End of the First Trimester? (13w2d)

Okay, so depending on which source I use, I'm either out of my first trimester or nearly so. Some books say 12 weeks, some say 13 weeks, What to Expect When You're Expecting says 14 weeks is the beginning of the second trimester. In any case, I'm about a third of the way through this pregnancy and I have to say it's been pretty easy so far. It would be lovely if I could still stay that in 27 weeks.

I am finally scheduled to have the CVS procedure done on Monday. The good news is that Jay is homeward bound even as I write this, so he'll be here for it-- and to see the baby on the ultrasound for the first time. Good news! (Though I am not looking forward to having a large needle shoved in my stomach).

I have completed the first part of the sequential screening and the numbers are good, but I need the reassurance of the CVS results instead of just a risk assessement. The nuchal translucency scan, which measures the fluid behind the baby's neck (too much fluid is considered a marker for chromosomal abnormalities) , was 1.28 mm. Less than 3 mm is good, less than 2 mm, even better. Combined with the blood work and factoring in my age, the risk for Down Syndrome is 1 in 840 (as compared to the 1 in 50 I started with, just based on my age) and the risk for Trisomy 18 is 1 in 10,000.

Despite the good numbers, I'm still going through with the CVS. Jay and I have agreed that the small risk of miscarriage (comparable to amniocentesis, which can't be performed until after 16 weeks) is worth the peace of mind of knowing the baby is genetically healthy. Of course, Jay isn't the one who has to have the big needle shoved in his stomach! (I found a rather disturbing video on YouTube of the CVS procedure being performed in the UK-- it did not reassure me.)

I feel like I should be baby blogging more than I am. It's not as if I'm not thinking about it all the time. Even with the lack of symptoms (and my fatigue seems to be fading-- yay!), I'm still constantly reminded of what's going on inside me. But there are times when I feel like a fraud. For the last week or so, people have been congratulating me on being out of the first trimester (clearly having read those other sources) and I hedge and say I'm not quite there yet. It just seems like it's going too well, too easy. Maybe once the CVS results come back, I'll be able to relax. Maybe.