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Hello All!!!!!!!!!

So, for those of you who aren't on facebook, the big news is that on March 18th, I gave birth to a handsome, completely healthy baby boy! We named him Carter and he was 8 pounds 1 ounce, 20 inches long! He is absolutely amazing and doing really really well! When the pediatrician checked him over, I asked if we needed to do further testing about the EIF and he laughed at me and said "Why??? He's perfectly healthy!! I can't believe they even told you about it!". He was actually kind of miffed that I was concerned about it at all. Carter does have a very slight heart murmur (which is NOT tied to the EIF in any way at all) so we had to do an ECG, which came back entirely normal. This is something that runs in my family though as my 3 year old has a heart murmur, my dad, my sister-in-law.....they are very very commmon. So no concerns at all and I spent the last 4 months worrying over absolutely nothing!!!!!
I hope that my story can help everyone relax a little bit more and please, try to enjoy your pregnancy! This marker is so weak and really means nothing!
Well, I'll be checking back often to see how all of you ladies are doing! I can't wait to hear more fantastic birth stories and more little babies coming! Take care of yourselves!!!

WELCOME CARTER!!! Sooo happy for you ohmuffin!!! How fantastic to hear that you guys are well and that he has arrived :) It's so hard waiting and so overwhelming once they finally make their appearance. YEAH!!!!
Can't wiat to hear the good news for the rest of you...

WELCOME CARTER!!!! I'm sooo happy for you ohmuffin!!! I'm glad to hear that you both are well and that he finally made his appearance :) It's sooo hard waiting for them to show up.
Can't wait to hear the good news for the rest of you too...

OHMUFFIN...huge congrats!!! I am so happy to hear your news. Things on this board have been really quiet huh?! Well, we are at 35.5 weeks and 50% effaced and 1cm. We are thrilled for progress but also know (and secretly hope) that she stays in a bit longer. She seems to be skinny and long AND we are in the process of movind to a new house. I hope she bakes for 2 more weeks so that we can get everything ready in the new house and she puts on a few LBs. Doc thinks she will be around 7 pounds...easier delivery?! Here's hoping.

Hope everyone is doing well..Steffie, any news?! It is you and me....

OOPs we are 36.5 weeks not 35.5

Hi wannalil - no news on my end. It is you and me on the homestretch now. I will be 36 weeks tomorrow. I haven't had an internal yet so I don't know if there has been any progression yet or not. I am thinking you'll probably go before me. You'll have to have someone post your news or at least email me so I know everything is great with you and the baby! As of my 33 wk u/s the baby was measuring two weeks ahead but they have not changed the due date. This board has been really quite lately, a lot of us are chatting away on the FB group so usually you see new moms or dads pop in here every other week or so. I'll post more after my u/s on Friday!

Ohmuffin....congrats!!!!! So happy for you. Love the name Carter too!

wannalil1 - any progress? I still have no news:( No internals yet but I'm starting to feel more crampy so hopefully things are progressing!

