Baby Rancourt's Heart Check-up!

Yesterday was Baby Rancourt's last heart check up before he or she makes an appearance!  We arrived bright and early to the Children's National Medical Center in Washington DC for an 8:30am echocardiogram.  The baby has a Complete Atrioventricular Canal defect, which is a large hole in the center of the heart affecting all four chambers where they would normally be divided. When a heart is properly divided, the oxygen-rich blood from the lungs does not mix with the oxygen-poor blood from the body. A CAVC allows blood to mix and the chambers and valves to not properly route the blood to each station of circulation.

Dr. Donofrio told us that we will have to be very in tune to the baby's sleeping, eating, breathing, alertness, etc. because within 2-3 weeks of it's birthday, the baby will be in heart failure.  We did learn that if the baby does not show signs that it needs medicine for its breathing and heart, this is actually bad.  If no outward symptoms occur this means that the baby's lung pressures will be way too high, which would indicate the need for emergency open heart surgery.  Dr. Donofrio's goal is for our little one to be at least 2-3 months old before surgery since the teeny tiny newborn hearts do not hold the valve stitches very well for this type of heart defect.

So, as crazy as it may sound, 

we will be praying for our baby to go into heart failure

 and all of the symptoms that go along with it.

We did learn that the baby is estimated to be about 6 lbs 14 oz, and the ultrasound technician said she could see lots of hair.  Jacques and I will believe it when we see it since we have only produced bald babies!  The anticipation of meeting our new son or daughter, brother or sister is running high in our house.  

Stay tuned because the next blog post you see 

about Baby Rancourt #5 will be a birth announcement 

and the revealing of whether the Rancourts will have a 

5th Princess or their very 1st Prince.

  May the God of hope fill you 

with all joy and peace in believing, 

so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15:13