Hi, friends! It's Raechel again. B asked me if I wouldn't mind giving you all an update with details from her midwife appointment yesterday so she can rest her heart and mind today. I am, of course, glad to oblige.
.
As many of you know,yesterday marked 41 weeks for B and baby April Rose. B's midwife came to the house for a check-up and was happy to report that there is weight gain (for B), uterine growth (for April - hurray!) and that April's heart rate is doing great in the 120's. B was a little discouraged to learn that she has not progressed at all physically beyond the 3cm that she was last week.
So, those are the stats. And, I know that you all are buzzing with questions of what all this means, aren't you? Again, I am happy to oblige.
Here are the main things I imagine you'd like me to address:
- Is it possible April is breech? No - We would know if she were! She is in a great, head-down position for birth. Praise God! .
- Then why does B's belly look so tiny for 40+ weeks? Yes, judging by the photos that B shared with you all of her cute little belly, she is definitely measuring small. I know she has mentioned this lots of times in previous posts, but those of you who are new to this blog have certainly expressed your alarm and disbelief at the size of that 40-week belly. Let me assure you (as someone with training and experience as a birth doula, as well as a mommy who also had a very small belly with her own trisomy baby last year) this is very normal.
Quick break for a science lesson:everyone has 23 pairs of chromosomes, numbered 1-23, totaling 46. When there is a third chromosome attached to a pair, it is called a trisomy (hence the "tri"). April has her genetic "misspelling", as they call it, on her 13th chromosome. She has trisomy 13. (And, yes, it has been diagnosed through amniocentesis.)
.
Side note:the smaller the number of the chromosome affected, the more "lethal" or "incompatible with life" as doctors call it. Trisomy 21 is also called Down Syndrome, and many people with trisomy 21 can live for a long time. My Evie had trisomy 9. She passed away at 32 weeks gestation, which is much longer than most babies with trisomy 9. April finds herself somewhere in the middle, with some chance of life outside the womb.
.
Back to the science lesson:April's cells are, of course, affected by her genetic makeup and (as is typical in trisomy situations) they are not dividing and multiplying (which causes growth) like a healthy baby would. She probably weighs a little over 3 pounds right now - the size of a baby at perhaps 26 weeks. This is why B's belly is measuring so cute and tiny.
- How much longer can B remain pregnant with April?(Many of you have actually said that it is "impossible" to be pregnant past 41 weeks. Not true! Many, many women deliver at 42+ weeks if they are patient and allow their bodies to begin labor naturally.) The truth? The only thing that limits how long a baby can remain in utero is how the placenta is aging. As long as the placenta is healthy (and the baby isn't growing too large), it can support the baby and the pregnancy. (Did you know that in Europe, a woman's gestation is actually considered 42 weeks rather than the American 40 weeks?) .
- So, how old is B's placenta?That's what we're wondering as well. B has an ultrasound scheduled for this coming Monday in which we will be able to see how the placenta is handling things and if it is, indeed, becoming too old. B's midwife is actually wondering if perhaps she may have her EDD (estimateddue date) off just a bit. B has been measuring small from the get-go, and since she didn't know she was pregnant right away, this is also a possibility. .
- At what point will B decide to induce? B and her midwife have certainly discussed induction as a possible necessity, though not "induction" as many mamas know it. At least not yet. B has a great midwife with lots of great, natural labor-inducing tricks up her sleeve.
Thanks, everyone, for your concern and your prayers. It is great for B to have you all! Please pray specifically this week for April's heart rate to continue to be strong and that she will continue to grow. Also, as you can imagine, these are scary and quite uncertain days for B. It is rarely far from her mind that this is very likely her last week to be pregnant with her sweet daughter. These past several months she has been learning to live one day at a time, and now, she is finding that it is really one hour to the next and often one moment at a time.
Your encouragement and support is so appreciated. We will be sure to keep you updated as new information is presented.
Grace & Peace,
Raechel
