29 weeks (last week recap)

My appointment last week didn't go the exact way I expected. For the past 28 weeks we have gone in, everything has been normal, and then we are on our way... My 28 week appointment didn't exactly go that way. Before pulling out the fetal doppler and measuring my fundal height, my provider went over test results from my maternal serum intergrated screen (that I had done over 10 weeks ago). The risks for having a baby with open ntd, down syndrome, and trisnomy 18 are all within normal range. The numbers are 1 in 6200, <1 in 10,000, and <1 in 10,000 which are pretty good odds if you ask me. The issue wasn't anything more than my elevated HCG level when the test was taken. Elevated HCG serums can be seen in completely normal pregnancies, multiple fetuses, preeclampsia, etc. My provider said that since I haven't had a pregnancy result in preeclampsia, that the chances of that occurring this time around are slim. She even gave me the go-ahead to fly to New York for Christmas, which was reassuring because I know if this had indeed been more on the serious side, she wouldn't allow it.

The outcome of my results sent me to the ACD clinic to have a growth scan done of Olivia last week, and every four weeks until I deliver. They want to make sure that my elevated levels aren't impacting her growth in a negative way. That being said, every ultrasound has shown a completely healthy and growing baby. My fluid levels have always been good, Livy's organs/measurements have always been on track, and we've had no worries. The same applies after having a growth scan this past Thursday. I went in a little nervous just because at 20 weeks, everything was golden... but a lot can change in two months, so I had my prayer warriors already at work.

I am pleased to inform you that Olivia is still completely healthy, she's in the 58th percentile for growth (8 percent higher than our anatomy scan), and she's already weighing in at a whopping three pounds! I got to see so much of her features, including all the hair she already has. I watched her move her sweet little mouth and hands... It was emotional for me to see this growing girl so active on screen. Justin had to head back to the field for a couple of days, so this was actually the first "big" ultrasound that he missed. I knew he was bummed, but he waited for my texts to confirm how the appointment went.

Overall, I'm extremely thankful that this pregnancy has been smooth and consistently healthy. The scary thing about opting to take genetic screening tests is that you never really know what the outcome is going to be. My provider reminded me that the margin of error is often a lot larger than it needs to be. Some people are just on the borders of the higher end of normal, but still create pause for concern. I'm just glad that the "red flag" was about me, and not our baby. In the coming days I have to take my one hour glucose test, urine sample, and decide wether or not I plan on getting a dtap during this pregnancy. I didn't receive a dtap during my pregnancy with Ava bug, so I am definitely swayed towards not doing so with Olivia.

I got some sweet images of our Livy Bean, so I thought it'd be fun to share a couple of those:

Happy Tuesday all! 

♥- Leilani