I had my first appointment with the obstetrician's office today, and although I was originally supposed to see the doctor, I got to see my favorite nurse practitioner instead. She did another ultrasound and I got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time. That was very cool! I think I could listen to that sound all day.
I am being referred to a perinatologist. For those that don't know, a perinatologist specializes in high-risk pregnancies. He will perform "sequential screening" which is the least invasive way of testing for abnormalities. I will not be doing any of the other more invasive tests as they carry a risk of miscarriage. As I understand it, sequential screening only involves an ultrasound and a blood test.
As Rajeeni (the NP) said, we're almost out of the woods. Just a couple weeks to go until my second trimester begins.
One of the best things I did for myself was to rent a fetal doppler through www.babybeat.com. I rented it when I was 10 wks and I used it daily (and sometimes more often than that in the early weeks). It's not for everyone because you have to be able to not freak out if you can't located the heartbeat, but it was so reassuring for me to have. And, to this day (and my son is now 3 1/2) the sound of a fetal heartbeat is one of the happiest sounds (or one that triggers happy memories).
ReplyDeleteSo exciting! I didn't do any of the pre-natal screening either (just the blood test) because I didn't want to risk what we had worked so hard to achieve. I bought a doppler, as you know, and it saved my soul throughout my pregnancy with the twins.
ReplyDeleteMy sweet friend, Kate, sent me her doppler a few days ago. I haven't used it yet, but I will. :)
ReplyDeleteSo excited for you, Joannah!
ReplyDeleteWhen using the doppler remember to go low (as in into your pubic hair, sorry, TMI, but IIWII) and you will likely have to angle the transducer in different ways to pick it up (as in not perpendicular to your skin). Good luck, breathe through it, and do NOT freak out :)
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One more comment on the doppler, if you have a tipped ute (which you might know or might not know) you won't be able to hear the baby until 16 weeks or so. Basically that is to say don't be alarmed if you can't find the heartbeat, all could very well still be JUST FINE. Also, I found out at my 12 week appointment with my midwife that the sound that had been so reassuring to me was my own heartbeat-- I have a tipped ute, so I wasn't able to find the baby's heartbeat until much later.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't it feel wonderful to be 'almost out of the woods'? And what was it like to just be a 'normal pregnant lady'?
So very happy for you, but still wondering when the next u/s is...:-D
Good to know EE. My appointments are every Wednesday. :)
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