12 weeks (End of 1st trimester) : 3rd Gynae Visit

15 January 2009: After waiting for 3 long weeks, its finally the time to see our baby again! Have been wondering how he/she has been doing inside for the past few weeks..

I started with the OSCAR (One-Stop-Clinic-for-Assessment-of-Risk-for-Fetal-Anomalies) test whereby it is a 1st-Trimester risk assessment test of the combination of:

• Maternal Age
• Fetal NT (Nuchal Translucency)
  
• Serum Biochemistry

There will be both an (i) ultrasound examination done to diagnose any major defects, to measure the baby's length, and the fetal NT (thickness of fluid filled area behind the fetal neck), and (ii) blood test.

The main purpose of this test is to detect whether baby is of any risk of having Down Syndrome (Baby with thicker than average NT is likely to be affected by Down Syndrome).

I really hope everything will be fine when the blood test results is out tomorrow...

During the scan, we got to see an active baby trying to do a headstand!!! Think we've got an athletic baby. So tickling that I keep laughing and the doc can't scan properly. The sonographer says maybe its becuz i just took breakfast which is of carbo food that's why baby so active... hee.. I have to control myself not to laugh after laughing out a few times. The sonographer says she can't take the measurement of the fetal NT if the baby can't lie down properly. So I try to talk to the baby "Baby guai guai, come down abit more ok" Then gradually the baby start to glide down abit and take the right position. Hee.. Good baby!

Then we also got to see the 4 limbs of the baby.. All seem to be normal and fine, looking from the scan. The doc also try to scan the baby's head, which is kinda difficult becuz of the not-so-right position he/she is in. When I look at the baby moving so actively, I got touched at that moment, and inside my mind I am thinking "I am REALLY pregnant!" I still can't believe it for the past few months thou I know its a reality. Now it has become more real to me...

Baby is measuring at 5.8cm now. Developing at a normal rate according to the gynae. Very amazed how much the baby grows in 3 weeks' time! My tummy is very obvious now thou I only gained 1 kg in 3 months' time, becuz my tummy is full of gas.

This is the picture of the scan.

My next visit will be in a month's time which is an even longer wait! No choice but hope my mind won't keep thinking about baby's development since I finally passed the 1st trimester stage (finally!) and looking into the start of the 2nd trimester. At next visit, we shall be able to know about the baby's gender liao! Shall update in a month's time!