Hello Blogging world!

Hello Blogging World!  Today is the first day of what should be a very interesting journey!  Tyler and I have decided to make a blog about our pregnancy and soon to be birth of our baby, Madison.  As you may or may not know, at 20 weeks gestation Madison was diagnosed with an omphalocele, which is basically a type of abdominal wall defect where some of the organs are in a sac outside the body.  With Madison's omphalocele her liver, most of her intestines, and half of her stomach are inside the sac; due to the fact that her omphalocele includes the liver, hers is called a giant omphalocele.
    When we found out about the omphalocele we were informed that omphaloceles can be linked to different genetic conditions.  To rule out these conditions we were offered amniocentesis, which I had done that same day.  Within a couple of days we knew that the preliminary screen had come back normal, we had to wait a few weeks before we received the final results, which were also normal. (Thank God!)  This is also when we found out for sure that our baby was indeed a girl!
   Heart defects are also common with omphaloceles, so as a result I was sent for two fetal echo-cardiograms, which is basically a detailed ultrasound of our baby girls heart.  At the first echo., I was told that her heart looked like it has one small hole in the septum in between two of the ventricals of the heart, but that it would probably close up on its own.  At the second echo., a cardiologist was there to look over the results, this time the results were that instead of having one small hole, she actually had at least three, and that they were pretty large, too large to close up on their own, and she would need heart surgery after birth!  The cardiologist informed me that they would like to do the heart surgery around 4-6 months old.
   So, shortly after that heartbreaking news, we met with the neonatologist which is the doctor that works in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Foothill Medical Centre.  She told us about what to expect after our baby is born, things like the feeding trouble we are likely to have due to the fact that she doubts our baby will even be able to digest, she will have to be fed through a central line, the neonatologist also told us that we could expect Madison to say in the hospital for six months!!  She informed us that after Madison is not considered a neonate, or newborn, she will have to be transferred to the Alberta Childrens' Hospital, where she would stay in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) until she is allowed home.  However, once she is discharged from the Childrens' Hospital she will have to be transferred to the hospital in Edmonton for her heart surgery!  We do not know how long that stay will be!

So now I go to Calgary every Monday for an ultrasound, and a non stress test of the babies movements.  I see a perinatologist every time, and after some appointments I meet with my obstetrician Dr. Cooper.  We are going to have the baby delivered by c-section, but nobody will give me a date yet.  I have heard as early as 36 weeks, through to as late as 39 weeks.  Right now as of today I am 34 weeks, so hopefully not too soon because I am not ready yet!  But after knowing what we are getting ourselves into I don't think anyone would be ready! I will keep you in the loop about our future adventures.

 Please wish us luck, and pray for our little baby girl!

This is  a picture of Madison at our 30 weeks ultrasound, you can see the omphalocele right in front of her face.  She is still so beautiful!!