Pregnancy Testing/Banking Cord Blood

[zambezi]

Hello! So, I posted awhile back about having found some precancerous cells on a pap smear. At the time, my doctor gave me a couple of choices: hysterectomy (due to the type of the cells that were found-adenocarcinoma in situ & carcinoma in situ) vs. trying to get pregnant now (and then most likely a hyster). I am sure that some women on this board can relate- not the news that I wanted to hear at age 26, but it could have been worse. That all started in May.

Well, I took a pregnancy test today and it came back positive. I am haven't had my period yet, so most likely, I am pregnant. Because of everything else going I had a little "time frame" (scheduled to have another cone biopsy in November if I didn't get pregnant)- so I am thankful that we are possibly pregnant the first time we tried (only three months after my first cone biopsy). Everything has come so fast- it has been quite the year of emotions! We went from just my husband and I, no worries, to possibly cancer, to pregnant in only a couple of months. My husband, who stresses more than I, will still be stressed as there is still a chance that if there are precancerous cells that they could turn into cancer while I am pregnant, but we felt (well, I felt, and he saw how much it meant to me) that we had to try for this. I will say that this has brought us closer together. I think that my husband is still in shock- actually I haven't even told him about the positive test yet as he is at work (he knows that I think that I might be pregnant though). Whew, thanks for letting me vent about all that. What a whirlwind. Anyway, thinking ahead:

What are your feelings on all the "testing": AFP/amniocentisis, etc. My first inclination is to skip these (unless something comes up that is necessary). Truthfully, I haven't started researching all this yet, that is next on the list (but I'll probably wait a few weeks). I have no family history of anything important and I am healthy (other than the AIS). Just curious for some feeling about this from those that work in the field or that are mothers themselves.

Also, what about banking cord blood. It seems that any magazine or website that I look at has an add for this. Just wondering what it entails, cost, etc. Again, I haven't researched it yet, just looking to get some opinions.

Thanks in advance!

[zambezi, BSN, RN]

Hello!!

I was searcing for another item in the search function and this old thread that I posted popped up so I figured that I would update!

So far the pregnancy is going well- I am 18 weeks today and I get the "big" u/s next week...I was not going to do the quad screen and at the last minute when the doc and I were discussing it we decided to go ahead with it- it came back normal.

I have a friend who is pregnant and due about a week before me. Her test came back abnormal and they were rushed in to our local perinatologist. The baby was diagnosed with trisomy 18 and the perinat. said that the u/s showed some of the worst defects that he had seen (we live in kind of a small town- and I don't know if he worded it like that exactly). I think that our very good friends are deciding to terminate due to the severity of defects shown on the u/s...they did have an amio done too just to be sure and are waiting until those results are back. I feel so horrible for them-espeically since I am starting to show now...I just feel like when we are around them it will be a constant reminder of the baby they lost...They are hanging in there for now- but devestated of course...

WannabeL&D:

Thanks for the heads up about the PTL...I am keeping a pretty close eye on how I feel "down there"...I am aware of the risks after a cone (unfortunately, it seems that there are not too many signs of an incompetent cervix)- my doc actually hasn't really been checking...when we did the cone- we had discussed childbearing first so the cone was done really small/shallow to preserve the cervix as much as possible so hopefully it won't be problem. On my first u/s at six weeks the ob (who was a family friend, not my regular ob) said that my cervix was really long- so I hope that I have that going for me. I will have him look closely at it at the next u/s just to be sure...

I am pretty active and have been feeling good so far- I run/lift/all that stuff I did prior to getting pregnant (just a little less intensity). No weird cramping or anything like that! But again, thanks for the heads up...Thanks for all the replies- I had forgotten about this thread! As for the cord blood banking, I haven't really been researching that too much, still not sure either way on that one...

[wannabeL&D73]

Hello!!

I was searcing for another item in the search function and this old thread that I posted popped up so I figured that I would update!

So far the pregnancy is going well- I am 18 weeks today and I get the "big" u/s next week...I was not going to do the quad screen and at the last minute when the doc and I were discussing it we decided to go ahead with it- it came back normal.

I have a friend who is pregnant and due about a week before me. Her test came back abnormal and they were rushed in to our local perinatologist. The baby was diagnosed with trisomy 18 and the perinat. said that the u/s showed some of the worst defects that he had seen (we live in kind of a small town- and I don't know if he worded it like that exactly). I think that our very good friends are deciding to terminate due to the severity of defects shown on the u/s...they did have an amio done too just to be sure and are waiting until those results are back. I feel so horrible for them-espeically since I am starting to show now...I just feel like when we are around them it will be a constant reminder of the baby they lost...They are hanging in there for now- but devestated of course...

WannabeL&D:

Thanks for the heads up about the PTL...I am keeping a pretty close eye on how I feel "down there"...I am aware of the risks after a cone (unfortunately, it seems that there are not too many signs of an incompetent cervix)- my doc actually hasn't really been checking...when we did the cone- we had discussed childbearing first so the cone was done really small/shallow to preserve the cervix as much as possible so hopefully it won't be problem. On my first u/s at six weeks the ob (who was a family friend, not my regular ob) said that my cervix was really long- so I hope that I have that going for me. I will have him look closely at it at the next u/s just to be sure...

I am pretty active and have been feeling good so far- I run/lift/all that stuff I did prior to getting pregnant (just a little less intensity). No weird cramping or anything like that! But again, thanks for the heads up...Thanks for all the replies- I had forgotten about this thread! As for the cord blood banking, I haven't really been researching that too much, still not sure either way on that one...

Glad to hear that things are going well for you. How sad for your friend, I can only imagine how devastating that would be.

OK, I am really really not trying to be an alarmist or to cause you unneccessary stress...I am sure that you will be just fine and carry your baby to term with no problems. But if it were me, I would really ask for a cervical length check while they are doing the u/s next week (translady partsl u/s). My cervix was also very long (I think about 4.5 cm) until about 23 weeks when I started funnelling and was placed on strict bedrest. By 26 weeks the cerclage was the only thing holding baby in. Oh, also, in retrospect with my first pg., I was contracting a lot...didn't realize it, it just felt to me like the baby was rolling up in a ball and pressing against me (duh! But what did I know? I had no clue that contractions could feel like that.) And again, just trust your instincts. If something doesn't feel right, call the dr. Don't worry about looking foolish, it is better to err on the side of caution.

Good luck!

Shannon

[TweetiePieRN]

Congratulations to you and your husband!:balloons: Being a mother is the most wonderful thing! I am so happy to hear that through all the negative things that have been happened to you, something positive is coming your way....a baby! I will be saying a little prayer for you and baby! Congratulations again and keep us updated! :)