I was sat on the sofa working, my son was at nursery and my partner was in the bath. The hormone levels had dropped, but they wanted to scan me again. 'Soft markers'. But with time although we will never forget, I know we will be ok again. We thought it would all be over very quickly but, in fact, it was another 11 hours before the baby was delivered. I remember thinking, 'that doesn't look quite right'. We, I was with my mum, and they scanned and found choroid plexus cysts on the brain, which is just a mark, it's a marker on the brain, it's a, what they call a 'soft marker'. The only thing you're thinking now is the birth, and what if something goes wrong in the birth? Many described how sonographers and doctors were very restrained and didn't speak at all until they had analysed all the baby's details. No sort of questions about, 'Do you want to know whether it's a boy or a girl?' Desperately trying to hold onto the glimmer of hope we'd been given. She describes having to make a . So at least then we went to that next stage prepared for the worst really. It is also sometimes referred to as the mid-pregnancy scan . But here I was, minutes later, lying down, waiting. He's now had the all clear and is wriggling round on . The hardest thing I have ever done. It was horrible. Three midwives came and went. I felt sad, but not the complete devastation of the last scan as they had seen a change of some sort. It was over. Yeah - in, stomach, out. The decision to terminate the pregnancy was my partner's and mine. Mumsnet carries some affiliate marketing links, so if you buy something through our posts, we may get a small share of the sale (more details here). As I lay down, and the sonographer started, I could see there was something wrong. The week that followed was an agonising wait. I had an appointment with my consultant 2 days later, and again he said, you know, 'Very common - shouldn't worry about it too much, you know, if, the problem is if they find anything else wrong'. It seemed a very arbitrary system, and so you quite often sat outside in the waiting room for a couple of hours before you actually got to see the consultant, which was, seemed you know, I kind of remember thinking before we went in to see him on the particular day when we found out there was a problem, 'Why are we sitting here? Yeah, yeah. There is always a chance that a baby may be born with a health issue that scans could not have identified. He bluntly told me, he wasn't interested in whatever was seen before, he was only going to go by what he saw that day. I had hope that the little bumps inside me were fighting just as much as I was to stay with me. Tissue paper will be tucked around your clothing to protect it from the ultrasound gel, which will then be put on your tummy. 1. So we went home, me to rest in an attempt to prevent miscarriage, my partner to reassure us both. It would have been nice to see someone straight away because I was in such shock. I wanted to be a passive patient while the doctor did what he had to do. And she said that, you know, as the, if the baby did develop further there would probably be other problems with internal organs that weren't really that visible at that stage. Your mind has closed to the possibility that there could be anything wrong. Sometimes a post mortem was needed to confirm the 20-week diagnosis to see if the baby had inherited a genetic problem (such as Fowler syndrome - see '. My belly was growing and I was feeling great. My partner tried to remain calm, and at my request rang my mum. Saturday came. There was complete silence during the scan. Sometimes women were told that the sonographer had found a 'marker' or sign of a chromosomal condition and had to wait for an amniocentesis to confirm the findings. You do not have to have the scan. It is extremely rare for these pregnancies to reach term as they typically spontaneously miscarry early in pregnancy. Find more information and details of support groups on NHS.UK. That he - I think I was 21 weeks and 3 days, and he was coming up at 19 weeks and 4 days, or something like that. I was told they needed to do a blood test to get a bench mark of my hormone levels. And of course some other measurements she needed to take like the width of the skull, which she couldn't take because the fetus was in the wrong position. These were said to be soft markers fo a range of trisomies, 2 of which were incompatible with life. You may need to have a full bladder when you come for the appointment. It is also sometimes referred to as the mid-pregnancy scan. We talked about the different sorts of pain relief I could have and I opted for a morphine drip, which I could control. 