Queen of Rambles

Even though it’s spring break, I still had to get up at 6:30 this morning. Our doctor’s appointment was the earliest they offer–7:45–so that Mike could join me then go to work. I’m very glad he was there.

It started off on a bizarre note. The nurse stood me on the scale then slid the little bar weight ALLLLLLLLL the way over to 300 pounds. Now, I am not any under illusion that I’m a skinny-minny, but 300 pounds?!?!?! Please, someone tell me I do not look like I weight 300 pounds. Please!

She moved the top bar to 21, even though the 300 was clearly too much and blinked in amazement when the scale was showing I didn’t weigh nearly that much. She finally figured out that she had been reading the DATE instead of my previous weight. Even so, DO I LOOK LIKE I WEIGH 321 POUNDS????

When she finally checked my real weight, it turns out that I’ve only gained 1/4 pound this month, so I was happy. There is no need for a big weight gain in the first trimester.

Then it was into the room with the PA and she made me very happy by NOT poking up my crotch. She also told me that all my test results have been normal so far and I do not have a heart murmur so don’t need to be taking antibiotics when I visit the dentist (or when I deliver the baby).

After all the preliminaries were done, it was time to hear the baby’s heart beat. This morning I read that 11 weeks is really quite early to hear the heart beat, especially if there are “extra stores of maternal fat.” I certainly have extra stores of fat, maternal or not, (though not 321 pounds worth!).

The lady poked and prodded and poked some more. No heart beat no heart beat no heart beat no heart beat no heart beat. Once in a while I would hear a whoosh, but it was always my own blood flow. I was relatively calm at that point, because I knew it was early. The PA kept reassuring me that it was early and it was ok. She decided to take me to the sonogram room and assured me that seeing the baby move was just as good as hearing the heart beat. I was thrilled because I wanted to see the baby (and make sure there was only one baby in there!).

Into the sonogram we went, and she quickly found the little lump of baby. The head was pointing up, which was another reason she couldn’t hear the heart beat. It was just in a bad position. We waited to see some movement, but there was nothing. She started poking harder and harder, to the point where she was slapping my belly and telling the baby to wake up. I was starting to panic and almost on the verge of tears. This was what I had been expecting all along and it was just horrible.

Then. . .

Then. . .

IT DID A FLIP!

It moved!

You can imagine my relief. The PA breathed a big sigh of relief, showing just how worried she had been.

She tried to hear the heart beat again, but she still couldn’t get anything. Then she tried the sonogram again, which was a real relief because I was worried that little flip didn’t mean much. As soon as she put the wand down we could see the baby flailing it’s little arms and legs all around, so it was moving and it was ok and I was able to breathe again, though I think I need to give the baby a big spanking for scaring me like that.

This afternoon has been really boring. I’ve been going through and turning off all the pings for my MT site because I hate the bleeping spammers. I wish I never would have turned the ping option on. I’ve been legitimately pinged twice in three years, so it’s not exactly an oft used feature.

I think I am going to the grocery store to buy some pumpkin. I was going to make brownies to take on the plane tomorrow, but I remembered my pumpkin cookies and think that they would be a lot healthier.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 21st, 2005 at 1:12 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.