Major Milestones

Written August 2, 2013.

Button napping during our first trimester screening scan (11 weeks, 5 days)

This week, we hit two points I didn't ever trust that we would, and I'm still marveling at both of them!

First, when Button was 11 weeks, 5 days on Tuesday, we had our first trimester screening scan (also known as the NT scan). If you haven't been down the road of loss, you might think of this scan as the "Down Syndrome scan," but the reality is that doctors are combining bloodwork results, measurements from the ultrasound, and personal history to give you risk levels for several trisomy (chromosomal) disorders--only one of which is Down Syndrome. While bloodwork takes 5-10 days to come back, we were able to hear immediate results from the ultrasound itself--and they were remarkable!

A 3D image of our sweet Button--a little alien-like, but we're in love!

Button has a tiny little stomach, two arms, two legs, and even two brain hemispheres! But what the NT scan is particularly interested in is whether there's a nasal bone present and how thick the fluid at the back of the neck is (thicker than 2.5-3mm is a soft marker for several trisomy disorders). Not only does our little Button already have a nasal bone, but the fluid was only .9mm! While we expect that our risk levels will go up a bit once the bloodwork comes in (given my age), we left the appointment overjoyed.

And the second milestone?

That's right--Button is 12 weeks today, and--at Jeff's encouragement--we took our first weekly "bump photo." It's still hard to really comprehend that we're on the cusp of the second trimester, that we've had our first major screening, and that our little Button is alternately squirming and sleeping inside my belly. While I'm grateful I'm still feeling so well, it's often tough to remember that I'm really "this" pregnant (though the fact that a 2-mile walk had me panting should be some kind of indicator, I suppose).

I'm still taking deep breaths. I hope Button is, too, because there's a major debut afoot when we start telling family next week!