Scanning babies isn't always fun..

I love love love my job, but some days are gloomy scan days. I hate those days! I hate it when you start scanning and I'm sure if your an ultrasound tech you know the wave of not-so-good vibes that comes over you when you get that "feeling" from the start of putting your probe down and looking at a baby. Usually you can tell right from the beginning that's something's just not right and then since we work in a hospital setting you can't really say much and it's up to the OBgyn to inform the mom on what's going on.

Last week I had a couple of bad scans and it makes me so thankful for my healthy little boy! There was a baby who had a cleft palate, chin abnormalities, and a hole in his heart, and also duodenal atresia where the stomach doesn't attach to intestines. Basically, this child will have many many NICU stays, surgeries, and therapists throughout his life IF he makes it through birth.

Another scan was an ER scan 12 weeks prego. 12 weeks is usually the time where women start to feel somewhat relieved getting out of the first trimester. This woman was only cramping and wasn't sure of her period...sure enough there was a baby but it only measures 10 weeks and had no fetal heart tones :( She was very tired and didn't ask many questions (thank god) and scanned & grabbed all the measurements I needed. When it's a fetal demise case I won't give the mom pictures right then, I feel like it gets their hopes up. So I printed a few pictures, but walked them over to the ER dr. once she was back in her room, in case she wanted to save a few pictures of her baby.

Working in the ultrasound dept really makes you thankful for healthy babies! It also makes me worry worry worry! When I was 20 weeks prego I saw dilated renal pelvises on Jack. It can be completely normal or it can be a "soft-marker" for down's syndrome and other syndromes. I panicked called Pat balling and he of course is the sane one in our relationship and put things into perspective. He told me not to worry, (too late buddy!!!) that I've done everything and gone above & beyond what I could do for a healthy pregnancy and then proceeded to tell me how having a Down's baby would be such a gift from God. At first in my head I selfishly thought...gift? Thinking of the problems and abnormalities and then started to realize how innocent and sweet Down's babies/kids/adults are and that it really would be a gift. He said you'd never have to watch your child lose his/her innocence and they would remain so sweet & loving throughout their life. This is why I married my roonball!