Week 16: Genetics

This week. It’s been interesting. I was feeling great, much better after the cold from Hades and I was much friendlier as a result. On top of that, I’m now noticeably bumpy, but still not in the apparent-to-people-who-don’t-know-me stage. Actually, it’s more like the look-like-I’ve-been-overdoing-the-pub-crawls-to-the-rest-of-the-world stage.

However, I got a call from the OB early in the week with the test results from the Cystic Fibrosis screen and I’m a carrier. If daddy is a carrier, there is a 1/4 chance that our baby person will have Cystic Fibrosis.

Unsettling thought to kinda sit with you for a few weeks while they process daddy’s labs, but honestly, the odds are on our side.

See, he and I are very similar in heredity, so we’re both 1/2 European mix, 1/2 Salvadoran. There’s a 1/25 chance that the European side would be a carrier and 1/46 chance the Hispanic side would be a carrier. So we have to go with the likeliest side on this one and say that at worst, there’s a 4% chance he’s a carrier, and across the board, less than 3% of Americans are carriers. On top of that, there’s a 50/50 chance that I’ll even pass the recessive gene on to the Bug.

BTW, this is for all of you gamblers out there who need a little help getting back into the swing of things for football season.

So anyway, we have an appointment with genetics after our next ultrasound (at which I’m HOPING we’ll know whether or not Bugomatic is a he or she). Frankly, it’s a whole lotta worrying that may be completely needless. The meeting with genetics isn’t even definitive and IF daddy’s a carrier, it’s basically a warning to watch out for symptoms.

Thing is, I’ve opted out of most of the other pre-screenings. See, regardless of whether our baby has down syndrome, spina bifida, cystic fibrosis, one eye or 6 fingers per hand, we’re going to love it. It’s our little person. I wouldn’t terminate the pregnancy and if there isn’t some kind of safe prenatal treatment, I don’t need to know. Yes, there are ways to prepare for those things before the baby comes, but frankly, I’ve realized that there is only so much you can do to prepare. It’s a little person, and just like any full-sized person, they share certain basic needs, but each one is SO different.

There are going to be curveballs and it’s okay. There’s really no set-in-stone “this is how every baby is going to act so this is how you prepare” kind of thing. It’s not to say I’m not preparing, not by any means. But I’m comfortable saying that there are things I won’t be able to prepare for, and it’s not just me.

However, fingers crossed that baby is going to come out healthy and safe with a long life expectancy.

And 2 eyes.