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The Pregnancy Blog Week in Review for Feb 10- Feb 16

Another week has passed so quickly. Pregnancy is a busy time. The Week In Review is a good way to catch up on your reading. Visit the Pregnancy Blog Archives for hundreds of articles on just about every topic related to this miraculous time of life. Saturday, Feb 10 Let’s Talk About Teenage Pregnancy – Breaking Through Stereotypes discusses the ageism that surrounds teenage pregnancy and young mothers. Let’s Talk About Teenage Pregnancy – Breaking the Big News talks about how to break the news to the father of the baby and your parents for pregnant teens. When you are … Continue reading →

My Experience with Amniocentesis

I had an amniocentesis with my second baby. The test was offered to us after we got a positive result on the alpha fetoprotein blood test. The results came back showing an increased risk of Down’s Syndrome. The funny thing is that I didn’t want the blood test in the first place. When I was pregnant with my first daughter, my doctor had actually advised against the test. He told me the test had a high rate of false positives. After six years of infertility and six weeks of bed rest in early pregnancy, he felt that I didn’t need … Continue reading →

Baby #2

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Before Lily was born, my wife and I agreed that we both wanted two children. Many parents with this same progeny plan carefully time their second pregnancy around their desire to either have their children grow up together (i.e. get the child rearing over with and out of the way), or have their children grow up separately (i.e. parents can’t bear to think of chasing two toddlers around the house). For us, that particular decision was directly correlated to another, even bigger decision… whether or not to adopt. As you know, even the speediest adoption procedure can take years. On … Continue reading →

Paternity Testing in Pregnancy

For some women, there may be a question about the paternity of the baby. If this is the case, you may want to find out as quickly as possible. There is less risk to the baby if you wait until he or she is born. Unless there is an extreme situation that must be resolved immediately, it’s best for your baby to wait and take a blood sample after the birth. The two tests used to determine paternity during pregnancy are the amniocentesis and the chorionic villus sampling (CVS) test. amniocentesis can be done between 14 and 20 weeks. The … Continue reading →

Nuchal Translucency Screening

The Nuchal Translucency Screening is a test that can help determine your baby’s risk of having certain birth defects, most notably Down’s Syndrome. In addition, the test can show certain heart defects and other chromosomal abnormalities. This test is most often done on mothers who are considered at increased risk due to advanced maternal age. If you are offered this test, it’s important to understand that this is a screening test. It does not give a definitive diagnosis, but shows that a baby may be at increased risk of having certain abnormalities. A combination of ultrasound and a blood test … Continue reading →

AFP Tests – What do they mean?

Between the 16th and 18th weeks of pregnancy, you will receive a screening test called an AFP. It’s a blood test and you will need to give your permission before the test is done. There are so many blood tests and urine tests and just tests that we go through when we are pregnant and seeing our obstetricians that it is hard to keep them all straight. The following is some information on the AFP, I am not a physician by any stretch of the imagination so be sure to consult with your physician if you have any questions or … Continue reading →