<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>bhawkins</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/7942827"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Last week I had my 20 wk ultrasound and found out we're having a girl!!!! I'm very excited. However, the results also showed that the ventricles of the brain aren't in line with the baby's gestational age. This finding could indicate hydrocephaly<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/greensad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="greensad"> .<br><br>
They said only time will tell if things will continue or not. So I have to have a follow up in 4 wks. Fortunately I've been out of town for several days so I've not had time to dwell on it. But I know it's going to be a long 3 wks to wait.<br><br>
Also, this is making me question my choice to homebirth. I mean, I would feel horrible if I did anything to cause my baby harm (vaginal birth vs. C/S with possiblity of hydrocepaly). Just rambling.....</div>
</td>
</tr></table></div>
<br>
Betsy,<br><br>
I hope you don't mind me jumping in your DDC here. I wanted to tell you I understand how hard that wait is and that you aren't alone. My daughter is 3 and has spina bifida and hydrocephalus (she has a shunt so it gives me no problems now - knock on wood) and some other associated medical problems.<br><br>
The waiting for news and info and can make you crazy. My best advice is to find yourself a big project to work on - got a baby quilt you want to make or a blanket to knit?- well go to town on it. Or get every picture you've ever taken and be determined to have them a scrapbooked by the time of your appointment. You're still going to worry of course, but it really can help to take your mind off of it.<br><br>
Just to give you a postive outcomes side of the hydrocephalus story here. When you go back for your appointment they will tell you the size of the baby's ventricles in millimeters (mm) most likely (some docs do it in centimeters). Anything under 10 mm is considered "normal". At the time of my daughter's birth her's were 66 mm! And my perinatalogist told me he had seen babies much worse than that in utero whose brain functions were just fine. Today at 3 my daughter is sooooo smart (if I do say so myself<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"> ) and hasn't shown any signs of brain injury. Kids with hydrocephalus do very very well these days.<br><br>
My daughter was born by c-section, but she was also breech. My docs were at least willing to discuss a vaginal birth right up until the end. The latest research does not indicate that a c-section is necessarily safer for kids with spina bifida or hydrocephalus so IF there is a problem with the baby please don't automatically condemn yourself to a section.<br><br>
All that being said there is the possibility that the baby doesn't have hydro at all and try to keep that in mind. Positive thinking really helps I think. It could very well be that the positioning of the baby during the u/s made the angle funny or the tech was fairly new and just didn't know what he or she was doing. Be prepared for lots of u/s because they will want to follow you closely.<br><br>
Feel free to PM me if you have any questions for me or you can post them here or just ignore me if you like. I won't be offended at all. I'll keep watching for any updates you have. I wish you all the best.
