I started to feel the "quickening" sensation early of Week 20. It felt like there were some bubbles in my tummy and I thought it was just some gas in the stomach. But the sensation got more frequent and strong as the week went by, then I finally realized it is the motion of my baby.
We went for a fetal detail scan on last Wednesday during Week 21.
I got to know about this scan when an Obstetrician came to my office and gave us a health talk on "Healthy Pregnancy". According to her, it is recommended for pregnant women to have a detail scan between Week 20 to Week 23 to check the fetal health. The scan will include all the organs of the baby such as brain, heart, kidney, lung, stomach, and also the physical features such as no cleft lip and number of fingers and toes.
Sandbox and I were very nervous when the doctor explain the details of the scanning that he is going to carry out. He will scan the baby's head top down, front back and side way. Then he showed us some examples of the normal & abnormal images and told us the statistics. He told us there is 1 in 100 babies that has hole in the heart and 1 in 800 babies that has cleft lips. I could not remember the rest. I found my heart racing anxiously.
After the introduction and briefing, the doctor started the ultrasound scan and was delighted to find Baby's position was just right for a fetal cardiac scan. So, he started off scanning Baby's heart. Both sandbox and I held our breath, quietly waited as the doctor examine the image. Finally, the doctor told us where are the "4 rooms and 2 doors" of Baby's heart, no holes in between left and right side, the "doors" are functioning well. With a twitch on the machine, we could see the blood flow in red & blue colors flowing in and out of Baby's heart. The doctor measured Baby's heart beat with the doppler, and commented 150 BPM, which is in the normal range of 120 ~ 160 BPM. He continued to examine Baby's heart in detail and exclaiming "Beautiful!" or "Perfect!" or "Normal!" along the way.
Next, the doctor went on to examine Baby's head, explaining to us the measurements he took at each part of the brain and all are within the normal range. He also showed us the eyes & nasal bone. We were amused when doctor wanted to check Baby's mouth, but his tiny hand was in the way. Finally the doctor switched the ultrasound probe to another direction, then he could identify the well-formed palate and lips. Then, he continued to the lung, stomach, kidney, arms and legs. It was really amazing to see Baby's little hands & feet, while the doctor count the fingers & toes. Sandbox and I were so much relieved at this point as everything is normal.
When the doctor was scanning the thigh bone, he asked whether we would like to know the gender of the baby. Both sandbox and I nodded. But Baby was too shy and closed both legs tight. The doctor said,"Oh, what a shy baby, but I would say the baby is a boy" and he showed us a white shadow between the 2 thigh bones. But the doctor was not really sure and promised to check again later.
The doctor continued to scan my uterus and commented no fibroid, and went on to scan my ovaries and all are normal. Then, he used the doppler to measure both left & right uterine pulses to the placenta, and told me that I am in the low risk category and the nutrient & blood to my baby is sufficient.
After that, he went back to verify Baby's gender. "Definitely a boy!", exclaimed the doctor and he showed us Baby's genital on the screen. Sandbox was very happy, as he was hoping that our first born can be a boy. But for me, I am ok with any gender, as long as Baby is healthy =)
The whole detail scan and doctor consultation took about one and a half hours, and the total fee was RM 430. This was such a precious experience for me. Some might think it is a waste of money and time to do a detail scan, but for me with a past miscarriage, it really comforts my underlying worries and gives me more confident.
Week: 21
Biparietal Diameter (BPD): 5.06cm
Femoral Length (FL): 3.43cm
Estimated Fetal Weight (EFW): 431g
Estimated Due Date (EDD): 11th June 2012
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