Little miracles

Now that the scare is just about over I wanted to post this. During our last ultrasound visits the Doctor found that we only had 1 artery flowing through Dallas's umbilical cord. She didn't explain to me just how serious this condition was. It wasn't until I got home and looked it up that I realized there could be something wrong with our baby's development. For those of you who are wondering here is an article that explains what a single artery could mean.

What is single umbilical artery?

About 1 percent of singleton and about 5 percent of multiple pregnancies (twins, triplets or more) have an umbilical cord that contains only two blood vessels, instead of the normal three. In these cases, one artery is missing (2). The cause of this abnormality, called single umbilical artery, is unknown.
Studies suggest that babies with single umbilical artery have an increased risk for birth defects, including heart, central nervous system and urinary-tract defects and chromosomal abnormalities (2, 3). A woman whose baby is diagnosed with single umbilical artery during a routine ultrasound may be offered certain prenatal tests to diagnose or rule out birth defects. These tests may include a detailed ultrasound, amniocentesis (to check for chromosomal abnormalities) and in some cases, echocardiography (a special type of ultrasound to evaluate the fetal heart). The provider also may recommend that the baby have an ultrasound after birth.

Yesterday I got back our results from our quad screen blood test! It was such a relief to know that everything came back normal.

The multiple marker screening test, or quad screen, is a blood test used to evaluate your risk for having
a baby with certain genetic or chromosomal abnormalities.

We are scheduled for a second stage ultrasound tomorrow. This should give us a better look at Dallas's organs and heart to make sure he is growing just fine. I am so nervous and excited to see what is going on.

Stage 2 ultrasound is more detailed than stage 1, getting into more specific screening techniques, like heart chambers, cord anatomy, etc. Stage 3 is the most detailed, reserved for suspicious conditions that would put your pregnancy at high risk. Stage 1 is just a screening ultrasound.

Jeremiah and a friend were able to give me a priesthood blessing last week. It never fails to amaze me how powerful these blessings are. As soon as he was finished I felt immediate comfort and I knew that everything would be fine. I am so grateful for the gospel in my life. I want to thank all my family for their prayers and love on our behalf.