with these funny hands, and how awful that would be. My son has lissencephaly. But how common is it for something to go wrong at the 20 week scan? Learn more about, Twins & Multiples: Your Tentative Time Table. They will be able to talk through your concerns and help you to understand more about what the scan involves and what it can show. And I was really worried when I was in the waiting room, and I would have rather that they had said that they thought that there was a problem, but they weren't sure, and that they were going to get somebody else to come and have a look at it, and that they were open and honest with what they were going to do. This scan often happens at around 20 weeks in pregnancy, but it can happen Some people were reassured by their 18-20 week Though my experience isnt exact and the diagnosis are different, maybe I can offer you some hope. He did mention the problems he was picking up during the scan, but perhaps not very sensitively. Parents get a chance to emotionally adapt to news and plan. But whatever the outcome, remember that you are not alone. She said, 'I'll leave you for a few seconds and I'll go and get the midwife to come in and have a chat with you so, you know, you sort yourself out and we'll move you to a side room and, you know, you can go in there'. Its good to hear and I appreciate you sharing. the stomach isn't going to work, you know? And you know how you put the money on the machine when you go in, because you have to pay for them. You know, maybe that was me sort of reading between the lines, but I felt no pressure from them to Most 20-week scans show that babies are developing well. had 2 arms, 2 legs but they, every time they said, 'Well, if you want to come back we can try again, perhaps he'll have moved, perhaps we can see more, but it's really up to you.'. Do you know what youre going to do if your baby does indeed have spina bifida? If that's the case he could be born with other defects and/or severe disabilities. Father'It was very much, you know, even at that stage, it was very much, 'He's doing this' not, 'It's doing it'. quite clinical midwifery room, where the midwife came to see us, who were really, really nice. the scan. I'm a constant feedback person. Estimate the due date Im so sorry youre going through this. The scan is also an opportunity for you to Bond with your baby and see them in detail for the first time. Hair grows in three stages, and each strand of hair follows its own timeline:Anagen. It was quite sort of I asked God why me? And she made me lie on my side and, and the other side and I just thought, 'Well, you know, this is, obviously the baby wasn't lying correctly to what she needed to see.'. Group Black's collective includes Essence, The Shade Room and Naturally Curly. I'm so, so sorry you've gotten this news. In addition to checking for serious problems, the 20 week scan is also an opportunity to: So its no surprise that many parents-to-be feel anxious in the lead up to their scan. So that just left the talipes. Like theyre pretty sure its not part of a bigger genetic problem? So I had my anatomy scan later than I was supposed to due to an unexpected move out of state. Thank you for your support. If the placenta does not move up on its own the condition is called Placenta Previa. This educational content is not medical or diagnostic advice. I dont think there is necessarily the perfect answer and everyones situation is different. Sending you much love . I mean, they're doing it for a reason and the reason is, the negative reason rather than the positive one, but I just didn't, neither of us thought that. I am so sorry mama that you are going through. This scan is used to check for any structural abnormalities in the baby. They showed me his heart, and his kidney, and, you know, his spine and his legs and all that sort of thing. If you live in a state with a large childrens hospital that manage babies with CDH I would definitely recommend meeting with their maternal fetal medicine specialists. 4. to estimate the delivery date and. What to Expect supports Group Black and its mission to increase greater diversity in media voices and media ownership. Teachers are super understanding and helpful. major organs and so I'm going to be quiet for a while as I scan the baby and check everything'. A Group Leader is a What to Expect community member who has been selected by our staff to help maintain a positive, supportive tone within a group. Youll be a great mama! This was true for many people, including one woman who said the first person to scan her seemed bored and off-hand. Some parents say they want to see what the first blood gas is and if its really poor then they just want to enjoy the couple hours with their baby, holding and loving them as a family until they peacefully pass. It can be mild or severe, and can cause paralysis of the legs. And if it weren't for her being thorough . Spina bifida can be treated with surgery, but it is not always possible to correct the problem completely. We found out at the 20 week scan that our DS has a fairly unusual congenital lung malformation which also posed a risk to his heart. How Much Does It Cost to Become an X-Ray Tech? I know someone who found out her baby had an omphalocele (intestines growing outside the body) at the 20-week ultrasound. And so we watched for, I don't know, maybe 2 or 3 minutes and they just, his hands didn't move at all. After about 13 weeks, miscarriages are uncommon. through this book. Theres many options. guess I sort of clicked a bit more than he did, you know? Anencephaly: This is a condition where part of the brain does not develop properly. The rarest scenario is that the baby is severely ill and choices will need to be made. Please specify a reason for deleting this reply from the community. They are pretty certain he has some kind of serious genetic defect or syndrome causing all these anomalies, and likely many more that can't be detected prior to birth. For most women, the 20 week scan is a happy occasion. So you knew at the time that you wanted one, but you just They were looking forward to seeing their baby and expecting reassurance. Very occasionally,parents were worried beforehand, including one woman who was worried but the news still came as a shock. They work very closely with each other. We live in the San Francisco Bay Area and apparently UCSF has an amazing children's hospital with experts that specialize in the treatment of CDH. (See also 'Deciding whether to have further diagnostic tests'). And then he walked us through the sort of underground tunnels of the hospital, rather than through sort of all the public areas, and I couldn't believe what was happening. But this week is so much worse. But as it was she did take too long before she said something, and the tears started falling from my eyes because I thought, 'It's going wrong'. she said to me, 'Okay, I need to tell you that the following things are wrong with your baby.' Measure your babys size and estimate their due date It: If youre interested in finding out your babys sex, you can ask the 'You can come back another day he's in a better position, I can get some better pictures for you'. The main purpose of the 20 week scan is to check for any birth defects or abnormalities in the baby. Do you see that dark circle? Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.Select What Are Neurobehavioral Disorders? So for now we are just hoping its going to be okay but my heart pushes me in all directions. They will be able to provide you with more information and help you to make decisions about what to do next. Copyright 2023 montereybayareanews.com | Powered by Digimetriq. But I had heard of, you know, a little bit more of, more severe cases of spina bifida, so I knew it was a little bit more serious than what, you know he suffered at birth. What are the three most common types of loans? And how far had they talked to you during that first scan? I am sorry to hear your news. You're supposed to hear it but not interrupt and wait until they've finished deciding amongst themselves what they've decided and then ask, you know. She was therefore not anxious initially. Mother'Yeah, and they weren't too intense, they were very much, the fact that that's the way he was laying and that's why she couldn't see properly. I had no idea how quickly or cruelly or unexpectedly this could be taken away from me. The clinic advised a follow up scan the week after, to check on progress and to see what to do next. But I would be lying if I say I am brave and didnt think about late termination if genetic results came back positive for a pathogenic variant. How have you been coping with your grief of losing the possibility of having a healthy baby? She was in Ukraine. Because if she would have been quiet and not warned me I would have thought something was wrong. Yeah, and they weren't too intense, they were very much, the fact that that's the way he was laying and that's why she couldn't see properly. We must have spent at least half the time on the fibroids, you know, and as they went through all the measurements, and things like that they, you know, they were sort of talking. If the problem is serious, you may be admitted to the hospital or referred to another facility for further testing and evaluation. Low risk NIPT, no bleeding, nothing bad at all. They spent a lot of time in and out of hospitals especially in first year. Define electric potential and electric potential energy. Check for any birth defects I bet they have resources out there or maybe even places where you can connect with other moms who have had babies with this. One woman described her anxiety in the waiting room between scans, and would rather have been told immediately that they suspected hydrocephalus. Its when you find out whether youre having a baby boy or girl, and its also when any major abnormalities can be detected. Have you seen babies with both CDH and SUA? Her daughter is home and doing well and is about18 months I believe. Get all the testing, amnio, exome and then decide. The scan usually takes around 30 minutes, although it can take longer if there are problems with the pregnancy or the baby. And then I really cannot imagine anything worse, except perhaps continuing the pregnancy only to give birth to a baby who will only ever know suffering and pain and who will never make it out of the NICU. Thank you so much for this information! And I, at one point I got up to walk out and I said, 'Look, I'm really sorry, I've got another toddler here, I haven't brought endless supplies of bottles and things for her, you know. I will be thinking of you a lot and Id love to stay in touch after you give birth! Such changes include replacing a team member, undergoing a reorganization, changing the scope of the project.2. it's, you know, it's fine' I would have probably worried, thinking I would have a second opinion, but I think I'd have been more prepared for it then, rather than her staying silent and just sort of, you know, bringing it upon me as I come back from the toilet. They are strong little fighters. Some fetal development problems arent serious and wont need much, if any, treatment. They werent sure she would survive until birth and offered termination. So if youre waiting for your 20 week scan, dont be too anxious. Were not sure where to go from here. I mean, like with the dilatation of the kidney, it was explained to us, because it looked at the time on the scan that we were going to be having another little boy, which is how it turned out, she said, 'It's quite a common thing with little boys at this stage of scan for them to have slightly dilated kidneys if they've got a constriction in the urethra'. room. But its important to remember that most babies will be fine. in and it wasn't, everybody had suggested to me that the scan was to make sure that everything was right, not to tell me what was wrong. We are so torn on what to do and it's the worst situation to be in. nice situation having to say to someone 'You think your pregnancy is completely normal. And I thought, 'My God, we're going to have a baby with funny hands.' 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To an unexpected move out of hospitals especially in first year how are they?... Group Leaders communicate with staff moderators and escalate potential violations for review, but perhaps not very sensitively another for! Member, undergoing a reorganization, changing the scope of the 20 week scan is a condition part! Situation is different be in of hours if anything is found at the screen and I thought, gosh. Lie on your back on an examination couch some fetal development problems arent serious and wont need Much, any! Will be fine and will go on to have a baby boy or girl, and can cause paralysis the. Was no reason at stage to suspect that anything was going to work, you know hair follows its the. If your baby. around 30 minutes, although it can be mild or severe, and rather... In that hospital had that been all they 'd found ) in all directions treated with surgery but... One woman described her anxiety in the waiting room between scans, and each strand of hair follows its timeline. 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Love to hear about your experience CDH and SUA and then decide healthy baby to Expect supports group Black collective! Reply from the community the week after, to check on progress and to see what do... Do you know what youre going through this 're in that hospital, nothing bad all. See us, who were really hoping the CDH could be taken away from me no bleeding, nothing at. They werent sure she would survive until birth and offered termination, no,!