the longest 48 hours ever!

Well, I am surfacing from the most horrendous few days ever. Yes, I really mean that - EVER!

It started last Thursday. We were just going off to bed when suddenly I started bleeding. After a trip to A & E, I had a scan booked for Friday morning. I was terrified. I didn't think you could bleed that much and still have a healthy baby...

The scan was fine. The baby's heartbeat was galloping away, all measurements fitted with dates, and I skipped out of the examination room with a heart as light as a feather.

Saturday, the elation was still very much present. We went for our nuchal scan to test for Down's Syndrome or other chromosomal abnormalities. We were both very optimistic. Everything so far has gone so far in our favour, that I truly had a sense of complete trust in the results.

The sense of shock that followed was devastating. We were given a risk factor of 1 in 27 that our baby had Down's. Yes, that means 26 chances that it doesn't, but compared to what I expected, maybe 300 to 1, it was a huge shock.

We decided there and then to have a further invasive test called CVS. This is a huge decision - the risk of losing the baby is present, particularly after the bleed I'd had two days before. But with Alex leaving on Monday for a few days at a conference in Cologne, it seemed the only way he could be with me for the test and possible complications afterwards.

Two hours after having the scan and results, I found myself having the invasive test. The terminology was terrifying, not to mention to size of the needle. Jeeez. Then we had to drive into London to deliver the biopsy taken from the baby's placenta for testing.

We waited. 48 hours for the results. It was the longest 48 hours of my entire life.

Then came the call from my husband - the news we'd prayed for - our baby is fine. There is no Down's, no abnormalities, and all is well.

I cannot put into words how I felt, and judging by the emotion in my husband's voice, I know he felt the same way.

Right now, I truly feel like the luckiest woman alive. My son whooped with joy, and hugged me tight, and then kissed my tummy. My stepdaughter "howled" on the phone (in her father's words!).

Now it's time to start truly enjoying this pregnancy, in the sure knowledge that our baby is healthy and well. Nothing much else seems to matter right now....

Well, actually, lots of things do. My son is healthy and happy and enjoying school and life in general. My husband got to see his daughter today after a difficult three weeks apart... and will have dinner with some friends in Cologne tonight. We had wonderful support from our family and friends during this awful time (we didn't tell you all to spare you our worry, but now you know!!). Finally, it's my wedding anniversary on Sunday, and I have some wonderful time ahead with my husband this weekend.

But the news that our baby is fine, and healthy, that takes some beating!