Our appointment this morning was pretty uneventful. There hasn't been much of a change since the last ultrasound 2 weeks ago. The baby still has a heartbeat in the normal range, and continues to grow at pace for gestational age. The cystic hygroma and fluid look to be about the same size as they were 2 weeks ago. The doctors' expectations for this pregnancy have not changed- the prognosis is still not good, and they think it is likely that the baby will not survive more than another couple of weeks.
They will be keeping an eye on Kara to make sure there are no increased risks. And if, at any point, they feel she is at risk, they will urge us to deliver right away. She is scheduled to go in on a weekly basis for blood pressure checks, where they can also check the baby's heartbeat. We will probably go back 2 weeks from now for another ultrasound to check on the baby, but the doctor left that up to us to decide how frequently we would like to continue doing those.
It is getting increasingly difficult to stay positive and hopeful about how this may turn out. Our expectations have been set appropriately by the doctors, and we have done enough research to know that our chances of a positive outcome are very slim. But then again, the odds of this happening to in consecutive pregnancies were very slim as well, so the odds don't do much for us either way. But, we are still trying very hard to be hopeful, and praying for a miracle. Even if it is unlikely, it is still possible.
Thank you all for being so supportive. Please keep us and the baby in your prayers. We will continue to update as we have appointments and as we learn anything new.