Introduction

Hello there,

I'm new to this blogging thing. But I love reading other people's blogs. Well, the ones that are well written. Plus the ones with cute baby pictures. But I despise the ones with black backgrounds. No matter how well written OR how many cute baby pictures there are.

I'm writing this blog because I think I might really like to write... and having an audience, even, probably, only an imaginary one, might make me write? Or else find out that I don't like to write.

So I'd like to share my personal journey. And also share the incredible stories of my patients. Because where else can I share them? They will be disguised, of course, to protect the not-always-innocent.

So, I suppose an introduction is in order.

I am 36 years old, female (because the Single Mother part of my blog's title wasn't a dead giveaway on my sex, right?), living in the beautiful old borough of Brooklyn. Did you know that Brooklyn was the fourth largest city in the United States, all on its own, when it joined forces with Manhattan and the rest to become New York City? 'Tis true. So anyone who thinks that Brooklyn is inferior to Manhattan needs to get her sorry ass off the island more often. Seriously. We've got just about everything Manhattan does (OK, not my beloved Central Park, but Prospect Park doesn't suck by a long shot), and more space to enjoy it.

Oh, and I'm pregnant. Yay! Twelve weeks along. And I'd like to say that I was knocked up by my doctor, but that sounds gross and highly unethical, and might give you the wrong idea. You and my doctor's wife. So let's just say that I used my Visa card to purchase Spike, who is kind of like a genie, in that he performs miracles, only he comes (heh, not intentional, I swear) in a vial and not in a lamp. And then, with the help of my Reproductive Endocrinologist (a fertility specialist) plus a vial of the aforementioned Spike, I got pregnant. After a few months of attempts. I will share more about them in the future. There were some highly comical moments along the way.

Today was my 12 week nuchal scan, where the ultrasound tech measures the pocket of fluid behind the fetus' neck. My Lentil's pocket was less than one centimeter, which is awesome, and means my risk for Down Syndrome and Trisomies 13 and 18 are extremely low. Way to go Lentil!

The risk of Down's.. and ps, it's Down Syndrome, which I think can reasonably be shortened to Down's, but it is NOT, and NEVER has been, Down'S Syndrome -- grrr... and also, in case you were wondering, which I am quite sure you were not, it's Lyme Disease, NOT Lyme's Disease. Sorry about interrupting myself like that, I do that a lot. Anyway, the risk of the Lentil having Down's is something like 1 in 4000 and the risk of Trisomy 13 & 18 is something like 1 in 7000.

In case you haven't heard of Trisomy 13 and 18, babies with these syndromes have an extra chromosome, like in Down Syndrome, but these babies don't live long. I've helped to care for a baby with each, and it was very sad. Each lived a few months at best, and never left the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit... where preemies and sick babies live.)

I also got to see Lentil looking like an actual BABY today. What a total mind trip. I knew OTHER women could grow babies in their bellies. I have not at all been convinced that I could. Indeed, after my Frozen Embryo Transfer, I emailed the doctor to ask how he knew that an embryo, even a top notch one, could ever take up residence in my uterus. I think he gave me some non-satisfying answer like, "try not to worry" (hah! like that advice ever helped!) but here I am. Weirdly, pregnant. I'm shocked. And thrilled. And every time I look at that ultrasound, I fall more in love. There's totally a BABY in my belly.

I am the luckiest girl alive. And in case you were wondering, nope, I could care less about having a guy around to share this with. More on that another day, you lucky reader, you.

Thanks for reading... I've never shared like this before!

xoxo
acw

PS Isn't my Lentil just a darling?