OK… the news from Tuesday (in the entry that got corrupted and had to be deleted) is that the Maternal Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein Screening test came back elevated for Down’s Syndrome. It doesn’t mean that the baby definitely has Down’s Syndrome — it just means that the right proteins and chemicals were present in the blood to indicate that they should look.
What this means: The high-definition ultrasound that I was supposed to have on the 20th just got jumped to the 3rd. (It was going to be the 6th but the high-risk doctor is out of the office that day.) Apparently, they need to have sufficient time in case we have to do amniocentisis or abort the kid. Neither one is going to happen — I draw the line at having amnio done unless the baby is actively dying and this kid will NOT be aborted. Period.
IF the baby has Down’s: we’ll deal with it. Seriously, it’s not a death sentence and there are two pastors that Jon has worked with here in Montana who have kids with it. One has a daughter my age who functions as well as most regular adults do (lives on her own, has a job, takes of most of her own business except for some of her banking) and the other has a preteen daughter who is like most preteens except that she has the flat facial features.
Regardless of anything that happens, the baby is going to be loved and it is very much a wanted child… even when it kicks so hard that it’s giving me acid reflux.
I’m praying for all of you.
And oy, do I know about the acid reflux and pregnancy. Twenty-six years later – I still remember having to sleep sitting up just to bear the heartburn. A small price to pay, to be sure, but wow, that little sea monkey can really have some fun with mama’s body!