Single Umbilical Artery

As the others advised, stop reading! What you see on line are the horror stories, because that's what people write about. If there wasn't a problem they wouldn't be asking for help. Many babies have this & don't have other problems. Relax & enjoy being pregnant!

First of all, GET OFF THE INTERNET! It's only going to get you more and more worried. When I became pregnant, I found out that I had a bicornuate uterus, which means my uterus is sort of heart shaped, and the fetus only grows on one side, or "horn". Anyway, they weren't too overly concerned at the doctor's, but when I got home and went online, all I saw were horror stories! Finally my husband said "ENOUGH! No more internet!!" I had a completely normal pregnancy, I just had to go to the doctor every 2 weeks instead of every month like most woman, but my son is now a very active, healthy 9 month old.
My advice is just to trust the doctors, that they're going to take the very best care of you and your little one that they can. I know that's easier said than done.
Good luck to you and I'll be praying!
E.

One of mine had that (I can't remember which!) And that should give you some comfort (both of mine were perfectly normal and healthy, so I forgot all about it!) But I do remember the panic I had. Just try to express concern to your Doctor and not to do too much research. It is probaby causing you stress that you don't need right now. Best of luck!

M.,
STOP reading everything about it! Those doomsday sites are only going to freak you out, not give you answers. Those are, most likely, worst case scenarios, and are not about your specific baby. If there was something to be concerned about, don't you think your practitioner would monitor that a little more closely rather than having you wait for 4 more weeks?
Also, it is important to ask yourself and your husband one, huge question: "If these websites are true, and our baby has serious problems, will this change how special he/she is to us? Will we love our baby less, or not at all, if he'she isn't perfect?" We have no way of knowing what God's plans are for us, only that His dream for our lives and the lives of our children are far grander than anything we could conceive of. I've had a couple of scares in 3 out of my 4 pregnancies. It's frightening, but I took huge comfort in knowing that God loves my children even more than I do, and he's taking cares of us all. Good luck, and God bless!

Hey,
First, I would quit looking at websites. A lot of them may not have accurate and up-to-date information. A two vessel cord isn't necessarily a bad thing. I used to work in a birthing center and have witnessed a few babies born like that and over 5 years that I was there I didn't see any with abnormalities/severe problems. I am sure your dr and caregivers will monitor as often as they think you need too...remember too many ultrasounds aren't a good thing either. I would discuss this more with your doctor and maybe he or she could even get you in touch with a neonatologist. Take care and take it easy, I am sure all will be well with you. LAB

Call your OB and tell him/her your concerns. He/she will be able to give you information on both sides of coin. Worry and stress like you're having right now is not good for you or the baby. Like someone else said - most people only write about bad stuff because it's a way to cope - when stuff's going well - people don't always have that need. You shouldn't have to wait four weeks if it's stressing you out this much. Talk to your doctor and explain what you've read on the internet. You'll feel better once you've talked to your own doctor.

I don't know anything about this sort of thing... but I do know that if you spend the rest of your pregnancy worrying about it, you are going to miss out on all the joy that being pregnant brings. I have five children, and I know what it is like to have a stressful pregnancy. My only daughter wasn't breathing at all when she was born. I thought that I finally had my baby girl, and she was gone. God had a bigger plan for her...She will be 2 next month. God is greater than any doctor here. Now I know that it is only natural to worry and be concerned for your baby, but this is a beautiful time for you. Cherish every moment that you are pregnant. Like some of the other ladies have said... stop reading, and start believeing. Have faith that God has your baby in the palm of his hand. HE created that child just for you. And no matter what the outcome may be, that is still your baby and you love him/her. That is all that matters. God Bless and we will keep you in our prayers.

If the doctor isnt worry, then I wouldnt be either. Yes easy to say, hard to do. I will say this much, stop reading up on it online. There is so much information out there, that it can make a simple cold scary. If you need to find out information on illness or any condition, stick with one site that has the best information. For me its WebMD.com. They also have sites that have forums like this, only for people who have or had babies with similar conditions. Stick with just these sites and remember all the other information is just one person's story. (well i mean each site, that does not make it the norm) Good Luck and try to relax, being pregnant is hard enough without worrying. (again i know its easy to say and hard to do, especially since i had the diabetes this last time and was insulin depended)

I know this is hard but i will give you some advice. Stop reading!!! It is only going to freak you out more. The best thing you can do right now is relax. Wait until you have that next ultrasound and then discuss it with your nurse then. Your baby may end up with no abmormalties, after all. So just calm down, relax and if you can't seem to wait see if you can have the ultrasound earlier. YOu just need to relax for your sake and the baby's right now. If you are a spiritual person you could also pray :)

I'm just sending you my prayers. Your pegnancy should be a time to celebrate. I'm not going tell you not to worry. Make sure you find out all facts before you panic.

Hi M.

I don't have experience with that but I can tell you to stay away from the computer when it comes to stuff like this or you'll drive yourself mad. Be aware, be knowledgeable, but don't rely soley on the computer for your knowledge of this. Good luck, I'm sure everything will work out fine. ((Hugs))

M.

I am preg with my 2 & 3rd babies. One of our twins has a 2 vessel cord and our doctor is not worried at all for us. I have seen a lot of people on like baby center that talk about having this and no problems. We have had quite a few 4d ultrasounds and they look for other problems we also had an amnio done which showed no other chromosomal abnormalities. We are having problems with twin to twin transfusion and our double vessel cord is helping the guy not get to much compaired to the other. So it is helping us out. I read a lot in the beginning, as you should, but know to only take it with a grain of salt. Trust your doctor is watching out for you and will tell you what you need to be worried about. I guess that depends on your doctor, who do you see?
Talk to people who have been there too. This is your first pregnancy and you want to enjoy it not spending it stressed and worried over something you have no control over. I have been very stressed about this pregnancy for me and what is hard is that you don't have control so trust the people you are there to care for you, but still educate yourself, it helps you cope with anything. I am rambling. If you need anything let me know. I check my mail daily, home on bed rest till who knows when.
A.