Today's prenatal clinic

I was working at a prenatal clinic today. One of my patients was a 41 year old Latina lady pregnant with her first child. I went to measure her stomach, and it was way too big for how far along she was in her pregnancy. We got her a sonogram, and she had polyhydramnios (too much amniotic fluid)--the baby had duodenal atresia (an obstruction in the intestines that prevented him from swallowing the amniotic fluid). Combined with some concerning blood tests and other abnormalities on sonogram, this baby very likely has Down syndrome. What a tough diagnosis for this lady.

What's is, in my opinion, a testament to this lady's strength is that she already knew
(on the basis of blood tests) that Down syndrome was a possibility. She, however, declined to have an amniocentesis (a procedure in which some amniotic fluid is aspirated from the abdomen with a needle so that the baby's chromosomes can be analyzed) because knowing for sure would not change her plans. She was not going to have an elective abortion if she found out that the baby had Down's.

I pray that God blesses this lady and her baby and gives her peace during this time of uncertainty.