Amnio day

After receiving the terrible news about our baby's condition 48 hours ago, today I went in for the amniocentesis procedure.  We had a painful hour long wait in the doctor's office during which some other expectant mother, who had obviously just finished smoking a cigarette before coming in the office, tried to make small talk with me about how inconvenient it was for her to get regular progesterone shots to help prevent preterm birth.  You want to know what will help prevent preterm birth - stop smoking cigarettes you disgusting, selfish woman!  As I have done so many times in the last few days, I wonder why my child developed this condition when I have been as healthy as possible.  I know I will never have a concrete answer, but the question still nags at me.  The cause of gastroschisis is not known, although many cases involve young mothers and women who smoke cigarettes or use cocaine (these are thought to interfere with blood supply to the developing tissue).  None of these apply to me.  I have to remember that billions of things have to take place in perfect sequence to produce a healthy child, it is literally a miracle that the vast majority of the time things go as planned.  Only 1 in 10,000 babies develop gastroschisis and unfortunately we are in the tiny minority.  I am finally called back to have an obnoxiously long needle jabbed in my uterus and 20 mL of amniotic fluid withdrawn.  We have to wait an excruciating five days to receive the preliminary results (FISH results) and ten days to receive the complete analysis.  So the incredibly difficult wait begins...