'Yes, if that's okay with you,' kind of thing, like you do. Some people want to find out if their baby has one of the 11 conditions and some do not. I wasn't ready to make a decision straight away, and I was told I could call them in the morning. And they took us out of the scanning room, into a more quiet room while they typed up the report. News stories, speeches, letters and notices, Reports, analysis and official statistics, Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports. I remember thinking, 'Gosh' I now know it was a girl, I didn't know that then, that, 'She looks just like her brother'. Still, the consultant thought things would be OK. And it turned out the baby's heart wasn't forming properly, the chambers weren't forming properly. And the next day we went back to the hospital and we had another scan with a specialist, and he confirmed it was a condition called holoprosencephaly, which I'd never heard of any of these words before, they were just such long words. Well, at the regional hospital it was a 3-D scan. As I lay down, and the sonographer started, I could see there was something wrong. In this information, the word we refers to the NHS service that provides screening. [Husband] couldn't make it. We couldn't say we'd lost the baby, because he was still kicking away, but we couldn't pretend everything was fine, either. As soon as we arrived, we were shown to this little room. It was just a few little things like the kidneys were hard to find, and the stomach was hard to find, but that might be because it wasn't filled with fluid. She wanted to have a look at the skull, which was the main thing, but she couldn't see it from where the baby was. My baby might have Down's syndrome. Usually, sonographers will ask a senior sonographer colleague to confirm findings and this should be done immediately. The gel makes sure there is good contact between the probe and your skin. We scattered his ashes over a bunch of snowdrops. And for that whole time, my partner and I were both crying uncontrollably. In fact, interestingly enough, going sort of. Specialist scans had a powerful effect on some parents because they could see the baby more clearly and in some cases people recognised which parts of the baby's body were not working properly. Nice people shouldn't hear about what we'd done. Within two days I was waiting in my local EPU unit for further tests. I hated my body and hated every feeling I was having. I used to think the feeling of your baby kicking inside you and the sight of a foot poking against your skin were the most fantastic things in the world. And I, and, I felt the weight of deciding what to do about it. Read full disclaimer. Sometimes specialist scans such as 3D scans, or MRI scans, are used to examine the baby in greater detail. I was another one who did get bad news at the 20 week scan. She just said, 'It's a bit short, it needs to be checked' again basically. We just couldn't use the words. But other than that everything was fine. . The pain was excruciating, but nothing compared to how I felt inside. You're in and out and that was it. And, sometimes, I wish I had invited my whole family into the hospital room to see him. The weeks since that day have been very weird. The baby was very, very small. It is a noise that will stay with me for ever. The sonographer will be able to tell you the results of the scan at the time. Never being able to look after himself. I was then told yet again bad news. We went in, had a scan, I can't remember the exact sequence of events because the baby was still in the wrong position. . The scan looks for 11 different conditions in your baby and cannot find everything that might be wrong. So we hid in our house. blood tests, CVS) were clear - and as one woman put it, 'after the triple test* (Down's syndrome screening) you stop thinking anything can go wrong'. The pain was bearable but uncomfortable, the hospital rang me a few days later and asked me how I was. Several women had taken young children with them to the 20-week scan because they expected to see 'nice pictures of the baby'. 10/03/2021 16:13, @Cormoransjacket So I took the test and jumped in the shower. We talked all night and thanked God for crap television. Could you tell? Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. No, we really didn't, with hindsight we probably should have, but not at all, it never occurred to us to be worried about it. Instinctively, did it feel right? After preparing myself to face having to take the medication. We both thought we would like some good to come out of this horrible experience, so wanted to talk to somebody about the possibility of using the body for research purposes. Likely to have serious medical problems all his life. The 18-20 week antenatal scan and further tests. factor is very strong. There's nothing wrong, you know, we've had all the tests, everything's fine,' and being very upbeat about it all. If you are offered further tests, you will be given more information about them so that you can decide whether or not you want to have them. They sort of drew some diagrams, and they said, 'But we need to refer you to a specialist to confirm the diagnosis'. hi ladies. I didn't want to be convincing him to agree with me. It was probably all right but hadn't had any fluid in it at the moment. Some people we talked to had not had a 18-20-week scan, either because their babies' abnormalities had been detected by earlier . Seated in the antenatal clinic with lots of expectant mothers with baby bumps. Many people were deeply affected by their experiences of the 20-week and subsequent specialist scans. I felt I needed proof of what was wrong before I take such a huge decision and that I couldn't do it based on what someone had written on, on the paper. Last updated July 2017. Christmas came and went in a blur of emotion, it felt so wrong to be celebrating when we were in such turmoil. I can feel my child kick, it responds when he shouts at football - I mean literally, this baby used to dance around whenever he'd like scream at a goal - and there cannot be anything wrong with this child because it's part of us already. We walked all the way home. He started to scan me with a cold expression, then told me, 'it didn't look good' and that 'my womb looked raggedy'. The ultimate betrayal. I think I don't everything just seems a real blur because it was, it was such a strange experience. I had a horrible feeling of relief. Do you have any thoughts about that? I faced another internal scan where I began to feel helpless and alone. Eventually she got the measurements she wanted. 