u/s update
So we had the ultrasound this morning and unfortunately the baby is worse off than two weeks ago. The cystic hygroma has spread and is starting to cause something called hydrops(excess fluid in the body). They found fluid in the baby's lungs now and it will likely extend to other organs, putting pressure on them and making the baby not be able to grow or survive. Also the omphalocele(the issue with the intestines forming outside the baby's body) is very VERY large and extensive. It starts below the baby's belly button and goes all the way up to the baby's pericardium(the sac that encases the heart). So pretty much that in and of itself is a very bad thing. We asked the radiologist what this meant as far as life expectancy and she said that she would be surprised if the baby lived another month. So yeah, not the kind of news we wanted to hear. But given all the problems that this baby has, it seems that maybe dying is a better option for him than a life of pain and suffering. We will let nature take its course and that is not an easy path, but one that I think we will be more at peace with. We met with the genetics counselor and they explained what this all means now and what it might mean for our next pregnancy. If the baby is still living at 16 weeks we will have the amnio(since the cvs results are inconclusive). They will be testing for something called Beckwith-Weiderman syndrome. If that comes back positive they may test us for it to see if one of us is a carrier. But other than that they basically said that in most cases this is just a random occurance that won't happen again. So yeah, not the super fabulous news we were hoping for. But at least some answers and a direction where this is likely heading. Keep praying for us and we go through this and pray that it doesn't take a long time for things to end. You all are the best and I cannot express enough how much I appreciate every one of you.
Emily
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