Hi Everyone. I just want to thank everyone for posting on this forum. I, too, have been dealing with an EIF found at 17 weeks on my US. The last 3 weeks have been hell for me. This forum helped a lot. I wanted to add my story for any other lurkers out there. At 17 weeks, all was great with the baby, except they found an EIF....a soft marker for downs. I had first trimester screening and my risk was 1/9371 for T21 and 1/]10000 for T18 and T13. When they found the EIF, the doctor acted like it was no biggie. Well it was to me. I combed the internet and found lots of scary stuff as some of you may have. He said I could have a level II ultrasound for my peace of mind. So, I did that. THe doctor there said it doubled my risk. But, then they weren't sure if they saw bilateral EIF (which if you read some literature indicates an EVEN MORE increased risk). He wasn't sure....and I think given my concern, he said "I am just gonna put there is only one EIF". He and the tech then told me that if I have a baby with downs, its not my fault. This was not reassuring. Of course I know its not my fault and I honestly did not know what I would do if I had the confirmation with downs. I empathize with those who terminate and those who don't....sometimes you don't know what you would do til you are in the situation. I certainly did not know. I just was lookign for a doctor I could trust to make me feel better. Well, that didn't sit well with me. So that night I combed the internet for bilateral EIF. If you read the journals, you will see the increased risk identified are 0 increased to like 6 times. For some reason that terrified me. Yes, I was startign with good odds....but for such a little thing to increase the risk so much.... Anyways, I kept seeing a doctor's name repeated in a lot of the literature. Well, guess what? He was in Scottsdale! I live in Phoenix. I made an appointment with him. Right before I went, my OBs office called me with my AFP results (for those of you who did the ultrascreen you know that they sometimes do a blood test for AFP to screen for neural tube defects). It was negative...but of course after my hours on the internet, I needed to know the value. I was hoping for a 1 MOM (Multiple of the median)....or a little high. But, of course it was low (0.58 MOM). Well that can be an indication for down syndrome (its one of four markers they screen for in the quad screen). So, I went to my appt and the doc only found the one EIF. He was certain. Everything else looked good. I then asked him about the low AFP. He said, well, they looked at AFP only years ago. Nowadays, they do a quad screen to give the entire picture. I told him my doctor told me not to do the quad screen since it could "muddy the waters" with my first trimester screen. This doctor said, they actually can combine the results now with the first trimester screen and the detection rate goes from 90% to 95%. He also said he is trying to educate doctors that the AFP only test is not really needed anymore since a detailed ultrasound has a better detection rate for NTDs. And that some doctors don't know the latest in down syndrome screening. He offered me the quad screen. He was confident it would keep me at low risk... Well!!! It didn't. The girl who took the blood sent it to the wrong lab (where they wouldn't combine the tests) and I was given a quad screen number alone. 1/341. With the EIF factored in, 1/189. Still good odds....but I could not rationalize in my head how I could go from 1/9371 to 1/189. I opted for amnio. I know this is not for everyone. But, for paranoids out there like me, it was necessary. I would have been on the internet the rest of my pregnancy and stress is not good for the baby. Also, in experienced hands (I went to the well known doc), the chance of miscarriage is 1/1000. My husband and I could not talk about the what ifs. My husband was very positive that all would be fine. Amnio was not fun...but totally worth it. I got the FISH results the next day (last Thursday) that were normal!! I got the final results today...NORMAL healthy BOY! I am beyond relieved and I promised myself I would post on this forum once I had results. Maybe there is someone out I can make feel better? THe bottom line that I have learned....screening tests are confusing. I understand the science behind them, but they can be worse than not taking them. Also, any "soft marker" found when you are excited about going to an ultrasound can be mentally taxing. It ruined the experience for me....we walked in wondering if we would paint the room blue or pink and walked out in tears (well I did). What would I do next time? I still don't know. I am thinking of all of you going thru this. KNOW that the overwhelming odds are that the EIF is meaningless (and a positive quad screen for that matter). If you can't live without knowing, find the best doctor and do the amnio! And thanks to all who posted before me on this forum. I read your stories on a sleepless night and felt so much better.

