Genetic Screening

We had our first doctor's appointment yesterday.  They basically walked us through what to expect at upcoming visits, had us fill out some basic paperwork about our family health history and then told us about genetic screening.  Now I had read a little about genetic screening in my books, but I hadn't really processed any of the information.

All genetic testing is optional and a very personal decision to make.  The first round of any of the tests is a blood draw from the mother.  Then depending on the results of the blood work, an amniocentesis can be performed to achieve more accurate results, but also poses a small risk to the baby.  The way my doctor explained it to us, is that there are 3 groups of people:

Group 1:  People that don't care and don't want to know.  Results of the screens aren't 100% accurate and they don't want to be bothered by something that may or may not be true.

Group 2:  People that want to know, so that they can be as informed as possible on any genetic disorders that their children may be born with.

Group 3:  People that want to know and may decide to terminate the pregnancy based on the results.

My husband falls into Group 1 and I fall into Group 2, which made these decisions extremely difficult.  In the end, we did the testing because not knowing would have caused me a large amount of stress throughout the entire pregnancy.


There are 2 tests that you must decide on in the first trimester.  The first test is for cystic fibrosis.  In order for a child to have cystic fibrosis, both the mother and father must be carriers.     For this test, they first test the mother to determine if she is a carrier.  If she is not a carrier, then the child cannot have the disease.  If she is a carrier, they then test the father.  If they are both carriers, then there is a 25% chance that the child will have cystic fibrosis.  Something that I wish we had known prior to getting pregnant is that you can have this test done at any time, pregnant or not.  My advice now to others planning to conceive is to have this test done in advance and it will be one less thing to stress about during the pregnancy.

The second test is the First Trimester Screen and consists of an blood work and an ultrasound.  The goal of this test is to screen for genetic abnormalities such as Down Syndrome.

Sneak Peek

We arrived in California yesterday for one of our very best friend's weddings.  With another 3 weeks until our ultrasound, we are very anxious to see our little bean (especially me)!  So, I was actually able to find a place nearby that does early ultrasounds and I got the husband on board with it.  We went this morning and got to see our baby for the first time.  Since it's so early in the pregnancy, there isn't much to see, but there's definitely a baby in there and it's measuring right on track!

Morning Sickness

The term morning sickness is very misleading.  Yes, some people only experience nausea in the morning, but others may experience it in the middle of the day, at night while trying to sleep, or, if you're lucky, all day.  Well, I must be one of the lucky ones.  I am exactly 6 weeks pregnant today and have been nauseous all day and night from the moment I saw that little plus sign.  The only thing that I can even consider eating is fried eggs and toast.  I am hoping that it lets up soon because we have a lot of traveling this summer for friends' weddings.  We leave tomorrow morning for NYC for our second wedding of the summer.

If you're anything like me and searching for a cure for morning sickness, here are some suggestions.  While nothing has cured it completely, some have given me a little relief.

• Ginger (I don't like ginger alone, but have been drinking ginger-peach iced tea and ginger ale)

• Sour candies (I have several bags of Haribo Ginger-Lemon Gummies that I now keep in my purse, in my car, and in my husband's car.  I find that they help temporarily.)

• Exercise (I'm not sure if it actually helps or just distracts me from the nausea, but I've found that going for a walk is another temporary fix.)

• Toast/crackers/or other dry food (nothing that would fall in this category has been appealing to me, so I don't know if it works, but it comes highly recommended by others dealing with morning sickness)