First Doc Visit

Yesterday was my first pregnant visit to the OB/GYN.  I went alone, because my "dear" husband wasn't being very "dear" at all, but that's another story.

The adventure started when the office informed me that I wasn't a patient.  Um, yes I am.  The nurse actually asked me if I was "sure."  Uh, yeah, I'm "sure" I remember your hands up in my girly bits.  I'm a patient.  They finally found me and just *had* to let me know that I must have given them an incorrect birthdate.  I think not.  Isn't it slightly more likely that you mistyped my birthdate than that I forgot my own birthday. 

Anyway, step 1: pee in a cup.  I'm a pro at this by now.  I filled 'er up and handed it over, and almost immediately started to panic.  What if their peestick said something different than all of MY peesticks?  I had to sit there for about 10 minutes waiting for the results.  I was literally in tears by the time the nurse came in, and she took her sweet time shuffling through a bunch of papers before mentioning that their test came back positive too.  /whew.  I'm not imagining things.

Step 2: get lectured about everything I eat/do/think about.  This one wasn't so bad, except that I'm officially disallowed from Rock Climbing, which will be really disappointing for the kids (not to mention that I'm not ready to TELL yet, so thinking up an excuse for no longer taking them climbing won't be easy).  I think I'll continue through May (2 more Saturdays) and then have to take a break.  I'm not allowed to wear the harness at all, and I don't have enough energy to entertain them without taking them to the gym.  More on this later, though.  I'm really, really torn.

Step 3: Hear about the tests.  This was the worst, because Tom wasn't there and I cried a ton.  I mean, I really cried.  Hearing all the things that can go wrong, even though none of them were unknown to me prior to the visit, was really, really scary.  And Tom has no opinion on whether we should do screenings or not.  So that one's all me.  My current mindset is to do the noninvasive ones at 11-13 weeks and then take it from there.

Step 4: Wrapup - We talked a lot about how my neural tube defect could complicate things for me and for the baby.  I cried more.  The doc wants to do some early ultrasound whether or not I do the screening to check on the baby's neural tube development.  Not yet, because it's not all formed yet, but soonish I guess.  Maybe at the next visit (at 9w)?

All done!  um, NOT. 

The next part of the fun was driving to the hospital where I will eventually birth this little parasite because I needed "a little bit of bloodwork."  Just so you know, "a little bit" equals 14 large vials of blood.  I literally came thisclose to passing out before they brought me juice and cookies.  I cried for awhile (because I was angry with Tom and I don't like needles and I didn't feel well) and went home.

Doctor visit numero uno is on the books.  I don't go back  (assuming all is well) for four more weeks.