# 1 Soft Marker...Should I Worry? ):



## CieraNikole

Hii

I am 21w today, and on my 20w ultrasound they found the nuchal fold was alot larger than normal (8.5mm). The never seen this is earlier ultrasounds... This is the only soft marker for DS I have. I am having a girl and her heart-rate stays over 140bpm, her heart is perfect, her kidneys are perfect, all her bones are growing normally and all measurements are matching up perfectly..I have went to a specialist 2 days after my 20w ultrasound and they only saw the nuchal fold as a soft marker aswell..I am 18 years old, my chance is having a DS baby is 1/10,000 and all my test results for DS, Tri18, and Spinal Abifa came back NEGATIVE.. They asked to see me back in 4 weeks, and maybe the baby would grow into the extra skin in 4 weeks time....It worrys me so much that I'm not sleeping well and my eatting habits are off...should I opt for the amino? and has anyone else had this happen, and do I have anything to worry about?


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## CieraNikole

I need advice!


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## Novabomb

:hug:Hi hon I have no experiences with this but I wanted to answer so I was not reading and run so I wanted to send some :hug: your way because I know I would be scared also. What did your DR say also have you Google it I Google everything :haha: I wish I could help more :shrug: But I just don't know


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## Novabomb

:hugs:I just wanted to share this with you I just came across it on the internet I hope it helps :) :hugs: 



I wanted to share my recent story in case anyone out there is looking for support after not receiving the greatest news after an ultrasound. I am 27 yrs old and pregnant with my first child. 

We went two weeks ago for our 20 week anatomy ultrasound. We found out the sex of the baby (it's a boy) and then they checked all the body parts to make sure everything was ok. My last ultrasound (wk 12) was normal and all my blood work has been normal so far. The technician said she was going to get the Dr. to check everything. 
A doctor who i have never seen before came into the room with a serious face and told us that he saw 2 soft markers in the ultrasound. The NT measurement was 6.3mm and it should be below 6, he also saw an echogenic focus in the heart. He also told us the baby was in a bad position and could not see the spine well and i would need another sonogram just for the spine. He then told us the possibility for Down Syndrome was very high. From our initial results, we were in the 1/800 catagory which is normal, but for every soft marker found the number gets cut in half so that put us in the 1/200 category. He recommended genetic counseling and an amniocentesis and then left the room. We were both shocked, i didnt know what to say or think.
We scheduled both the counseling and amnio without even thinking about it. When i got home i started reading about the procedure and got so scared due to the complications. 
I decided to go to the genetic counseling first and then make my final decision on the amnio after, since your can always change your mind. We wanted to do it because i didnt want to go through the rest of my pregnancy worrying and if there was something wrong i wanted to educate myself as much as possible for when the baby arrived. 
I did the amnio 5 days after the soft markers were found. We went to the Genetic Counselor before the procedure, she was wonderful and knew exactly how to talk to us about the whole thing. She did however inform us that there were 3 soft markers, the 2 i was informed of plus there was a spot in the bowel, putting us at 1/100 for Down Syndrome. She asked me if i was sure i wanted to do the test, i didnt have to but i wanted to know either way. I am not a fan of needles and i was so scared. i am not going to lie, it hurt, the needle is hard to get in because sometimes it doesnt go through the membrane easily and then it takes one whole minute to collect the fluid. I didnt look at the needle, i just watched the baby on the screen as the doctor performed the test. Finally it was over and then it was a waiting game. The FISH results take 3 days, so by Friday i should have found out. The complete results take 10 days. I also had to schedule ANOTHER sonogram because they were not able to see the spine AGAIN. 
Those 3 days waiting were the longest days of my life, especially since you are on bed rest for two days after the procedure. To be on the safe side, i followed the instructions word for word, and did not move, lift or do anything at all. I was already scared as it is. I had mild cramping from the needle, but it went away after a few hours. 
I finally call for the results on Friday, and the doctor was not in, so i had to wait a whole weekend. I call Monday, no doctor. Finally, i go to my appointment on Tuesday. I get there and my doctor does not have the results. I felt like my world was crumbling, i couldnt take it anymore. Finally, she had the results faxed over and everything was normal. I was so happy i could have cried. i had done enough crying the past few days, i was all cried out. 
We went back tfor the third spinal sonogram. The baby still was not in a position to see the spine clearly, so they did an internal sonogram. Thankfully, they got all the pictures they needed and the baby's spine was fine. 
We made an appointment to see the cardiologist just to have him do a better sonogram for the baby's heart. The doctor explained everything as it came up on the screen. he explained that it was not a calcium deposit and then he slowed down the screen shot to show me. The spot that came up on the sonogram was just a tissue from an artery to the muscle wall which is completely normal. Sometimes the sonogram waves pick this up and it is interpreted as a calcium deposit, but it's not. That put me at such ease. 
Now i still don't have my complete test results yet, but i am much more relaxed. My husband and I went through a tough 2 weeks but we got happy news at the end. 
My doctor told me a lot of people have soft markers show up and they usually end up meaning nothing and go away before the baby arrives. I wanted to share my story so that if anyone else is going through something similar, know that it can turn out to be nothing. You don't have to choose to go for an amnio, you can always ask for a second opinion or to see a specialist to check the results. Just make sure that through it all, you stay positive, it really helps a lot. Remember, if you feel scared, imagine how your baby must feel. Stay positive, it's healthier for you and your baby.


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