Before today's appointment, I looked up fetal anemia. The following website explains it, what you do about it, and the risks involved with the treatments:
http://childrens.memorialhermann.org/services/fetal-anemia/
All of this info was confirmed by the perinatologist. We of course had many more questions, and the bulk of the consult was going over them:
Is the progression of my antibody levels what is normally seen? As in, are mine rising too quickly or more slowly? The answer, they're basically right on track.
What are the odds of needing the blood transfusion? We're told less than 50%, however the office we're going to saw 6 others with this issue in the past year, 3 of which needed transfusions.
Does one transfusion do the trick? Nope. We may have to do multiple ones, each carrying the same amount of risk.
What blood is used? The mother's blood type with antigens and antibodies the baby needs for survival once born. This still doesn't make sense to me, but I can ask at my next appointment in two weeks.
The risks of the transfusion? It's like an amnio, but goes straight into the umbilical cord, and can cause cause bleeding at the site of injection. It can also cause preterm labor. And we didn't go over this, but death is also a risk....
So what do we do now? Monitor.
Starting with today's appointment, here is our current plan:
We'll see perinatology for all of my ultrasounds as they are much more high tech and can monitor blood flow. What is being looked at specifically is the blood flow in the brain (an artery I believe). If the baby becomes anemic, the brain says it's need more oxygen and so the blood pumps harder and faster through the brain. The number we want to be below is 1.5, and with today's ultrasound, it is currently 1.16, normal.
We'll have these ultrasounds every two weeks and then see the perinatologist to go over any new questions. If the number goes above 1.5, the transfusion is scheduled immediately. However, they've noticed that the steroid shots given to help Baby Boy 2's lungs develop (just in case we have to deliver early) actually deregulate everything including the antibodies and anemia, but only for a week or two.
If the anemia does not resolve with the transfusions, which would be every two weeks, then delivery is set. If a transfusion is not needed until 34weeks, Baby Boy 2 is delivered early to avoid transfusions as his survival is greater outside of the womb than within it with the risk of a transfusion.
So what can we do? Watch and wait. Hopefully for nothing to happen, but with odds like 50%, I'm not feeling so lucky....
And so we go to the hospital for compensation for all of these appointments as this is something we should not be dealing with (and therefor paying for) in the first place. We should only have to worry about getting to 36 weeks. Not about whether Baby Boy can survive inside of me through to 36 weeks.
I'm grateful the perinatologist recognized the 24th week coming up for what it's going to be for us. Emotional, stressful, scary. And I feel like she understands that a whole new and unnecessary layer of stress and worry have been added to our load to bare. Yet this time when we left she sounded more optimistic, focusing on getting to 36 weeks without any other issues, even scheduling the c-section once February hits, even though anything can happen in the two months between. She even encouraged us to find a pediatrician, something I thought was still months away.
I guess we only have 14weeks to go to hit 36weeks, just a few months really. But every day drags on as I sit waiting for kicks, wondering if my cervix is okay, and now if Baby Boy 2's blood is fine still. Two weeks between each check feels like an eternity right now.
But I just want everything to be fine, and truly do hope that nothing more happens.
Because I got a lotta love to give.
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