Baby no.2 officially reached gestation age of 20 weeks and 6 days on 27th Jan 2010 (yesterday), that is 5 months plus. As scheduled, i went to do my every-pregnancy-routined-detail-scan with a very capable (not to mention being smart and tall and well built, haha) doctor at Kuching Specialist Hospital. Thank God things go well with baby no.2 and by the end of the checking, the smart doctor gives my baby a 95% for being so well behaved and healthy! Doctor told me not to expect any doctor to give me any higher mark than that since no one can really “guarantees” how one will turn out to be. So, there, my baby scores the highest mark in the room. Being the only one in the room, that is.
Now, for those who doesn’t know what the detail scanning is about, i shall briefly go through the procedures with you all here. I shall emit the medical terms because, really, if i know them i wouldn’t be doing what i am doing right now. ^_^
First of all, it all starts with the checking of shape and size of the head skull and make sure the skin surrounding the head is developing well. Any openings will be considered abnormal. Then, the fluid, cerebrum and other little parts in the brain are checked for their existence and ensure they’re suffice in quantity (the ultrasound machine does the job really well!). Then, doctor ensures that ears are present and well developed. Move downward to the neck all the way to the end of the spinal cord (the backbones). This one is extremely important too to make sure there’s NO opening seen because if there is, anything in the body might be squeezed out or anything outside will go in so NO GOOD! And if really it happens, it is a major operation as well. So young pregnant mothers must ensure they take folic acid every single day throughout the pregnancy so that to minimize the chance of development of defected spinal cord and backbones. Doctor will then check the tummy of the baby to make sure all the organs stay intact and are present in correct positions, muscles to separate the diaphragm and the heart are developed, livers, stomach, blood flows in and out of the organs are all checked into very fine details. Heart is checked for all the 4 chambers and no opening between the wall of the chambers and that blood flows in and out of the 4 chambers have to be in the correct orders.
The placenta, the adequacy of liquor/amniotic fluid, blood flows in and out of the placenta through the umbilical cords, position of the placenta are all to be checked. Then, all the limbs are scanned for well development and doctor will measure the femur length (the thigh bone) to estimate the size and weight of the baby and from it, to plot on the growth chart whether or not the baby is under-developed or advance in the development thus doctor can predict (from the chart), by the time of labor, how big and heavy the baby will be. To me, these are all too amazing. I learn so much just from the scan. As for my baby no.2, the physical development is advanced by 1 week! =P Doctor predicted that if i continue my eating regime and lifestyle until labor, i’m gonna have another 3.4++kgs baby!! Another heavy and long baby to be expected. Hahah!
Baby’s face is then checked for two eye sockets, nose bridge, two nostrils, upper and lower lips (make sure no cleft lip presents). After all the scanning done in black and white, he then let me see the baby in 4D (in sepia color tone and the baby is moving at the same time) on the monitor. It’s all so clear and vivid in front of my eyes. He also took some 3D “photos” for me to keep in my album. Awww~I can’t wait to see my baby no.2 now, well, not now. Hopefully in another 17 weeks when it’s the time.
Of course, the whole detail scan learning process is too much for me to grasp just within 45 minutes and i’m gonna miss some of the things he told me. He told me something about “no notching found” and that means blood flows from my body to the placenta (should be the placenta if i’m not wrong) are good! That means baby is getting enough nutrients to grow and grow and GROW! Happy big baby.
I’m all too glad now to be sure that my baby is healthy (and happy..i know because of the kicks all the time). And doctor also said that since he can give 95% normal and healthy to baby at this time, the baby will NOT become abnormal after i go home or anytime up until delivery. The baby has developed everything he/she needs to have and from now on, he/she will just grow in size for that healthy chubby fats to fit in.
Mommy, daddy and jie jie wait for you, my dear. Stay healthy and happy and keep those kicks coming in! ^_^
