1st Midwife Visit

[Mer]

I had my 1st vist with my midwife Tuesday. I went pretty well. Weren't able to hear the hb yet. She said my uterus is tilted back which makes it more difficult early on. But she said my uterus felt like the right size for my dates. We discussed the AFP and nuchal translucensy (sp?) tests and she basically said all they tell you is if your chances of having a baby with an anomaly are greater than what would otherwise be assumed based on the mother's age. I talked it over with DH and we decided there was not much value to this and so we will not be having them done. Especially since we were planning on having the high level u/s regardless. She also said they now practice at the hospital closest to my home and that this hospital is getting a tub. Other than that not too eventfull. Next Monday we go for my 1st u/s to rule out another molar pregnancy. Wish me luck.

[ewe+lamb]

At the risk sounding really stupid - what is a molar pregnancy?
Rachel

[Selissa]

man first appts are so exciting aren't they?

I saw my mw for the first time this week too. we did here the baby..though it took some work. My placenta is anterior and aparently very big and healthy. lol so she had trouble getting aroudn it to hear the baby. but htere he or she was...beating away at 160 bpm

I see her again in three weeks...

i am so happy an excited to be pregnant....i jsut can't wait until the little squiggles get stroger and more often

[Mer]

At the risk sounding really stupid - what is a molar pregnancy?

Not a stupid question at all. I forget I lot of people have never heard of them. There are basically two kinds a complete molar and a partial molar. With both kinds the placenta is deformed, overgrown, and has a swiss cheese like appearance on an u/s. With a compete molar there is no fetus. With a parital molar there is a fetus or fetal parts have formed. If there is a fetus it can't survive because it's triploidy or 69 chromosomes instead of 46. Molar pregnancies are espically dangerous because if any of the tissue from the palcenta is left over after the pregnancy is terminated it can continue to grow, spead, and become a cancer. The good thing is it's an easy cancer to treat. Typically hcg levels are monitored after an mp to ensure there is not tissue left. If levels do not decline a mild form of chemotherapy is administered. Thankfully, my levels declined as expeceted and I have had no problems since. It was a tramatic expericence, however, and something I never expected I'd have to experience. It's pretty rare. I think 1/1000 pregnancies in the U.S. After you've had an mp your chances of having another increase to 1/100.