Josa's pregnancy diary - week 12-14

As it was offered at the hospital, I have chosen the nuchal translucency scan, which has to be performed between 11 and 13 weeks. They measure a swelling at the back of the foetus’s neck that goes away after that. Hence the need for accurate dates. This is a screening test that can tell you whether your risk of Down Syndrome and other chromosomal disorders is higher or lower than the age factor alone.

The night before, I dream that the nuchal fold measures 1.7mm – anything above 2.5mm indicates higher risk, so I feel irrationally comforted.

Thoby comes with me this time and holds my hand through the long and stressful session. I freeze with nerves as the probe is passed over and over again across my tummy. It seems to go on for hours, and there is no cheerful chatter about seeing its little toes etc.

The ultrasonographer, who has had special training, tries to make the baby turn over so she can measure the back of its neck. It is stubborn. She asks me to cough, and she prods my womb quite hard. Eventually the little creature seems to shrug and turn, and we get a good view of the black eel-stripe down its back.

She measures. I crane my neck to see. 1.6mm. Well, I wasn’t far out. It’s not over though. The findings need to be fed through a computer programme, and we wait to see what our statistical risk will turn out to be. She comes back with a sheet of paper – one in 310. Anything under one in 250 and you are offered a chorionic villius test where they take tissue from inside the womb to give a definite result.

This is quite risky, and can lead to miscarriage. We ask the ultrasonographer what in her experience this all means – she is guarded, and can only say that it is within the range of the normal.

Thoby scans the picture of our baby’s back and profile into the computer and emails it to his parents. They are very surprised to find their latest descendent on their computer screen. Their youngest grandchild is seven. My father-in-law says the baby looks just like his father, and seems to be smoking a cigar.

Catch up on Anastasia's pregnancy diary for Weeks 12-14.