# echogenic bowel



## LoveLost

So here I am finally getting excited about being pregnant as the anxiety starts to fade that this pregnancy will end in loss too. When it's all ripped away again at my 19 week scan. Well not at the scan it self but at the mw 3 days later when she tells me that the baby has echogenic bowel at stage 1 and 2. Since then of course I have done the dreaded googling as I wait for my next apt where I hope to get a little more info. I try to be a positive person, but it's so hard when you have suffered so much loss. Not to mention the number of things that an echogenic bowel can mean. There really is no definite answer unless I have an amnio which I have a 1:200 chance of m/c which in my eyes is WAY to high considering I have already had 3 m/c's.

Does anyone else have positive stories to share? Or has been through this?


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## lilly77

Hi hon- I was thinking of you and wanted to see how you were doing, do you remember me from the summer cupcakes thread?
I'm so happy for you that you're pregnant again, and wanted to send you massive :dust: and :hug: to your little one in there, I really have no advice but sending massive positive vibes and wishes your way
you truly deserve it 
Lillyxxx


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## LoveLost

I do remember you Lilly, your little girl is sooooooooooo gorgeous what a beautiful name too. Thanks for thinking of me, it means a lot!


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## JaydensMommy1

Dont have too much advice but as a nurse I see this quite frequently and sometimes without any complications. I would say to stay off google hun really. Just googling pregnancy in general can be frightening. A echogenic bowel is just a marker- that's it. Try not too think or research it too much. I wish the very best hun and please keep me updated.


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## LoveLost

Thank you so much Jaydensmommy, I am going to take your advice as I know the stress it is causing me isn't good for the baby either. I will keep everyone up to date when I know for sure. I find that a lot of people start posts like this then don't come back to up date.


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## JaydensMommy1

Yes they do! Then I look like a stalker lol. Update plz!!


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## LoveLost

Haha stalk me all you like, I would do the same!


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## JaydensMommy1

Lol ok good! How are you feeling?


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## Sherri81

Colby didn't have an echogenic bowel, but on my 20 week anatomy scan, there were some things that were seen. No one even told me though.

Five days after my scan, so when I thought everything was fine, I got a call at home from my OB. She told me Colby had a cyst on one hemisphere of his brain and no one had been able to view his right ventricular outflow tract. She said these 2 things could be considered as soft markers.

She did tell me not to worry, and that just because 2 soft markers were seen, it only raised my chances of any problems by 1% over what my risk already was. So, since I am 30, my risk factor would be 3% normally, and so my over all risk factor was 4%. She told me not to worry.

So I'm not sure how uch worse echogenic bowel is, but just because a soft marker is seen, it doesn't always have to mean anything.

I was sent to Vancouver for a level 2 ultrasound and the cyst had disappeared by 26 weeks, and they were finally able to see the right outflow tract. Colby is fine.

Have you done the 2 screening blood tests? What were your results? My blood test results were within normal ranges, so she told me not to worry.

I hope everything works out well for you. You've been through so much already. You really do deserve a good outcome this time.


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## LoveLost

Hey Sherri I didn't have the blood work done as I thought if something came up I didn't want to be worried for no reason. But now I kinda regret that as at least it would be able to rule things out. I am going to RCH on Monday for a consult with a genetic counsellor so I am hoping to get some more insight into what this all means for us. Sherri I am so glad that everything is going well for you, it was such a tough pregnancy but so worth it in the end!!!

Jaydensmommy- I feel good pregnancy wise baby is doing lots of kicks so that is reassuring. Just mentally that I am kind of a wreck. 

Thank you ladies for checking in on me!


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## JaydensMommy1

Hi hun you know, like Sherri I too had soft markers seen with my first born who is now 3. Like Sherri my son had a choroid plexus cyst in the brain and a very strong marker of an enlarged ventricles which indicates hydrocephalus. He is a perfectly healthy three year old. Have faith hun- everyday women go through this hardships and most thentime everything is okay. 
Just stay strong :) And I am here to talk!


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## Fynn

My good friend's baby had echogenic bowels during her detailed scan...she was soo worried. But baby came out totally fine! =)


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## LoveLost

Thank you ladies 2 more sleeps until I get to talk to the doctor!


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## LoveLost

Ok so here is where I am at, I am updating in hopes that it will help someone else on this journey one day. I met with the high risk ob today who is also a genetic counsellor. He was not impressed with the ultrasound quality so I will have another one on the 31st where I should get more answers. He said that most "normal babies have some type of echogenicity that shows up on ultrasound so not to worry to much. It matters what else is going on as well. For me, my baby is measuring a couple weeks behind so that would e the concern for now. He will give me another ultrasound next week (3 weeks from other ultrasound) to see how the growth of baby is progressing. He will also then get a better look at the bowels to see if there is any obstructions. He made me feel very good, he settle my nerves and assured me that I would be followed to make sure baby is ok. So for now I just have to trust that things are going to be ok until I get the next scan then i'll go from there.


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## Tasha

Hi hun, when you next have a scan ask for them to do a doppler scan, it just checks the flow between baby and placenta.


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## LoveLost

Thanks Tasha, I didn't know that and my scan is tomorrow so I will ask for sure! How are you doing?


