Baby update!

Okay, okay- after a few pokes, here’s some of the frequently asked questions about our new little one!

• We’re due on May 26, which makes us just over 15 weeks now.  I can’t believe how fast it’s gone this time.  I am, though, blaming (thanking?) the quickness on Piper’s time in the hospital, surgery, and all the worries afterward.  We actually found out the Saturday before she went in for the scopes on Wednesday.  To say that it made our hospital stay “fun” is a gross (no pun intended) understatement…
• Because of all the issues that Piper had, and because she was a preemie, we are being followed by our regular OB as well as the same Perinatologist that we had last time.  It’s a big relief to me- I’m 100% sure that I’m more worried about having another preemie than anything else.  No one, though, thinks that we’re at any increased risk this time around because it was Piper’s idea, and not mine. 
• We’ll get to find out if it’s a boy or a girl on December 22.  We’ve been back-and-forth a few times about whether or not to find out, but, ultimately, our desire to have a pregnancy with as few surprises as possible this time seemed like a glorious respite from all the “excitement” with Piper.  So, we’re going for it.  And the fun part?  We get to find out at 18 weeks instead of 20 because of the “high risk” factor, which makes it right before Christmas.  Woohoo!
• The most commonly asked question we got (mostly before we got pregnant, just for the record) is if we have a higher chance of having another baby with Ds.  The short answer?  Yes, but not really (like it?  So did I…).  And really?  Having another child with Ds would not be the end of the world.  We visited with a geneticist in September who said that, yes, we have an increased risk of having another child with Down syndrome; our quoted risk is 1:100 rather than our age risk (which this year is 1:660).  A large part of that is because my body has proven that it’ll actually carry a child with a chromosomal abnormality.  Research has shown that as many as 80% of spontaneous miscarriages are because the baby has Ds.  However, if you look at the population and anecdotal evidence, this is simply not the case.  Of all the families we’ve know through the blog world and through the forums, I think I know two that have two kids.  The geneticist said that “1:100” is a number they assign to something when they think there is an increased risk for, but they don’t really know what the risk should be.  Because of that increase, though, we’re eligible for more thorough prenatal testing.
• Which brings me to another big question I get- are we getting any prenatal testing?  I really appreciated knowing that Piper had Ds before she was born.  And, just like with Piper, if we found out something was wrong it wouldn’t change our outcome.  So, after consulting with the Perinatologist, we’ve decided to do noninvasive testing to start with (we did the nuchal translucency screening), and leave the option open for an amnio around 36 weeks when there’s essentially no risk to the baby.  The NTS uses two blood tests and an ultrasound- I have the second part of the blood test in the next couple weeks.  Standard tests, like the quad screen, don’t tell us any information, because they see a previous Ds birth and instantly make your risk 1:100. 
• The new baby is, I’m afraid, already showing an “energetic” and stubborn personality.  In one of the last ultrasounds we had, “he” was moving much that, well, when you OB utters, under his breath “Man, this kid is moving”, it may make for an interesting pregnancy.  Piper moved a lot, so I can’t say this is too surprising.  But kind of funny, nonetheless.  Also?  For the big ultrasound with the Peri, they need perfect profiles of the babies face to make sure that they’re not getting a bad cross-section of the nuchal fold.  So, they look for the little nose.  My kid, undoubtedly knowing that, kept putting “his” hands up to his face.  We have three pictures of this- two look like Montgomery Burns, and one looks like a bird.  Hmmm…

We sure are excited for a new little one- I’m sure that Piper’s going to enjoy having a little one around to play with.

Although I’m fairly certain that this face may be making more than one appearance in the months to come, lol…