Today we had the official end of first trimester scan and the doctor said, "Your baby looks perfect!" with a big smile on her face. It is so nice to know that it all looks good: the heart, the head and brain, the stomach and internal organs, the placenta, the limbs, the tiny hands and feet.
The big reason for this week's scan was the Nuschal Translucency Screening (NTS). This is a measurement of the liquid at the back of the baby's neck, which is a very accurate indicator of Down Syndrome. I went into pregnancy knowing I didn't want any invasive testing. This test, which is done through a combination of the measurements taken during the ultrasound and a blood test, dad-to-be and I agreed would be okay. So, the doctor took the measurement several times during our ultrasound today. The measurement is supposed to be less than 2.5 millimeters. As you can see in the scan picture below, our baby's nuchal translucency measured 1.37 millimeters. Wonderful! I have no doubt that the blood test results will also be very favorable. I love the peace of mind.
While our baby is quick and likes to move around, the doctor did manage to get an amazing picture of his or her right hand. You can see all four fingers and the thumb! Just look in the upper right, above the head and you'll see the little "fingerprints."
Other than that the baby was wriggling and squirming too much to be photographed, which is just fine with me. It's always miraculous to see the little heart beating and tiny legs kicking, not to mention mini hands waving. What a treat!
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