15/02/2014 08:02. And still we asked to see a, Impact of the 20-week and later specialist scans. It felt so wrong. Unfortunately I was not met with a compassionate sonographer. So instead, I was advised to go home and let nature take its course. I was becoming numb to the whole process. We were bound to each other because of the blood that was on both our hands. We were told to go to the hospital immediately. 18-20 week scans provide clinicians with more information than earlier scans because by18 weeks a healthy baby should be larger and better developed. However, a few hours later there was another shift change. So he was about two weeks smaller than what he should have been. And that was a terrible moment to be sort of hanging on, waiting. . And, so they sent me home at that stage because they said the specialist wasn't available till the following day, which was awful. I would be put to sleep, and when I woke up I wouldn't be pregnant any more. Some stories I hear are amazing! On the third day, we got a phone call. The "why me?" It was the end of January, very end - about the 29th - I'd gone into, I'd gone into 5 months by then. And having read, since read my information on Edwards' syndrome, a good 85 per cent have problems with the heart. And shortly after that, that scan we'd finished and the consultant leant back and said, 'I'm afraid we have some problems here'. The rarest scenario is that the baby is severely ill and choices will need to be made. And I'm glad I did and she's glad she didn't. During the examination, sonographers need to keep the screen in a position that gives them a good view of your baby. Those two weeks were agonising for us both. Good luck has not come easily over the past few years. Because we knew that that wasn't normal, that wasn't what we'd experienced before, it wasn't just the, 'There's the arm, there's the leg, oh look the baby's moving'. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. By the time I left the hospital, I was in shock. For once in my life, I had been organised. I had to wait yet another sleepless night. Many parents were shocked by findings from the 20-week and later scans. This short video explains screening for 11 physical conditions in pregnancy. See more information about the 20-week ultrasound scan. So even if anomolies are found, they don't always mean a problem.. x. I had issues at the 20 weeks scan with both of mine. Had 34wk scan last week and all is well - of all the babies found to have a two vessel cord, was told less than 6% experience any growth issues etc. It seemed inconceivable that we would not be having a baby in May. You will be able to discuss this with your midwife or consultant. So we decided to book an early 10 week private scan. So carried on with the plans, and, you know, planning for the, another baby to come along and then we went for a 20- week scan which is obviously the big one and very exciting, seeing all the arms and legs and once again everything was going fine, 'Look here's the baby, here's the length of baby'. I was given a leaflet and told to return four days later to see the consultant. It was interesting - well it was fantastic to see this fetus and to see this child that was yours that was horribly ill - but you didn't really get much opportunity to see that because the consultant was more about measurements and all sorts of blood flow and various other screens coming up. Our week-by-week PREGNANCY emails are a must for parents-to-be. But it is a soft marker for Edwards' syndrome. And you could see, where you should have a picture of 4 chambers, you could really see 2. No one else attended and we didn't have a service. Abortion has never raised any moral dilemmas for me and I am an atheist, so there are no religious issues. The doctor didn't come. We didn't feel we could tell anyone what was happening. And they actually asked my husband to come in before they spoke to me. 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! And I remember, the first thing I remember when something might be wrong, was I saw, I finally, we finally saw an image of the skull on the screen, and there appeared to be a sort of black hole shape in the middle. They said the brain was okay -, We were in there for a matter of minutes, literally -, In and out. Dont include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details. I had my little leaflet, printed off leaflet about choroid plexus cysts. So we gave up and said we'd arrange the funeral ourselves. What were babys measurements at 20 week scan? Actually you could tell from the brain development as he scanned up through the chambers of the brain, that one quarter of the brain, one chamber was not evident. As I say, I'm not a very nice person at the moment. And attribute some blame to them. I tried to show him the notes and the photos. The doctor explained the options I had to manage my miscarriage. Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. After the triple test you stop thinking, you stop thinking that anything can go wrong. Reading individual, real-life experiences can be a helpful resource, but it is never a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment from a qualified health care provider. So we went back the day after Boxing Day, the 27th, and the consultant greeted us, which made my alarm bells go, and she started scanning us and I think her lines were, 'What concerns me about this baby is that they've got a diaphragmatic hernia, which has meant that part of the stomach of the baby was in its chest cavity.'. We felt as if we were in limbo. I believed at this point I had miscarried, they wanted me to come back I'm for a follow up scan. Sam followed and I broke down. But it was very evident. The scan yet again confirmed things were not good, however the sac had grown. Maybe. I felt the dread run through me. Sometimes it is difficult to get good views of a baby. The nursery I had selected for our two-year-old son; my maternity leave; the bunk beds; the summer holiday suitable for a newborn baby. Picture every packed football staduim up and down the country - all healthy pregnancies and births. Previous scans in this pregnancy and with my first child had been fun - a chance to see the baby wriggling around and perhaps find out its sex. It was exactly like the labour I had with my first child. Several women had taken young children with them to the 20-week scan because they expected to see 'nice pictures of the baby'. We bought a two tests that evening (quite lucky as I messed the first one up!). Emma was 20 weeks' pregnant when a routine scan revealed that the baby she was expecting had Down's syndrome and heart problems. We didn't name him. That they could have spotted something, or not? In most cases the scan will show that your baby appears to be developing as expected but sometimes a condition is found or suspected. That he was small. We left the hospital a couple of hours later. I had never imagined having an amniocentesis. And they, sort of two of them were looking at the scan machine and then they sort of switched everything off and said, 'Oh, I think we have, might have a problem'. Enough for two weeks after he had been cremated. On January 18, my baby was born, at 23 weeks - a little boy. I have horrible thoughts. And there [sighs] was a very dark patch over one, where the eye socket was, and they didn't know it, in the Edward's babies sometimes the eyes don't develop properly, or it might have been bleeding, they weren't very sure. Could she possibly have something that's not been detected? Others, including those who had been given leaflets to read about the scan beforehand as well as some who were health professionals, said that they had been nave about the 20-week scan. My partner was away working and was waiting to hear whether he was having a son or daughter. Which she reassured us that she'd be absolutely fine, this was a one-off. We were denying him his life. That was an extremely difficult day. But he was wrong. Forcing my hand to my mouth to take the tablet was probably the hardest thing I have ever done. The following is a quote from their report: If the scan reveals either a suspected or confirmed abnormality, the woman should be informed by the sonographer at the time of the scan. You've had, you've had your Down's Syndrome check and that's okay. Cardiac surgery can do some amazing things. In some very serious rare cases, where no treatment is possible, the baby will die soon after it is born or during pregnancy. She didn't want to see the baby. Why me and not you, you bastard? It doesn't remove the guilt, but I don't know what else to do. So we had to go in and out a couple of times, and we were just waiting around for ages and ages. Is it the same scan or is it the same equipment? It's been a heartbreaking nightmare. We'll make an appointment with the senior sonographer, the consultant at the local hospital, and she'll do your scan and she'll be able to tell you more things'. It can be such a shock so do whatever you need to feel better. We'd sort of put those discussions to the back of our mind, and then all of a sudden there are other abnormalities so yeah it was a bit a bit of a shocker [laughs]. Rather sharply, my partner tried to explain. Again, we weren't understood. Tears started to roll down my face. That's fine. So once again we were right back down, really no, really not knowing what to expect. That was the first time I had heard him cry. So we'd gone through the Down's syndrome or worse scare, we'd had conversations about what we would do, if it was confirmed that it was Down's syndrome or another syndrome, another sort of chromosome abnormality. My mum arrived early to look after our son, and my partner and I got a cab to the hospital. And that was extraordinary to see the detail that that could offer. So I was a bit ignorant of the kind of things, you know, what the scans were really doing - maybe it was, a bit na've I think. Specialist scans are performed in specialist fetal units and if clinicians feel that there might be problems scanning will be done up to 32 weeks. To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account. I still feel guilty, I still cry at random times. I just want to be normal again. I know it is still early days. The screen may be directly facing them or at an angle. It was just sort of deadpan faces, very serious looks, someone else coming to check.
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