Single umbilical artery

[Lilybean]

Hi Ladies

Just thought I would pop an update on here about my little SUA bambino ...

I had a growth scan yesterday (35+3) and all went really well . The baby is doing really well and growth is very steady and average which is great!!

Just been told now to enjoy the last few weeks of my pregnancy and let nature take its course! As far as labour goes I have been told everything will just be normal and providing all goes to plan I will be able to have the water birth I am hoping for

They did say though that I have to go back to the hospital if I get to 3 days over my due date as they want to try a sweep to get things moving. I dont think they want me going over by too long due to the placenta maturing towards to end!

Anyway just thought I would give my update, hope all you ladies are well and things go well for you too

 

[mumto5]

HI Ladies
I have also been told that i have this. They didn't find any abnormalities but looking back she found it hard to find the kidneys and when she said she found them me and my partner couldn't see anything! I haven't been told that they are keeping a closer eye on me or anything yet so i am pretty worried! I have phoned my consultant to get an earlier appointment to discuss this as my other son was born with a heart defect and i want to know if he also had a SUA.

 

[Lilybean]

Hi mumto5...

Try not to worry too much, I know its easier said than done as when I was first told about this at our 20 weeks scan, although everything else looked fine I was hysterical and couldnt help but panic!

If you speak to your consultant I am sure they will put you at ease. From what I have been told, alot of hospitals apparently dont even mention about a 2 vessel cord if everything else looks normal at the 20 weeks scan, as it just causes panic, and also alot of the time it is missed on the scan and not noticed until the placenta is examined after a perfectly healthy baby has been born

Just to let you know how this affected my pregnancy....I had an extra scan at 28 weeks and at 35 weeks....at the scan they checked the babies measurements, kidneys, fluid around the baby and also the blood flow through the cord.

I think the concern is that they are not sure if the cord has always just had 1 Artery (in which case the baby might be completely used to this and getting everything he/she needs anyway) or whether there were 2 Arteries but one has become blocked, which is why they like to monitor to make sure its not effecting how the baby grows.

Obviously I havent had my baby yet and you can never be 100% sure everything is going to be ok until the little one is born (although this is the case with every pregnancy really), but SUA doesnt seem to have affected my bambino in any way, he/she is growing perfectly and currently weighing in about 5lb 2oz and is also very active!

Hope this helps a little

x x x

 

[mumto5]

thankyou lilybean
I have made a new appointment with the consultant on the 10 may, i haven't been told anything about extra scans or anything yet so i wanted to see what they had to say.
Did you have really bad sickness in the first couple of months? I did and i have been thinking that its because the baby had this problem and it was just taking absolutly everything from me whats your opinions on this? It just makes sense to me looking at it that way!
good luck with your baby hun

x x x

 

[Lilybean]

Hi mumto5, so sorry I have only just seen your last post from the 23rd April...thats the date I left work and even though I thought I would be on here more now I am on my MAT leave I actually havent been!!

I hope you and baby are well...

Just to answer your question yes I was really really ill at the beginning, to the point where I felt like I was at deaths door!! I also thought the same as you when I found out about our SUA bubs and wondered if thats why I was so ill!

Hope your consultant appointments have gone well

xxx

 

[Wellington]

Well - possibly a last update
LO was born 6 days ago.
Midwives were moderately excited about the SUA. Weirder still, it had a single overhand knot in the cord too - apparently that's lucky (hummmm)!
She is perfect in every way.
Their main worry was about kidneys, but she is certainly weeing like there is no tomorrow - so they are probably fine. Before I got discharged from the hospital they were going to tell me if they wanted any check up (I think Ultrasound) in a few weeks.... but I left without getting an answer, so I'll find out.

So - all looks ok here for the mean time.
Hope everyone elses LOs are ok too.

 

[mumto5]

thats really good news wellington!

i went to see my consultant today and he struggled to measure me he said i hide my womb well so he sent me for a scan to check the growth and everything is fine we are measuring at 24 weeks like i should be so we're happy. next scan at 28 weeks.

 

[littlebabyboy]

ive been to my 28 week follow up scan at 29 weeks and baby is measuring well! 3lb so thats good. some of her measurements were even in the 30 weeks so thats good too! heart and kidneys look fine too they said! its a good relief and possibly some comfort to the rest of u girls!

 

[mumto5]

thats really good news littlebabyboy it is a big relief when everything is going so well!

 

[disneyfan1984]

LO was born 6 days ago.

Congrats!

