The Little Lizard is Looking Good!
I didn't write a newsletter this morning because I was busy hearing my future child's heartbeat for the first time!
So, yeah, this is just a quick update to say that (as expected) all is well.
E got a COVID test first thing this morning and it came back negative (as expected), which meant he was able to come with me to the appointment. It was indeed my first 'regular' ultrasound experience. And the doctor started us off with just the most perfect image of the little lizard in profile looking decidedly like a little human.
After that it was lots of measurements of things we could never have interpreted on our own. Oh, those two black ovals curving towards each other? Those are the two chambers of the fetus's heart. At 7 weeks, it had just one chamber, but now it has two. And that black hole? That's the stomach.
The little lizard is about 9 cm long at this point (including legs) and the doctor said everything looks perfect.
Based on the ultrasound and my blood test, the chance of trisomy 21 (down syndrome) is 1 in 10,000. The baseline chance for a 31-year-old pregnant person to have a baby with down syndrome is about 1 in 500, so this was a welcome adjustment to the numbers. The other chromosomal abnormalities we were checking for were trisomy 18 and 13, which are rarer to begin with and, at this point, are incredibly unlikely.
Anyway, this extra data is nice to have, but it's just as reassuring simply to see the little lizard's beating heart and growing body.
My next appointment isn't until January 12th, and I'm already looking forward to seeing how much has changed in a month's time.