Ultra Sound

(30 Weeks)Todd, Maylee and I went to have an ultrasound this morning.

Todd- I forgot that this was his first visit back to any of the doctor's appointments since we found out about Gabriel's health. It was very hard for him to re-live that terrible day. My first appointment back was hard, but I had neglected to remember that this was his first time back. Sorry. :-( I'm so thankful that Todd was willing to come with me to one more ultrasound. Thanks!

Maylee- As usual, she was happy and upbeat. She thought it was a field trip and she asked lots of questions about what the red and blue were (blood flow either to or away from the heart) and if she could see his feet and if babies play with the umbelical chord. Very educational for her. They gave her a picture of Gabriel that says, "Hi Maylee."

Gabriel- Weighs almost 2 lbs. (a healthy baby would weigh around 3 lbs. at this point) His heart beat is strong, but Dr. Katz said he is not doing so well. There is a significant amount of amniotic fluid which means baby is not using it effectively. He said that it is like I'm 37 weeks pregnant rather than the 30 weeks I actually am. He said, that due to the large amount of amniotic fluid, I would be more likely to go into labor BEFORE Gabriel's heartbeat stops, which I find to be a blessing. No guarantees, but I would much prefer to go into labor naturally, than to find out that his heart had stopped and then need to be induced. Dr. Katz said that his heart beat could be strong and then stop suddenly. I was thinking it would slow down and then stop, but that's not the case. He said that the placenta is small and not able to do its job. The placenta also has Trisomy 18. Gabriel looks so cute in his ultrasound pictures. Looks like a perfect baby to me. :-)

Amber- I enjoy seeing Gabriel. It makes me sad that he is not healthy, but that's not new news. Dr. Katz said that the large amount of amniotic fluid may cause me difficulty in breathing. If it gets too bad, I need to call the doctor and induce. I do feel a lot of pressure, but nothing that's not bearable yet. He also said that my swelling in my feet is like I'm 37 weeks pregnant due to the pressure. He also said heart burn should continue to worsen due to the pressure. Overall, I'm feeling fine.