Sept 24, 2025

This week has been heavy. And I think it’s because today is Diagnosis Day. The day Archer’s pregnancy and our plans changed forever.

On Friday Sept 19, 2025 we went for a routine anatomy scan. The appointment was on the early side of the window they like to do it in, so we were told to not be surprised if there were a few things they couldn’t get good measurements on and to basically expect to have to come back. That was fine, we got to see “Nugget” and had decided at that point to not find out boy/girl. We got our pictures and went home for the weekend.

On Saturday I logged into my ehealth to see the notes on the ultrasound and it said that it was a challenging study, and that 4 heart chambers couldn’t be identified. I chalked it up to being too early, that babe was super wiggly and figured I’d wait for a call from my midwife to get another appointment. I think I even finally made my pregnancy IG&FB official.

On Monday, as I was cooking supper, I get a call from the MFM clinic – can I make it to an ultrasound on Wednesday – yup, sure I can. Again – I didn’t read too much into it. Probably because I was trying not to burn myself or spill, but that’s likely for the best.

I was to go to the 3rd floor maternal clinic for this ultrasound – which turned out to be a fetal echocardiogram.

They basically performed the whole anatomy scan over, and then did in-depth imaging of baby’s heart. The tech finished up, said she’d review the images with the Dr and they might need a few more. The tech and the Dr come in, he directs her on different angles and images he wants to see to get the whole picture. I’m over course listening to the whole convo and know enough anatomy to start understanding that something is wrong. But I don’t know what yet. They finish, I get cleaned up and am shown to a consultation room.

The Dr comes in with printed handouts and asks if I’m alone, I say yes. Do I want to call my partner, I say no, he’s at work. And it still hasn’t really hit me that this is bad news – that’s why he’s asking.

So he tells me that baby has Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome – HLHS. Draws and explains a normal heart and our baby’s heart (he draws it upside down from across the table so I can see it – which is skill in itself). He talks me through the surgical procedures for HLHS – the first within baby’s first week. The second at 4-6 months. And the third at 4-5 years old.

Then he explains our options for this baby and the pregnancy. We can choose to carry baby to term and have the surgeries in Edmonton. We can choose to carry baby to term and provide comfort care once born. Or we could choose to Terminate for Medical Reasons (TFMR).

In the span of 2-3 hours I went from thinking everything was fine and we just needed an extra scab for some images that got missed. To a life-changing diagnosis for our unborn baby.

The care and support from the cardiologist and the MFM that day and especially in the first couple of weeks was so helpful as we navigated the decision to give baby every opportunity to fight. But it doesn’t change the shock of a life-changing diagnosis, and the grieving the pregnancy, maternity leave and life as a family of 5 that I expected.

Diagnosis Day changed everything. And it’s ok that this day hits hard.