/ The RE's Muse: One foot in the grave, one fetus growing in the belly

The RE's Muse

After 4 years of infertility, 2 surgeries, 1 miscarriage, and 19 months of high risk pregnancies, hubby and I now have two little women in our lives--one a toddler, the other not far behind. Buckle your seatbelts, it's gonna be a wild ride.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

One foot in the grave, one fetus growing in the belly

Well, that was fun. "That" being yesterday's consult with the genetic counselor. Given the fact that I'm--by their standards--geriatric in reproductive years, the odds are 1 in 131 that something will be wrong with the fetbryo. Blah blah blah...yes, I'm old; yes, I know the odds are higher, but hey, I already said we're up for the amnio so back off. Stick that in your hat. And she did: the amnio is scheduled for late August. You know, she said, a little early so that way you have more time. Thanks Debbie Downer. Wah-wah.

(When I was pregnant with J, my odds were 1 in 212 that something might be wrong with her. Which, according to the counselor, means I've gone up about a half-percentage point in risk since a year-and-a-half ago. Que sera sera lady. )

Today found me at the OB's for another u/s. Standard run of the mill stuff. What wasn't so standard was the dimmed soft lighting and the Frank Sinatra on the radio. I told her that setting the mood wasn't necessary since I was already knocked up. She laughed. And measured away. The fetus, being a fan of Sinatra, danced for our viewing pleasure. And showed off it's umbilical cord and heart, among other more blob-like indiscernible features. Measurements were 3 days off my actual gestational age but given the +/- in ultrasounds meant that all was spot on. They only worry when measurements are +/- 7 or more days.

Fatigue has wrapped its claws around me and will not let go. I could sleep all day if possible. But with J running around, it's not. She's 13 months old today...how fast time is going by. And how slow her teeth are in coming in. Nothing more since tooth #1 appeared back in the first week of June. Hmmmph.

Counting down to the arrival of her own #2, Menita over at Life's Jest Book wrote last week about how she was watching Polly enjoy her last days of only-childhood, unbeknownst to her (and a congratulatory shout out to Menita--who delivered Bingo this morning!). I'm starting to feel that way about J though I still have awhile to go, and starting to hope and worry that she won't one day resent the fact that we gave her a sibling. I hope that she won't wonder why she 'wasn't enough' or anything else along those lines.

In reality, she's more than I ever dreamed possible.

3 Comments:

At 12:57 PM, Blogger WriterGrrl said...

Ah, exhaustion.

I'm sure J. won't resent a sibling. I mean, not permanently, anyway. My girls are 20 months apart, and they do fight, but they are also really close. They can play together for hours, and half the time we find them sleeping together in the playroom on the futon instead of in their separate rooms.

Are you allowing yourself to be excited yet? Relish these moments!

 
At 10:06 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

AMA. That abbreviation is all over my charts. As for waiting until the end of August for amnio, I'd go crazy. Debbie Downer actually said "so you have more time?" How does one respond to something like that?
I'm so happy to read that fetbryo is measuring well and dancing about. I'm thinking girl, for whatever it's worth.

 
At 10:59 AM, Blogger Erica Kain said...

AH, tell Debbie Downer to stick it. My no-nonsense Dr. G told me to go ahead an reproduce with wild abandon, and only worry about the odds of genetic anomalies after age 40, really. And he shoots STRAIGHT. How funny, we are EXACTLY the same age. I had Babycakes when I was 34, and any future kids will be irrevocably marred by my AMA as well. Anyway, don't be scared -- that baby's FINE, and we all can't wait to meet him/her!!!

 

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