After what seems like waiting FOREVER (okay, so it was really just 4 weeks, but still...it felt like FOREVER)- we finally had our first prenatal appointment today. All I can say is WOW, What an experience!
First, we had an ultrasound. It was crazy to actually see the baby on the screen. When they first started the ultrasound, Baby was sleeping. The tech pointed out the head (which is HUGE). She also pointed out the heart beat. There was a little flicker on the screen. She circled it for us. Then the baby woke up! Baby was doing flips and turns and all sorts of crazy things. It was amazing. We heard Baby's heart beat too! It was the coolest thing Matt and I have EVER experienced. Our eyes filled with tears. Baby has a really fast heart beat. It was 180 beats per minute - so those of you wishing for a girl may get your wish! The tech told us that Baby was measuring about 9 weeks 4 days - which of course changed our due date to January 22. January 22 is apparently a big date for my family. It was my Mom's due date with me and my stepmother's due date with my sister. Maybe I will be closer than either of them since my birthday is December 28 and Jamie's is January 29.
After leaving the ultrasound department with pictures of Baby we went to see the doctor (I will try to scan and post the pictures). After filling out pages and pages of paperwork, we met with their financial person. She explained what was covered under insurance and how much it was going to cost for us to have Baby. It's actually not as expensive as we thought. We pay a little each month so that we aren't hit with a huge bill after Baby gets here.
We finally got to talk with the doctor after that. Well, first we talked to a nurse. She was so sweet. She asked us a lot of questions and was really excited to see that Matt had come with me. She told us what would happen at each appointment and how often I would need to come in (once a month until week 28 and then every other week until week 35 and then every week until Baby makes his or her entrance into the world!) That's a lot of doctor's visits.
The nurse gave us a goody bag. It was full of all sorts of stuff in there. They gave us a book, some magazines, some really nice magnets, lots of information about what I can and can not do, what I can and can not have if I'm not feeling well. There is even a journal in there. All kinds of stuff. Matt is actually reading the book now - it's called A Miracle in the Making.
The doctor is really nice. He took time to answer all of my questions - even if they were all about vacation food. For the record, the doctor says that if I follow all of the directions online and in pregnancy books about what I can't eat - the only thing that I will be allowed to have is lettuce - that's not even appetizing at all. He thinks moderation is key for most things, with the exception of tuna, shark and swordfish. He did say that I can have lobster, clams, haddock, and crab - so I will be able to eat that while in Maine. The doctor said it would be a shame if I went to Maine and wasn't able to eat any lobster - so I breathed a huge sigh of relief.
After we talked with the doctor and he did his exam, he told me that I am healthy and should have no problem giving birth (his exact words were: you were born to birth some babies). We still had to go to the lab for bloodwork after that. Nothing really exciting happened there so I won't bore you with the details.
The next appointment is right after we get back from vacation. Matt won't be going with me to that one. The next appointment he will be going to is the next time I have an ultrasound.
Now that we have heard the heart beat and have seen the baby, I am starting to feel more relaxed! Also, it all seems so much more real now. It's also very overwhelming.
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