Pregnant, with worries
The pregnant one is back. 10 weeks to go and the worries are surfacing. Labour isn't too much of a concern at the moment, the only comment was "if I ask for an epidural, just remind me about my lumbar puncture." When she first started work on labour ward she witnessed an epidural being sited, she passed out, but the staff present said that she fitted after she hit the floor face first. As a result she had every investigation possible, including a lumbar puncture. Very traumatic procedure for everyone in the hospital as she has a very loud scream, and used it repeatedly! The Doc involved took two attempts to do the lumbar puncture and left her with a dural tap.( I don't blame him, she had everyone rattled.) A dural tap means that some of the fluid surrounding the brain has been allowed to leak, and it leaves you with the worst headache imaginable, for at least a couple of days. It is one of the few side-effects that may happen following an epidural, its not that frequent. Anyway, she now knows that she really doesn't want an epidural. So, it's not labour causing the worries it's baby. Daughter had the nuchal scan so knows the risk of Down's is low, she had an anomaly scan, so knows that major physical abnormality is unlikely but is now worrying about everything else. Will baby be hermaphrodite, have Tourettes, be autistic, blind, have a speech impediment? I try to reassure but have nothing definite to quell her anxieties with. I point out that there is no history of anything in either family, then other daughter pipes up and reminds her that her aunt had dislocated hips, a 'bat ear', and a hole in the heart. Thankyou oh cherished one. It doesn't matter that none of these were life threatening or affected aunts life in any way, other than splints when a baby for her hips, which she has no recollection of, and an op when 4 for her ear, pregnant daughter is now adding these afflictions to her list. Anyway, if we really delved into the realms of possibilities, which I shall not do here, or to daughter, the list could be endless, and would not end at birth but continue as the baby develops into an adult. I have always had doubts about screening 'cos it is just that. It's not a Yes or No, just an odds for, or against. Now, if I was told my odds were 1:6 million I would be convinced that I was that 1 because I am a pessimist, so what use screening for me? If I then think further there are endless possibilities of illnesses, syndromes which could affect my baby, which I would doubtless cope with if they happened. Why? As I said to my daughter, 'we will love baby because he's yours and one of our family.' Everyone hopes for a baby who is well, and most alter their lifestyle with that in mind, but sometimes that doesn't happen, but hopefully love will grow regardless and, he's still your baby.