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## Tasha

They may say it cannot be performed until 24 weeks (I have heard this before), but be strong and saying you were expecting them to say that and so have done research and a doppler scan is reliable from 16 to 18 weeks gestation.

I am okay, thank you. How are you? Good luck tomorrow sweetie.


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## PaulaG

Hi Lovelost I'm going through the same thing as well. I had problems with the first 20 week scan which they sent me an appointment for when I was 19 weeks - they sent me away saying they couldn't see the bowel or heart chambers and I went back last week when I was 20+4 but they still couldn't see what they needed so we went back today and I've been told the baby has echogenic bowels and that there is a risk of downs, cystic fibrosis or viruses which could cause it. My husband and I have had blood tests for CF and me for the viruses but have declined the amnio as it wont make any difference to us if our baby is downs so why have the test! I'm very scared as this is my first (and only) baby at 42 and really dont want to spend the next 5 months worrying. Have tried googling it but keep making things worse by reading stuff. The only good thing is the consultant and mw both said there were no other indications of any problems and that everything else seemed ok which usually means this is something which shows up on an anomaly scan but is not an indication of a problem. I've read other stories where people have had scans and there are other things wrong as well as the echogenic bowel but this isn't the case with my baby - has anyone else had this sort of worry?? Paula


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## LoveLost

Hey Paula you case sounds much like mine, I wish I had more answers the only thing I can do is update you as I get more info. DONT google it's the worse thing and makes you feel terrible, and the added anxiety isn't good for you or baby. I have talked to several women now that have had the same issue and all their babies are happy and healthy so let go with that for now. We also declined the amnio because it makes no difference to us. I work with children who have special needs for a living and they are beautiful gifts in their own way.

Tasha- I am good besides the anxiety this has been causing me, but I am trying to stay positive, its hard after so much loss. I know you understand that more than anyone. Are you ttc again?


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## PaulaG

Thanks - my husband keeps telling me to stay positive and not to worry as its harmful to the baby as well so I am trying - we have another scan in 2 weeks time but my measurements are all on target and everything else came back as normal so fingers crossed and will keep you updated on here x


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## LoveLost

Paula I hope your scan shows that everything is normal. Did they say what stage the echogenic bowels were? My specialist said that all babies have some form of echogenicity in their bowels and that some scans just pick it up more than others. If I only had stage he and no other markers he wouldn't be concerned at all.


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## Tasha

It is very hard to stay positive during PAL, but hopefully you are getting enough support, and I am always here.

You are right, it does totally depend on the stage, and also when that stage is occuring. Riley Rae had stage 3 at 22 weeks, stage 2/3 usually occurs at around term. 

I am TTC. How did your scan go?


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## PaulaG

Hi, they didn't mention anything at all about stages... just that the baby had this bright bowel and when I checked my notes it said the term was echogenic bowel. My consultant was really unapproachable to be honest so I didnt ask her too many questions but my midwife was lovely and when I went off for some blood tests with her I asked her like a million questions and one of them was whether there were any other indicators on the baby and she said no and that everything else was normal and the high majority of echogenic bowels are ok anyway so I am hoping you're right and that if there are no other indicators then i shouldn't worry too much - they are having me in every 2 weeks for scans but I think they were planning on every 4 weeks before this because of my age anyway so I 'm trying not to be concerned about that as well. Honestly I do wonder whether all this technology and being able to see all these things is necessarily a good thing - it can cause undue worry and stress when not always necessary :( Thanks for your updates anyway - it really helps xx


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## Tasha

The other way to look at is that it can be placental issues that causes this so this technology, can and does save lives.


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## PaulaG

you're right - there are pro's and con's for everything


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## LoveLost

Hey ladies, just wanted to give a quick update after my scan today. The doctor said that the bowels look good echogenicity has decreased, and the only concern he would have if any is that she is measuring on the small side. But he did see appropriate growth from the last scan. So he is thinking that it might just be a small baby, but because we didn't get any blood work done he can't rule out downs syndrome although no other markers show. So I am over the moon this is great news, just take each day at a time from here. He also checked the placenta and said the blood flow look good.

Tasha- Your right PAL is soooooooo hard full of anxiety. Im so glad you are ttc again, I pray that your journey is short and uneventful. I will be sending you tons of positive thoughts.


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## PaulaG

LoveLost thats fantastic news - am so pleased for you. x


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## LoveLost

I just thought I would update because I found so many posts but no one ever responded with the out come. I had a beautiful baby girl named Lila on Dec 19th she is happy and healthy with NO signs of anything they were initially concerned about. I was followed quite close because she was alway measuring on the small side but she was a healthy 6lbs 6oz and is doing great.


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## apsara.m

oh lovelost i was reading your post and was worried about the baby... very happy she is doing great.


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## Luzelle

Fabulous of you to post an update, I was wondering how things went. Congratulations with your little girl, may God bless you with lots of love, laughter and fun with her!


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## gigitogtog

I'm so happy for you that you're pregnant again, and wanted to send you massive


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## gegecomom

Try not too think or research it too much. I wish the very best hun and please keep me updated.


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