I had a growth scan on Friday, and so far, everything looks pretty good. The consultant can't really say anything, but I haven't heard from my doctor yet, so I'm guessing everything is good.

Our little girl is only measuring 3 days behind, so well within the average range. Fingers crossed that she stays healthy and stays put!

 

[mumto5]

hi everyone
i was wondering how you were all doing?
i got my 28 week scan on Monday so will let you know the outcome. looking forward to seeing my baby again maybe i will be able to find out if i am having a girl or a boy finally!! uncross those legs pleeeeaasssssssseeeee lol

 

[disneyfan1984]

Fingers crossed that your little one co-operates mumto5! We didn't find out until our fifth ultrasound, so I know how irritating it is when they won't co-operate.

As for us, we're doing well. My OB/GYN and family doctor are both happy with our growth, and aren't going to even think about another scan until 32 weeks. Good luck with your scan!

 

[Wellington]

Just popped in to check that all was well.... seems to be so far!
Good luck with up-coming scans ladies!

Turns out they were perfectly happy and didn't want any follow up on LO - so all is good here

 

[mommytoTandE]

hi ladies! I just saw this thread and wanted to tell my story... When I was pregnant with my daughter (she is now a beautiful 5 year old and perfect!) I was told she had a single umbilical artery (or called a two-vessel chord)... AND a choriod plexyus cyst.. I just had more u/s than the typical pregnancy. We had a typical vaginal delivery and she was completely healthy! We did have some mild sensory issues with her as she was a preschooler... and was diagnosed with mild PDD-NOS... but I don't know if it was related... She also had "bloody stools" from about 3 weeks of age to about 9 months of age (still unexplained).

Best of luck ladies!!! How are you all doing???

 

[Lilybean]

Well its taken me a while to update this....been a little busy with my bambino

My little man Hayden George arrived on the 29th May weighing 7lb 3oz and he is absolutely PERFECT!!

After the birth my midwife showed me and my partner the 2 vessel cord so it definitely was 2 vessel they didnt get it wrong on the scan. This didnt affect my birth in anyway at all.
Before we were discharged from hospital the doctor came round to check Hayden over (as they do with all the babies) and she was 100% happy with him and didnt even think the 2 vessel cord was much of an issue and said that no further checks were needed. We were allowed home the following day (and it would of been sooner but I had to have my placenta removed manually as it didnt come away on its own!!)

I just wanted to post this on here to hopefully give you ladies a bit of reassurance! I cannot believe how much I worried and worried over the cord and in the end Hayden turned out to be perfect and his weight was great too!!

I really wish all you ladies the best of luck with your babies x x x

 

[disneyfan1984]

Congratulations Lilybean - your little guy is so precious!

Went to the the OB/GYN yesterday, who said I was measuring a bit small (30 cm instead of 31 cm), and has sent me for a growth scan on July 15th. She told me that because of the single umbilical artery, she would have sent me anyway, and that she isn't worried. I'm just happy that I'll get to see our little one again!

 

[pachamama]

Congrats Lilybean and thanks for updating.

I have my growth scan next week, although I am measuring spot on but it is sooooooooooo reassuring to hear stories about babies being born in tip-top condition with SUA.

Thanks and hope you have a lovely time with your little man.

x

 

[Bayleaf]

Hello ladies, I only just found this thread.
I had a SUA and my LO (who is almost 9 months now and brilliant I might add) was early at 37 weeks and small at 5lbs 8.
He has rare(ish) birth defects affecting his hands and vertebrae and the doctors reckon that the SUA can be a signifier for chromosomal abnormalities.
I.e. as an isolated finding a SUA is a normal variant.
It's more like a little red flag, hence more scans. If they can't find anything else wrong with the bubs at the scans then you can rest assured that they'll be fine!

 

[disneyfan1984]

Well, I had another OB/GYN appointment, and they said that my fundal height was measuring a bit small (only 1 cm behind) - so I am going for another growth scan on 15 July.

I'm not worried because my OB/GYN didn't seem to be worried at all (she said that 1-2 cm out on fundal height was normal), but I'm looking forward to seeing our little one again.

 

[pachamama]

Had my follow up scan today following the 20 week one where they were unsure whether my baby had SUA or not.

Today, she said definitely SUA - however, no probs at all with kidneys etc and growth was spot on! Yay! 4lb 6oz they estimated, which is great.

The only minor downer is that baby is very low down in the pelvis and direct OP (back to back) - so now I've got to try all the tricks to turn him...

Anyway, I'm now classed as low risk and can enjoy the rest of my pregnancy.
Hooray...

x