Baby P

Okay, so the news is: We are pregnant and expect the new Palomba to join us in January! We found out we were pregnant when we were about 5-6 weeks along, back in April. We had our first ultrasound at 6 weeks when we heard a healthy heartbeat of 120 beats per minute. Here is the first picture of Baby P at 6 weeks:

After a LONG five weeks between appointments (and a lot of queasiness for Lindsey), we had our second ultrasound July 7th, where we not only heard a strong heartbeat of 163 beats per minute, but also saw our baby with arms and legs. Baby P was moving all around during the ultrasound, making it difficulty for the technician to see the neck for testing downs syndrome. Here is a second picture of our "more human"-looking baby at 11 weeks:

When going back in for another appointment a week later, July 13th, we found out some scary news. Our OB informed us that Lindsey has a condition in which an antibody in her blood, Cardiolipin, is at elevated levels. Her numbers of this antibody are in the "borderline" category. This condition has been shown to cause miscarriages, especially second trimester miscarriages and stillbirth in the third trimester. The antibody causes Lindsey's blood to produce more blood clots, and so small blood clots can gather around the placenta, decreasing the flow of nutrients to the baby. There is treatment for this condition, which includes blood thinners and/or baby aspirin. Lindsey would have to take a blood thinner throughout the pregnancy, which can have risks to the baby towards the end of the pregnancy. So, to help us decide what to do in this situation, our OB referred us to a maternal-fetal specialist. We had an appointment there on July 16th. They did a detailed ultrasound, where the baby looked great. We also consulted with one of the specialists. Our specialist said because Lindsey's antibody levels are not very high, although elevated, and she has never had an "episode" prior to this that would indicate a clotting disorder, he is not extremely worried about our situation. He recommended that before we treat anything that could cause more risk, that we re-test Lindsey's blood in 3 weeks and then meet with him in 5 weeks to go over the results. Then we will be able to see if the levels stayed the same, increased, or decreased. If the levels decrease, we will not have to go through treatment. If the levels stay the same or increase, the specialist will recommend treatment with a blood thinner, not baby aspirin. He stated that baby aspirin crosses the placenta which may affect the baby, and may not even work effectively. The blood thinner, on the other hand, does not cross the placenta, and therefore will have less risk to the baby, as long as Lindsey does not have some sort of bleed during the pregnancy. If there is a bleed and Lindsey is on the blood thinners, then there could be some risk to Lindsey and the baby.

Anyway, that is the situation we are dealing with. For now, there really is nothing we can do, and are technically still at higher risk for miscarriage. We are praying that the baby stays healthy and grows as it should, and also that Lindsey's antibody levels in her blood decrease. We will keep you posted on the situation, and appreciate your thoughts and prayers. We both are thinking positively about this, and know that whatever happens, that God is in control, and we trust him completely. On a more positive note to finish this week's blog, here is the most recent picture of Baby P at 13 weeks:

Lindsey's Belly at 13 weeks: