Today's appointment was nothing more than an annual exam with hundreds of questions about my medical history, family history and pregnancy so far. I gave urine and 4 vials of blood. I got a folder of information and lots of "congratulations". I was expecting all of these things, but it wasn't very exciting at all.
The disappointing parts:
- No ultrasound or doppler today...so no view or sound of baby. Which sucks. I'm totally spoiled and used to having an ultrasound every time I go to the doctor. Obviously, I need to get over that. (I will say, though, after several months of paying out-of-pocket for every one of those scans, I understand why the doctor will only do them when ruled "necessary". They are not cheap!)
- I have to wait several days to hear the results of the lab work. Not that there are any tests that have me waiting on pins and needles at the moment, but I'm used to getting my lab results in a couple of hours, not a couple of days!
- I don't have another appointment for 4 weeks. How am I going to make it 4 weeks?!! I am used to weekly visits or more. It's going to be torture to wait 4 weeks for that reassurance that everything is fine. Again, something I need to get over since monthly visits will be standard from here on out.
The good parts:
- We talked about my risks and they are actually lower than I thought! As long as I am taking Metformin through the first trimester my risks of miscarriage are similar to that of "normal" women. Currently, I'm at a 5% chance of miscarriage (I prefer to say 95% chance that all will be well) and getting closer and closer to the safety of my second trimester. Once I reach that point, the only difference between me and a "normal" woman is that I'll have a higher chance of developing gestational diabetes (which just means I'll be checked for it earlier and observed more closely).
- During the exam, Dr. Estrin said everything looked and felt exactly as it should at this stage.
- I really liked her. She was friendly, full of information, and answered every one of my questions. She was quite matter-of-fact, which I like. I have to admit, it was a little weird having a brand new doctor after 10 years with my old gyno and a couple years with Dr. Gehlbach, but my first impression was a good one.
Here's a random tid-bit. She asked me if we had pets. (I think so she could point out the "don't change the kitty litter" rule for pregnant women with cats. Since you already know my opinion of cats, clearly all this did was strengthen my vow to NEVER live in the same house with one. Fortunately, my husband agrees. Sorry to you cat lovers out there...just my opinion, that's all!). But I digress. When I told her we had Ruby, she mentioned that children with animals often show earlier development in visual and motor skills due to the activity taking place down at their level. She also said when the baby is born we should bring home one of his/her blankets to let Ruby get aquainted with the baby's scent before coming home with the actual baby. Interesting, huh!
So that was that. Pretty anticlimactic. I called Drew after the appointment and while I was a bit disappointed, we decided this was actually a good thing. In a way, this means that I have "graduated". I am no longer a medical case-study that requires a fertility specialist; rather, I am now an average pregnant women in a doctor's office full of other average pregnant women.
And wasn't that our goal all along?
1 comment:
Heidi,
I think I warned you about the monthly office visits. It sounds like you had a good appointment and are well on your way to a normal and healthy pregnancy. Relax and Enjoy!!!!!!
Love Mom
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