So now for more details about yesterday’s appointment.
I knew it was an orientation-type appointment, but they weren’t very clear with instructions. They said to get there 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork, so I was dutifully there 20 minutes early…and they said “Okay, just go have a seat.” Um, okay. So there was no paperwork.
Tom was there with me, and we watched some other women trickle in, but I didn’t pay much attention to them because, well, it is an OB office. I had to go to the bathroom, but didn’t want to because I had been told (on the phone when I made the appointment) that there would be an ultrasound and it helped if you had a full bladder.
So about 8:35 someone came in and announced something (which I couldn’t hear) and a bunch of the women all got up and left. We still sat there because we hadn’t heard what was said and no one had told us what was going on. The woman at the desk motioned to me and said “I think you’re supposed to be with them.” Oh, nice. So we went over to the counter and she looked up my info and said yes, I was supposed to be in orientation. Well, duh, I knew that, but they certainly didn’t make it easy—someone literally stuck their head in the door and said something in a normal voice. I would have thought someone would have come in, stood in front of us, and made a real announcement. 🙄
So we walked across the hall and of course they were already started, so I apologized for interrupting. We sat down and listened to a powerpoint presentation on things to do, things not to do, things to eat, things not to eat, who to call with problems, etc…everything that was on the handouts they gave us. Then it was time to fill out the paperwork. Ahhhhh, yes, most of which I could have already had done had they given it to me when I thought they were. The woman did have to explain a few things, but it was no big deal.
I now have to pee worse, and it’s about 9:30. They start taking women for their ultrasounds, and of course I am not being called. I make an educated guess that since I have to pee so badly, I will of course be the last one called, LOL. I went in to the instructor’s office (we were back in the OB clinic by this time) and asked if there was any way I could bump up my ultrasound because I REALLY had to pee. She said “Oh, it’s not that important to have a full bladder, you can go to the bathroom.”
>:XX
So I did, then came back to schedule my physical. The good news is that I can have most of my appointments at my regular clinic (a mile from work) instead of having to drive 20 minutes to the naval hospital on base. (This is, of course, assuming I don’t end up with a high-risk pregnancy.)
As I had guessed, I was the last one called for the ultrasound…but it went well. I layed on the table, she put some gel on my stomach, and I made a comment about how Tom was sure there was nothing in there. The tech made a comment about how she would prove him wrong, and said “There it is!” and Tom and I were both like Where? What? We don’t see anything. It looked like a black hole. So Tom said “I still don’t believe it.” So then the tech said “Okay, then here’s the heartbeat, you can’t disagree with that.”
And it was amazing. She timed it and said it was like 175bpm, which was just perfect. She also measured it and said my due date was fine at February 19.
Then she manipulated it a bit to try and get a good picture. It is so tiny that she had to blow it up quite a bit to get the picture you see. And of course she put the Xs on it so we could have some idea what we were looking at. I found it funny, too, that she labeled it BABY. :>> That said, it was over too soon—I wanted to hear more heartbeat. 🙁
Then it was off to the lab for blood work…which I was not looking forward to, only because I know I am NOT a good draw. The last time I was there for blood work, they had six people try to draw me, I had about four needle pokes, and they ended up taking it from the back of my hand (very painful). So I told the tech I wasn’t trying to scare him, I was just warning him. So imagine my total amazement when he got me on the first poke and successfully drew seven vials! I told him I was coming back to him each time!