Bright spot on baby's heart in 18 wk sonograms ...

At the moment I'm just venting so to speak, I'm kinda numb and not sure how to react but ...

I just got a call from my doctors office which I thought was to confirm my appointment for tomorrow morning, but boy do I wish it was. Instead it was one of the doctors from the office. It's never a good sign when a doctor calls you directly.

So he starts talking about my sonograms, how the baby's measurments look fine, how everything else on the sonograms look great, and all I could think while he was telling me this is well then why are you calling ... So he then says .... But there is a bright spot on the baby's heart that could be a chromosomal abnormality (essentially meaning Down Syndrome) or if it was a heart defect (but my doctor was doing his best to reassure me that its probably nothing but they just want to make sure). I was in the process of trying to parallel park the truck and it felt as if my entire world was crashing down around me and I totally couldn't concentrate on parking so I drove around the block a few more times. I'm still not sure what to think... But they are sending me to see a specialist for more sonograms instead of to a Radiologist ... I swear to GOD if these A**Holes at the Glen Burnie office for American Radiology have F'ed up my sonograms and have my doctors thinking my childs got some defect and I'm gonna tear them a new a**hole if everything turns out fine ...
American Radiology needs to do better upkeep on their machines .. I swear it has something to do with the actual sonograms that were taken and nothing to do with Baby "A" but I'll go see the specialst just to make sure that everything is fine. But I won't be able to see them for at least a week ... so now I'm numb just going through the motions of taking care of Connor and Bailey.

I've never gone through anything like this during pregnancy, so the feeling of having my heart ripped out of my chest and feeling totally numb is a new experience to me to say the least.

I also had to call and tell Steve which he seemed more upset than I did at the time. I feel bad that I had to tell him while he was at work but I didn't want him to think I was hiding something from him.

So now I'm just sitting here in the kitchen with the lights off and eating some ice cream to help make myself feel a little better .. but somehow I don't think that's enough to take away the worry, fear, and hurt that I'm feeling at the moment!

Has anyone else gone through something like this??? I'm thinking about opting for an AMNIO ...

Errr my day has just gone from good to HORRIBLE!

I am going through all this now. I was shipped to Hershey for more test and got nothing. They told me that the white spots in the heart have nothing to do with downs anymore. But my baby had those spots also and they don't know what they are. My baby's heart is shaped and working fine but the spots are still there. I am now going to a baby heart doc.

If you're okay with an amnio, get one. I would.
I hope everything turns out OK, your story broke my heart, I'll pray for you guys!

Quoting Stevesgrl:“ At the moment I'm just venting so to speak, I'm kinda numb and not sure how to react but ... I just ... [snip!] ... through something like this??? I'm thinking about opting for an AMNIO ... Errr my day has just gone from good to HORRIBLE!”

An amnio can be very inaccurate if you're already 18 weeks, though, if I'm not mistaken. Or am I wrong? I thought 16 weeks was the cut off for an amnio.

Quoting *Wicked Mama*:“ An amnio can be very inaccurate if you're already 18 weeks, though, if I'm not mistaken. Or am I wrong? I thought 16 weeks was the cut off for an amnio.”

Are you thinking about the AFP test?

Quoting *Wicked Mama*:“ An amnio can be very inaccurate if you're already 18 weeks, though, if I'm not mistaken. Or am I wrong? I thought 16 weeks was the cut off for an amnio.”

I had my amnio at 20 weeks. It's the most accurate test. 100% certainty.

I will not go through an amnio. I was in shock at first but then I thought about it. What if he does have downs? I will love him and I will deal with his disabilities as they come, what is an amnio going to do? Also they told me that they could cause miscarriage, I can't chance that.

Quoting *Wicked Mama*:“ An amnio can be very inaccurate if you're already 18 weeks, though, if I'm not mistaken. Or am I wrong? I thought 16 weeks was the cut off for an amnio.”

No they are done at anytime testing is needed. 16 weeks is the cut for something lie AFP testing I think...or nuchal fold

You are in my prayers. If their machines are old and outdated it could've been that. Keep your head up momma everything will work itself out.

I'm so glad I came across this post! At my 18 week u/s the doctor saw a "bright" echogenic bowel. He also said it was one of the markers in down syndrome they said it was probably nothing and assured me that everything was ok. They said all of my other measurements were fine. They scheduled me for another u/s in two weeks. I was googling it and crying all of the time and freaking out. I could barely work. I felt so bad for my baby thinking there may be something wrong with her. Long story short I went in and the tech was telling me about how it is the doctors job to try and find something wrong in the u/s because medical malpractice laws are so crazy right now. It ended up being NOTHING. All I got was a "well, whatever it was its not there anymore everything looks %100 fine except for shes measuring 4 days bigger!!". Talk about relief and anger! GOOD LUCK with everything my advice is try not to freak out, it probably really is nothing, and PLEASE for the love of GOD stay away from google.!!!

Quoting Me!s:“ No they are done at anytime testing is needed. 16 weeks is the cut for something lie AFP testing I think...or nuchal fold”

Oh okay. Yeah I never had any testing done, I'm just going by little things I remember.

Quoting Me!s:“ No they are done at anytime testing is needed. 16 weeks is the cut for something lie AFP testing I think...or nuchal fold”

Yeah, the AFP has a cut-off date. I only know that because the first time I took the AFP, they didn't send it in or some crap... I had to do it again right before the cut-off date.

Quoting Trudy:“ I will not go through an amnio. I was in shock at first but then I thought about it. What if he does ... [snip!] ... as they come, what is an amnio going to do? Also they told me that they could cause miscarriage, I can't chance that.”

I'm not going through this so this isnt much help, but I hope you feel better! I would feel the same way as trudy though

i honestly don't know what tests they'll offer me, but an Amnio is one that will tell you about chromosomal defects. I go for my regular appointment tomorrow so I guess we'll talk more about it tomorrow... I think I'm gonna have some questions and so will my husband ... I honestly believe it was something the tech at the Radiology place that screwed something up because the sonograms were horrible and they didn't even get several of the measurements that they needed of the baby's head ... I'll have to post about my experience in another post ... but it was bad!

At the moment I'll do anything to make sure my lil one is ok... Regardless of all the negatives I've already been through a lot and I can handle anything that God throws at me at this point.