The Past Six Weeks

Andrew and I are expecting our third baby, due at the beginning of December. I am currently 26 weeks pregnant. The past six weeks, though, have been very different than anything we expected.

After my 20-week anatomy ultrasound I got a call from my midwife, letting me know that there were some abnormalities found in the baby. She was referring me to Mount Sinai hospital in Toronto for further, more in-depth testing. Five days later I was at Mount Sinai and the doctors there confirmed the same findings that were found on my original ultrasound. Our baby has a congenital heart defect called double outlet right ventricle (DORV) and a large hole in their septum. They also have abnormalities in their right arm. The baby’s right arm is shorter than the left and is missing the radial bone, so the baby’s right wrist is in a flexed position and doesn’t seem able to move.

As a result of these findings, the doctors told us there is a high likelihood that our baby has some type of genetic disorder. We decided to go through genetic testing in order to learn as much as we can before the baby is born. I had an amniocentesis done about a month ago, where they took amniotic fluid from around the baby to test for a variety of disorders. The results come back in three different stages. The first set of results told us that our baby does not have any extra chromosomes, and therefore does not have Trisomy 13, 18 or 21. The second set of results told us that all of our baby’s chromosomes are normal, and therefore our baby does not have any type of chromosomal disorder. We are currently waiting for results from the third stage of testing. In this stage of testing, they are targeting about 200 specific genes and testing for specific genetic disorders the baby may have. These results take around four weeks to come in.

I am in the high-risk pregnancy program at Mount Sinai hospital and have regular visits both there and at Sick Kids Hospital in downtown Toronto, where they take care of everything related to the baby’s heart. There is a lot that we will not know until the baby comes. What we do know for sure is that the baby will need open heart surgery to try to fix the defect in their heart. This surgery will hopefully not happen until the baby is at least six months old, so that the baby’s heart is bigger and stronger. Before six months, we are not sure what life will look like. The heart surgeon has told us that one or two minor surgeries may be needed within days, weeks, or the first couple of months of the baby’s life in order for us to be able to wait longer before the major surgery needs to be done. There is not too much that we know at this point about the baby’s arm and wrist.

Of course, all of this came as a complete shock to us and has been quite difficult. Some days I feel okay and other days fear takes over, because there are so many fears. Deep down I know that I can trust God in the midst of all of this uncertainty, but there are many days when that is hard. However, despite my many fears I know that God is good and I know that He is in ultimate control. I try to rest in this Truth each day.

This blog is meant to be a way to keep people updated throughout the rest of the pregnancy and after the baby is born. Andrew and I truly covet your prayers for this baby and for our family. We pray that God will give us the strength we need to face whatever comes, one day at a time.