Hi Everyone. I just want to thank everyone for posting on this forum. I, too, have been dealing with an EIF found at 17 weeks on my US (I am 32 years old; first baby). The last 3 weeks have been hell for me. This forum helped a lot. I wanted to add my story for any other lurkers out there. At 17 weeks, all was great with the baby, except they found an EIF....a soft marker for downs. I had first trimester screening and my risk was 1/9371 for T21 and 1/]10000 for T18 and T13. When they found the EIF, the doctor acted like it was no biggie. Well it was to me. I combed the internet and found lots of scary stuff as some of you may have. He said I could have a level II ultrasound for my peace of mind. So, I did that. THe doctor there said it doubled my risk. But, then they weren't sure if they saw bilateral EIF (which if you read some literature indicates an EVEN MORE increased risk). He wasn't sure....and I think given my concern, he said "I am just gonna put there is only one EIF". He and the tech then told me that if I have a baby with downs, its not my fault. This was not reassuring. Of course I know its not my fault and I honestly did not know what I would do if I had the confirmation with downs. I empathize with those who terminate and those who don't....sometimes you don't know what you would do til you are in the situation. I certainly did not know. I just was lookign for a doctor I could trust to make me feel better. Well, that didn't sit well with me. So that night I combed the internet for bilateral EIF. If you read the journals, you will see the increased risk identified are 0 increased to like 6 times. For some reason that terrified me. Yes, I was startign with good odds....but for such a little thing to increase the risk so much.... Anyways, I kept seeing a doctor's name repeated in a lot of the literature. Well, guess what? He was in Scottsdale! I live in Phoenix. I made an appointment with him. Right before I went, my OBs office called me with my AFP results (for those of you who did the ultrascreen you know that they sometimes do a blood test for AFP to screen for neural tube defects). It was negative...but of course after my hours on the internet, I needed to know the value. I was hoping for a 1 MOM (Multiple of the median)....or a little high. But, of course it was low (0.58 MOM). Well that can be an indication for down syndrome (its one of four markers they screen for in the quad screen). So, I went to my appt and the doc only found the one EIF. He was certain. Everything else looked good. I then asked him about the low AFP. He said, well, they looked at AFP only years ago. Nowadays, they do a quad screen to give the entire picture. I told him my doctor told me not to do the quad screen since it could "muddy the waters" with my first trimester screen. This doctor said, they actually can combine the results now with the first trimester screen and the detection rate goes from 90% to 95%. He also said he is trying to educate doctors that the AFP only test is not really needed anymore since a detailed ultrasound has a better detection rate for NTDs. And that some doctors don't know the latest in down syndrome screening. He offered me the quad screen. He was confident it would keep me at low risk... Well!!! It didn't. The girl who took the blood sent it to the wrong lab (where they wouldn't combine the tests) and I was given a quad screen number alone. 1/341. With the EIF factored in, 1/189. Still good odds....but I could not rationalize in my head how I could go from 1/9371 to 1/189. I opted for amnio. I know this is not for everyone. But, for paranoids out there like me, it was necessary. I would have been on the internet the rest of my pregnancy and stress is not good for the baby. Also, in experienced hands (I went to the well known doc), the chance of miscarriage is 1/1000. My husband and I could not talk about the what ifs. My husband was very positive that all would be fine. Amnio was not fun...but totally worth it. I got the FISH results the next day (last Thursday) that were normal!! I got the final results today...NORMAL healthy BOY! I am beyond relieved and I promised myself I would post on this forum once I had results. Maybe there is someone out I can make feel better? THe bottom line that I have learned....screening tests are confusing. I understand the science behind them, but they can be worse than not taking them. Also, any "soft marker" found when you are excited about going to an ultrasound can be mentally taxing. It ruined the experience for me....we walked in wondering if we would paint the room blue or pink and walked out in tears (well I did). What would I do next time? I still don't know. I am thinking of all of you going thru this. KNOW that the overwhelming odds are that the EIF is meaningless (and a positive quad screen for that matter). If you can't live without knowing, find the best doctor and do the amnio! And thanks to all who posted before me on this forum. I read your stories on a sleepless night and felt so much better.

Wannalil1- Yes, this board has been awfully quite lately!!! A lot of us have been chatting away in our FB board too!!! You and Steph are sooooo close!!!!! Please keep us posted when you deliver your baby!!!! We need all the positive story's we can get to keep us sane for the months to come!!!!!

texasmom- How far along are you???? Getting close?????

Anotherconcernedmom- Thanks for posting!!!! I'm glad your baby is healthy and you can have peace of mind!!!! I opted out of the amnio and I'm 27 weeks so still have a long way to go.... but positive story's sure give me hope and make each day easier for me!!!!

