Mesenteric or peritoneal cyst

Daddy's nose, mama's lips in a pout, Reuben's face, Buttercup at 32wks

Daddy's nose, mama's lips in a pout, Reuben at exactly the same age, 32wks

The cyst is the middle black circular mass, measuring 2cm

Just woken from a 4hr afternoon nap in time for the night shift. Whoops.

Dr Neil Silverman was so very compassionate upon our arrival, saying as soon as he learnt our history from Dr Bo (my ob/gyn), he was keen to see us straight away, knowing it was a difficult time. He proceeded to look at all the organs in turn, rather than focusing on the problem area and confirmed the heart, brain, kidneys, spine, head, bowels and liver look normal.

Then, after spending about 30 minutes just looking at the abdomen, he ruled out an abdominal tumor, what we had been fearing, by the lack of blood vessels feeding the cyst (as we're accustomed to looking at cardiac scans, we were familiar with looking at the blue and red mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood around the heart, turbulence, and we too could quite clearly see the mass had no blood running to it).

Trying to understand the details whilst feeling pretty faint on the bed, the cyst appears to have developed in the membrane that surrounds the intestines as a blister like structure. "Mesenteric cysts are rare fluid-filled structures that are found within the mesenteries in the abdominal cavity".

He reassured us that the baby wasn't in pain and referred to the baby as "The moose" on account of the big head (Jason's genetic material) and large size, about 3 weeks ahead. So Buttercup is now "The moose".

We're back in 3 weeks for a follow up ultrasound before the baby's born in 6 weeks to check the cyst's growth. His prognosis is that the baby should be able to be born at St John's Hospital where Reuben was born if they are equipped to do a neonatal MRI and ultrasound at birth, in order to give us more information then. I can't remember too much from back then as to what they were able to do for Reuben in that NICU.

When I texted Dr Camarini, neonatologist, she replied "wonderful news", so I guess that's what it is, wonderful news.

A huge weight has been lifted. 8pm and Jason is asleep. I missed Reuben's bedtime but he's sound asleep with bunny in his hand. I showed him the photo of the baby when I got home and he signed "Baby, sleep" for me, but perhaps trying to make the connection between my watermelon belly and the photo was a little bit of a stretch, even for remarkable Reuben.