Charlie Update

At our last doctor's appointment, the doctor told us our baby had a rare condition in which the umbilical cord, usually comprised of three vessels, was missing a vessel and therefore only contained two. This condition can mean lots of things (premature birth, cardiac problems, chromosomal abnormalities, death, etc.), so we were pretty freaked out. This condition affects around 1-2% of pregnancies, and of these, 75% are born with no problems. The doctor recommended we go see a specialist in Kansas City who would do a level 2 ultrasound and check the major organs to be sure everything was functioning normally. She said we'd probably be seeing him once a month and her, our regular doctor, once a month, so an appointment every two weeks and sonograms at least once a month. Needless to say, we were pretty freaked when we headed to Kansas City today. We prayed that God would help us handle whatever came next, but mostly that he would keep Charlie safe.

As the doctor conducted the ultrasound today, however, he could find no evidence of a two-vessel cord. Instead, he found a very healthy three-vessel cord and body systems that looked "perfect." He said that it's often difficult to distinguish three vessels at 18 weeks, which is when our last sonogram had been done. He also said we had no reason to worry about anything - everything looked perfect. Thank God! I can't think of a time I've felt more relieved! He also confirmed (beyond any doubt) that we are indeed expecting a boy! We are both so happy and thankful to God that our baby is alive and well!