Comments on Fetal Echoes

So . . . in another part of my life (one of my music groups), I was talking last week to a woman who is an ultrasound tech (and specifically performs fetal echocardiograms.)   When I said that with my pregnancy with Nick that I was upset that my original OB  thought we needed to wait until at least 22 weeks to do a fetal echo, but I insisted that it could be done earlier, she was surprised.   We did have it done at exactly 16 weeks, and she was surprised when I told her that, too.   She said that is really early.   I practically retorted that we could have gotten it done in Chicago at 15 weeks.  She seemed really surprised by that.   I also found out that she works for the other pediatric cardiology group in town than the one we eventually had the appointment with at 16 weeks.  I had talked with this group that she now works for, and yes, they were very reluctant to do a fetal echo earlier - they wanted to wait until 18 weeks.   I don't think MY heart could have taken another two weeks! 


All of this is rather ridiculous in that CHOP in Pennsylvania can do them as early as 12 weeks. 
http://www.chop.edu/service/cardiac-center/our-services/fetal-heart-program.html
 Even the group in Chicago that cared for our Sam could probably do them that early, although they still don't advertise that.   They still say 15 weeks. http://www.thic.com/fetalechocard.htm  Northwestern does them at 16-18 weeks gestation. http://www.nwcchd.com/cardiactesting.php#fetal That seems late - at least for HLHS.  Yes, I know they can't even really see images of some structures of the heart until even after the baby is born (why we had an echo on N after he was born), but they can most certainly tell early on if it appears the baby has two entire ventricles!  


It was such a relief to know that his heart appeared to be healthy  . . . or at the least, had nothing majorly wrong with it at that point in time!  

Two Weeks from Today

Two weeks from today, at about 17.5 weeks along, we will be getting a fetal echocardiogram. I am nervous. This baby needs to be well! At least, no major heart defects. Then at 19 weeks, a Level II ultrasound. It still feels like mostly everyone around here is so stubborn about when echoes and level IIs can be done. I don't understand it. In Europe, it seems some of this can be taken care of earlier. Is it Tucson? Is it the US? I don't know, and it's very frustrating. I just don't want to be suddenly at 20 weeks again having to make a horrible decision. Can't any of these medical professionals around here understand that? Apparently not, or maybe they are just not good enough. Very few, including my OB, seem empathetic.

Sigh.

At least I got a compromise on the fetal echo, sort of. My DH talked directly to the pediatric cardiologist and he okay'd the so-called "earlier" echo.