Today I had my regular doctor's appointment to check in on how the baby's doing. I guess it's technically not a doctor's appointment, since I see a Nurse Midwife, not a doctor. Right now, I'm still going once a month, but soon I'll be moving to every two weeks. In the last month of pregnancy, the appointments are weekly.Jacob came with me to the first doctor's appointment (where we got to see our TINY little baby for the first time, around 9 weeks), and came with me to the ultrasound appointment where we got to find out the gender. Other than that, though, he's saving up his vacation days for after Miss Bean is born. This has actually given me an opportunity to have some special time with some of my family, as I've taken to inviting someone along for each appointment. My sister, mom, and Joelle (Jacob's sister) have all accompanied me to an appointment (not all to the same appointment, though!). Today, Jacob's mom came with me, and I especially enjoyed the time before and after the appointment when we got a chance to just talk some.
The appointments aren't generally very long or exciting, but it's still fun to share the experience with some of my family members. The best part is getting to hear the baby's heartbeat. The midwife uses a Doppler device to listen for the heartbeat, and you can hear the baby kick with it, too!
One of my favorite things about having an appointment on Friday is that there is a tiny Farmer's Market set up on site at the Kaiser facility each Friday. I don't ever buy much, but I like walking past the 10 or so booths and smelling kettle corn and fresh bread and looking at all the fresh produce. We even got to nab a sample today on our way to check in. :)
Results of today's appointment? All is well and as it should be. We heard the baby's heartbeat (which is at 155 BPM), and even heard her hiccup a couple of times! I have gained more than the recommended amount of weight, but this is not shocking with the amount of ice cream we've had in the house lately. ;) Sometime in the next couple of weeks I need to go get some labs done, including a glucose test. I have heard rumors of how nasty the sugary drink is, and so am dreading this a little. I also need to get my blood drawn again to check for anemia, a common third-trimester occurrence.
The orange drink really isn't as bad as you might have heard. At Kaiser it tastes a lot like orange soda. I was pleasantly surprised with how NOT horrible it was. The key is to drink it fast (within 5 min?) and then get your blood drawn EXACTLY one hour later. Don't be late! Then again, you are a very punctual person, so I don't see tardiness being an issue :-) Anyway, all that to say, no need to dread it!
ReplyDeleteWhich Kaiser do you go to? I must make use of this Farmer's Market!
ReplyDeleteAmy, thanks for the heads up on the orange drink. I'll make sure and get it nice and cold before I drink it!
ReplyDeleteJenn, I go to the Kaiser down in Irvine. That may be a bit of a drive for you!
Thats where I had Noah! I am looking forward to delivering there agian some day, MAYBE! its the best hospital I've ever toured or been in. You'll love it there! The nureses in Labor and delivery and postpartum are awesome! And I totally dissagree with Amy, that orange stuff is naaaasty! NOT LIKE ANY ORANGE SODA I'VE EVER HAD. But you'll live. Its just one of the many joys of being pregnant!
ReplyDelete