As the months of pregnancy counted down, we went to many more Fetal Assessment appointments. The baby was growing well. The heart showed signs of compression, but the blood flow was still in the right direction and the four chambers where all working. We knew our baby would have a strong heart to fight for survival after birth.
We had many good signs that our Madelyn would have a fighting chance. The lung-head ratio (LHR) at 26 weeks was 1.3. This measures the volume of the right lung and is then divided by the circumference of the head. Studies show that babies with a LHR of over 1.0 usually survive, and babies with a LHR over 1.4 always survive. The OB told me not to count on that, but I wanted to hang on to every good fact I could find.
I had a Fetal MRI done on July 2nd. The results got sent to my family doctor (whom I worked for) and I got to see them before the Fetal Assessment team could tell me. We had been praying and asking others to pray that it would show no liver in the chest cavity. As the liver is a denser organ it would compress even more lung tissue, and the chances of survival is even graver. The MRI showed the chest was completely filled with bowel (intestine) loops, and the stomach. The liver was below the diaphragm,(praise the Lord) and the spleen was expected to be in the chest cavity as well, since it could not be identified anywhere else. Our regular appointment gave us the opportunity to see our baby on a regular basis; we always came away with great pictures that I loved to show off to anyone who asked about my baby.
Carl and I held on to a piece of scripture from Psalm 139.
“ For you created my innermost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
As the weeks ticked by I focused on enjoying my pregnancy. We met the paediatric surgeon that would be doing surgery. Dr. Wiseman (truly a wise-man) was very good at answering all of our questions. The Children’s Hospital in Winnipeg does not have ECMO (a heart-lung by-pass machine) very commonly used in the US for CDH babies. He simply stated that it was not really helpful and that the respiratory team at HSC were top notch. Dr. Shesa, the Neonatologist that met with us during one of our appointments said that we could be referred to Edmonton if we would like to have ECMO for standby. Carl and I discussed and prayed about it and felt that having our baby here in Winnipeg was going to be fine, and whatever happened, happened, and would be God’s will.
We had many good signs that our Madelyn would have a fighting chance. The lung-head ratio (LHR) at 26 weeks was 1.3. This measures the volume of the right lung and is then divided by the circumference of the head. Studies show that babies with a LHR of over 1.0 usually survive, and babies with a LHR over 1.4 always survive. The OB told me not to count on that, but I wanted to hang on to every good fact I could find.
I had a Fetal MRI done on July 2nd. The results got sent to my family doctor (whom I worked for) and I got to see them before the Fetal Assessment team could tell me. We had been praying and asking others to pray that it would show no liver in the chest cavity. As the liver is a denser organ it would compress even more lung tissue, and the chances of survival is even graver. The MRI showed the chest was completely filled with bowel (intestine) loops, and the stomach. The liver was below the diaphragm,(praise the Lord) and the spleen was expected to be in the chest cavity as well, since it could not be identified anywhere else. Our regular appointment gave us the opportunity to see our baby on a regular basis; we always came away with great pictures that I loved to show off to anyone who asked about my baby.
Carl and I held on to a piece of scripture from Psalm 139.
“ For you created my innermost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
As the weeks ticked by I focused on enjoying my pregnancy. We met the paediatric surgeon that would be doing surgery. Dr. Wiseman (truly a wise-man) was very good at answering all of our questions. The Children’s Hospital in Winnipeg does not have ECMO (a heart-lung by-pass machine) very commonly used in the US for CDH babies. He simply stated that it was not really helpful and that the respiratory team at HSC were top notch. Dr. Shesa, the Neonatologist that met with us during one of our appointments said that we could be referred to Edmonton if we would like to have ECMO for standby. Carl and I discussed and prayed about it and felt that having our baby here in Winnipeg was going to be fine, and whatever happened, happened, and would be God’s will.
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