1st OB Visit

I have lots to tell you this morning.  Lots.

Yesterday was my first OB appointment.  How did I choose her?  I actually started with the hospital where I knew I wanted to deliver.  This particular hospital is located within walking distance of great shopping, super hotels, yummy restaurants, outdoor ice skating, and a movie theater.  Why in the world would that matter?  It's for the family who'll be here from ELEVEN hours away.  They'll need a place to stay and things to do and this is a great area of town.

Once I decided on a hospital, that narrowed the doctors down.  There are two practices around here that are ALL women OB's.  (male OB is a deal breaker for me)  The first group I called came highly recommended but it turned out to be NOT for me.  Each time I called them, I had to wait on hold 25-30 minutes.  I timed it : )  This left me with the other practice.  Bingo!  Can you believe that their office is actually attached to the hospital by a breezeway?

M and I ate Mexican for lunch yesterday.  I thought we were headed back to his office to drop him off and then I would proceed to the appointment.  When he went the opposite way, I was very confused.  Turned out he was going with me.  What?  I was shocked he was going and he was shocked that I was shocked!  He has maybe missed two appointments in a year's time no matter how insignificant the appointment may have seemed.  Still, yesterday, I viewed the appointment as a gynecologist appointment, not a "baby" appointment.  Silly girl, babies are for fertiles.  Right?

Boy, was I GLAD he went.  The appointment...

Our doctor can't be much older than me (33) and she's one of those girls you can't really decide if you want to be her BFF or punch her in the face.  Example:  She has a short, blonde bob and her hair was held back with the cutest silver turtle barrette. It was adorable.  Totally feeling the tiny turtle.  BUT...screech... I wanted to grab her by the throat when she told us she ran a half marathon at 14 weeks pregnant.  There will be no feeling sorry for me.  That's a good thing, though.  Tough love.

So the FIRST thing out of her mouth was how I was stopping Lovenox "today!"  She was in disbelief that I had been injecting a very potent blood thinner without a diagnosis.  When pushed, she said I need to realize that I am coming from a pool of patients who are desperate (no kidding) and it's just not necessary for me to be taking such a high dosage of blood thinner on top of baby aspirin.  In Dr. B's defense, I asked for the blood thinner regardless of a diagnosis.  When she tried to test me, I declined, wanting to take the daily injection no matter what. Don't tell me about desperation.  Now that my stomach is a lovely rainbow of black,  purple, blue, yellow, and green I am much more open to stopping these super painful shots.

The next big topic we discussed was progesterone.  She laughed at me (just like my IVF nurse) that I was doing daily PIO injections AND Endometrin 3 times per day.  Why? Because it makes me rest easier.   I know, I know...  Her suggestion was to stop one of them so I decided to stop the big needle.  The PIO is actually easier than the 3x per day Endometrin BUT there's something very enticing about stopping shots altogether.

My current medications now through 12 weeks are baby aspirin, Endometrin 3x per day ($153 per week out of pocket), prenatal, and calcium/Vit.D supplement.

During my pelvic exam, she said my uterus was HUGE...much farther along than 8 weeks.  Hmmm....I wonder why? : )

She was concerned about the bleeding hemorrhages found in the emergency room two weeks ago so I was sent in for an u/s which is a story unto itself.

When we got settled in with the sonographer I was SO SURPRISED when I discovered there would be no vijay cam.  I just knew it wouldn't work on my stomach, but it did!  We saw the baby. It measured right on time at 8w1d.  Pure bliss.  We listened to the heartbeat.  Again.

That was our 5th ultrasound in one month.  So I was REALLY surprised to find out that our next u/s is not until OCTOBER 28th.  That's a long way away, but I hope nothing permits us needing to have one.  By the way, there was another hemorrhage.

Here's my question, Mamas who've been there.  If I have two more months until the u/s, how do they know the baby is doing ok?  I have 2 appointments between now and then.  Will they check for a heartbeat or anything at the appointments?  I would have asked at the appointment but it didn't all click with me until we got home.

When we were preparing to leave, we made a schedule with the receptionist of every single appointment from now until AFTER the due date.  I don't know if this is normal, but I love it.  They are really organized.  (Posted on side bar)

M and I are leaving in a few days for California.  We'll be there for ten days, so I'll try to send you some pics of the sights.

This morning I headed to the grocery store and for the first time in a looooong time had a good cry.  In the car. You know, the kind where people next to you are probably looking.  And I didn't care.  Now that the shots have stopped and I had a u/s on my stomach, this is all seeming very, very real.  I was sitting there in my new Mom car, with my baby inside me, married to a man I did not even know the day I turned 30, rescued from the brokenness of divorce at 27, and persued by a God who NOT ONLY has forgiven me for every time I screamed at him but blessed me anyway.

I thank you and praise you, O God of my fathers...
You have made known to me what we asked of you...

Daniel 2:23