10 Weeks Pregnant [Fetal Edema (NT) 5mm]
After continuous bed rest following heavy bleeding at 6 weeks, the bleeding finally stopped, and I graduated from the fertility clinic at 9 weeks and 2 days.
Hormone replacement therapy ended at 10 weeks and 3 days.
I was so excited to be free from the vaginal tablets three times a day and ready for the next step, but that joy was short-lived; a new source of anxiety appeared during my first prenatal checkup ultrasound at 10 weeks and 6 days.
Fetal edema.
The baby's heart is beating vigorously, but there is 'swelling' from the head down to the neck area.
I heard that most babies develop some swelling between 11 and 13 weeks of pregnancy, but the normal range is 3.5mm or less.
My baby has 5mm of swelling, and I could clearly see a thin membrane on the ultrasound.
During the ultrasound, the smile that filled my face when I saw that 'the baby is really there!' lasted only a moment; when the doctor said, 'I'll do a double-check,' another doctor came in from the next room, and as they both checked things over with serious expressions, my whole body went stiff.
Next week, I will undergo NIPT testing and a fetal screening.
With 5mm of edema and at my age, the probability of the baby being normal is about 30%, and the probability of a chromosomal abnormality is about 50%.
If the NIPT comes back positive, I will proceed to an amniocentesis around 16 weeks.
There is still a chance that everything will be okay, so I have no choice but to believe and pray. I know there are many pregnant women in much tougher situations and many who have had painful experiences in the past, so I shouldn't just be complaining, but this 'time where I can do nothing, know nothing, and just have to wait' is really taking a toll on my mental health...
The baby who held on despite repeated heavy bleeding, the baby who fought back even when their heartbeat became extremely weak.
I love them so much. Please, hang in there a little longer!!
However, the NIPT alone costs over 100,000 yen. Even though the system has advanced significantly, fertility treatment is still expensive.
If they are concerned about the declining birthrate and such, I wish they would improve the subsidy system. (This is just me venting.)
I hope my next post will be a happy one.