I got a call from my doctor at 5:00 yesterday telling me that they got my bloodwork back from my appointment on Tuesday. I was surprised/happy that they came back so fast! We had blood drawn on Tuesday for the 'Quad Screen'. For people who don't know what it is, here is a short description:
"measures the amounts of three substances in a pregnant woman's blood: alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and estriol (uE3). The levels of these substances help estimate the risk that a fetus may have certain defects. The test results are computed based on a woman's age, her weight, her race, and how far along her pregnancy is, among other factors. The relatively new quadruple screen combines the triple screen and a test for the protein inhibin-A, which is produced by the fetus and the placenta. One large study of over 23,000 women has reported that the quadruple screen detects almost 86% of all Down syndrome cases."
I was nervous about having the test done even though there is no history of any problems in either of our families. I've heard a lot of stories about people having the test and having abnormal results, having to go through worrying and having more ultrasounds or amniocentisis, and then having it all mean nothing and having a perfectly healthy baby. We decided to have it anyway because if there WAS something detectible, we would want to know about it.
But, I got my test results back and the nurse said everything is normal and good with baby! I have been feeling so good since my doctor appointment, it really gives me a boost to hear the little heartbeat or see our little one on the ultrasound. I can't wait until I start feeling the baby move. It may seem silly, but I'm just getting to the point now where it's REALLY real to me all the time, and I am so excited!
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