WEEK 23

Maria’s pregnancy has reached a major turning point. The week is dominated by the results of her latest scan. An irregularity has shown up, which could be an indicator of Down’s syndrome. What do we do ?

She’s adamant that amniocentesis, a test which would confirm or deny the problem, is not the way forward. She’s concerned about the chance of miscarriage, and what benefit would we see from a positive test? It would cast us into despair, and termination is not an option.

I suggest that we should just soldier on and, literally, hope for the best. The law of averages suggests there’s much more chance of the baby being fine than not. Hardly scientific analysis but, in the circumstances, reassurance and good old fashioned faith seem the best course of action.

All the excitement of the pregnancy has evaporated, swallowed up by a climate of fear. It’s a terrible predicament. I begin to think about the possibility of caring for a handicapped child. So many couples cope and are given joy by disadvantaged kids. However, with Sam so young, it would be an uphill struggle.

Then Maria hears of a private clinic which has the capability of providing a more in-depth scan, without the risk of miscarriage. Fortunate to be in the position of affording the fee, we decide to book an appointment.

Read week 24 >>

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