"All babies look like boys at 12 weeks".

I just got back from 2 hours in maternal fetal medicine at the hospital. Let me end any suspense and tell you all is well with my 3 inch long baby. But I will leave the pictures for the end (so beware if you don't want to see them.)

The baby was moving and a grooving. My goodness! I've never had a 12 week u/s before and I'm amazed how active a baby can be right now. Curling up and arching his back (I'm simply using "him" or "her" so I don't have to say "it"). Putting his hands in front of his face. Stretching out. He turned his back to us and then even did a complete 180 flip. He was ~so~ showing off for our enjoyment. I just know it.

I mentioned in the previous post my tests were because I was AMA. I wanted to clarify these tests can be and are done on women of any age - I simply got mine ordered due to my age. With Ella and Allison, the NT scan was something I could have asked for, but had to reason for it. I also didn't do the 1st trimester screening because I didn't want to deal with percentages. If it was a test that said "yes" or "no", I'd have done it, but these are just screenings. But things have changed. I'm almost 36 and I know the risks, so I'm getting the tests done. I do ~not~ want to do CVS or amniocentesis unless something really gives us a reason to do it. Although I won't terminate, if I get a bunch of soft markers pointing to a genetic abnormality, I will want to know what I'm dealing with. So, if stats and markers show I have a lowered risk, that's all I will do.

The results of the u/s were all good. Nuchal fold was 1.6mm (needs to be under 3). The nasal cavity was in the correct parameters. There were kidneys, brains and gosh, I've already forgotten everything she measured. Basically, everything measurable at 12 weeks looked good. I did have a questionable chord attachment to the placenta - which she said was more common in IVF babies. I have to get the info on that one though, it was a weird word. The negative outcome from this could be having a small baby, so she said I'll need to start getting growth scans at 28 weeks and we'd go from there.

We took some peeks at between the baby's legs and I saw boy parts. The room was silent and the tech suddenly said "All babies look like boys at 12 weeks". I said I thought I saw boy parts and she said she did too, but then said that at 12 weeks, girl parts are ~very~ swollen as they are forming and said girls can totally look like boys. So, no go on the early gender knowledge. We'll just have to wait another 7 weeks for the big u/s.

Here you see my little peapod laying on his back, hands in front of his face and his legs curled up.



The next one is a 3D picture of the same thing, except angled a little different. It's a bit hard to see, but once you can visualize what you are looking at, it's amazing. While the inside and skeleton of the baby is formed, the outer features aren't yet completely done, so keep that in mind while you are trying to see what I'm pointing out.

The baby is again laying on his back and the upper right round thing is his head. His face isn't formed yet, so it looks kind of like something made out of clay. You can see his nose and two depressions where his eyes will be. You can also make out his mouth underneath that pointy nose. His arms are curled up in front of his chest, hands right under his face. You can see his body too and then those long legs. He's laying against the inside of his placenta (but if you ask me, it looks like he's laying on a big vagina).


Could you see it? If you could, pretty cool, eh? Creepy, yes, but intensly cool. The fact that I can see exactly what my baby looks like right at this very moment is overwhelming. Those little arms curled up and his little butt underneath those legs. I'm already in love.

If you can't see it, that's okay. I can see it pretty clearly now, but then again, not only was it completely pointed out to me, I've been looking at various ultrasound pictures for 5 years now. I remember the first time I looked at Ella's u/s pictures and at first, I had no clue what the hell I was looking at. Then I saw Ella's 3D u/s pictures and was amazed at the technology. She looked exactly like that when she was born. I had two sets of u/s pictures with Allison, here and here and they were easier to see for me, just because I was more experienced. Her 3D pictures, although I had gotten used to seeing this technology, still thrilled me. So if you can't see what I'm pointing out, I totally understand!