Hi Eugenia....I am sure you will get good news. Thank you for posting your thoughts/struggles with this. BTW...how do I get the FB group?

anotherconcernedmom - thank you for posting your story and I'm so happy you have a huge sense of relief. I opted out of the amino but I'm due in about 3 weeks so I'm hoping to post a good story too. For some reason I think I'm having a boy. I'm sorry you got somewhat mixed messages from all those doctors but you can put that all behind you now and relax:) Eugenie and I run the FB group so if you want to join us shoot me an email at steffie92_bfas "at" yahoo.com

As for me, I had my final u/s today so I"m happy about that. The baby is now only measuring 5 days ahead instead of 14 so they said it must have been a growth spurt. The percentile is average now at 52% instead of 77%. The tech didn't think it was a big deal even though it makes me worry a little. The weight was supposedly 6 lbs 10 oz right now. The echogenic focus was barely visible anymore (not that it changes anything) but the tech said likely because the heart is bigger. Otherwise measurements and organs look great. I usually feel confident after leaving those appts but I don't today. I'm slightly worried about the measurements. I guess I was thinking a bigger baby could mean a "healthy" baby, but now it looks like he/she may be average.

Hello ladies! I am still here. 37.5 weeks pregnant and I also had a doc appointment this morning. Met the last of the OBs in the practice. He did NOT do an internal, for which I am grateful. We are moving so I need this peanut to stay in a bit longer. He reiterated what EVERY other doc and OB I have spoken to about the EIF, that in isolation it usually means nothing. He was very brief but calmed my irrational fears.

I am crampy today as well, but it may be because I have done more over the last few days. I am still hopeful I make it to 39 weeks. We did not get an ultrasound this time, but all is measuring well (belly wise, I am 37 weeks, so right on target).

Steffie, you have NOTHING to worry about I am sure your little one is just fine and you are still measuring perfectly. I know you are anxious but it is just fear of the unknown, I am in the same boat.

Anotherconcernedmom - Thank you for posting your good news! I agree that the testing is confusing and am glad that my doc only ran the AFP for NTDs. I asked for odds and did not ask for MoM for fears that I would read too much into it. My Ultra Screen (1st tri) were similar to yours 1 in greater than 10,000 for all trisomies. I am also 31. So they just doubled my risk and left it at that. Sometimes part of me wished we did the amnio, but my husband was adamant that we do not do it...it took us 2.5 years and 2 ivf cycles to get here and he felt it was not worth the risk of complications.

Eugenia, I have been meaning to get on facebook and join the craze, but to be honest so much has been going on that creating a profile is the last thing on my mond - although I know it is easy. In any event, I will be sure to keep everyone on here posted as soon as my princess makes her debut. Maybe she will be here in time for Easter?!

Hi everyone,
I promised I would come back and post once my little girl was born. I posted back in november when I found out my little girl had an EIF on her heart as well. Just like all of you I was a nervous wreck over it when I found out at my 20 week ultrasound, I'm 25 and had the ultrascreen but not the AFP test done. For the last 20 weeks I constantly stressed over the findings of the EIF and did not enjoy my pregnancy to the fullest because it was constantly in the back of my mind. I'm happy to report that Sophie was born on April 5th at 10:15 am (three days late)7lbs 4oz and 20.5 inches in length and perfectly healthy :) She is absolutely beautiful and I'm soo upset that I let the EIF take away the joy and excitement that I should have had throughout my pregnancy. Sophie's pediatrician (whom I am very close with, he was my pediatrician when I was born and is a close famiy friend) told me all along that it was absolutely nothing to worry about, but of course I thought that I would be that 1 person. PLEASE try to enjoy your pregnancy and try not to stress over the EIF because this is only a soft marker and means absolutely nothing!! Good luck to all of you on your pregnancies, I am convinced you will all have healthy beautiful babies too

TROOPERSWIFE....Thank you so much for posting your great news!!!! I am so happy that both you and Sophie are doing well. We are in a similar position, EIF in isolation, only did the Ultrascreen since we were at such a low risk. I am 38 weeks so due any day now...hopefully my baby girl will stay put until after Easter. CONGRATS!!!!