geminigirl (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
geminigirl) wrote2007-10-30 07:02 pm
geminigirl) wrote2007-10-30 07:02 pm
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And this time, I even got to keep my pants on...
17 week, 1 or 2 day (depending on who you ask) ultrasound (my OB says 17w1d, my perinatologist says 17w2d.)
The pants thing, by the way, refers to the fact that today's ultrasound was abdominal, rather than the transvaginal ones that I've been having up til now.
More pics if you click the photo.
The baby has genitals. When I walked in, I told her that I figured she could probably see something at this point, and if she could, to please not tell us anything but whether or not they looked normal. The tech saw them, and said they looked normal, and teased us by telling us that she knew what we were having. I was tempted to ask, but I didn't. I'm glad I didn't. But the more time I spend communicating with expectant mothers, the more distressed I get about the obsession with what bits the baby has. As![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
baratron said earlier today, "it says A LOT about how obsessed we are with binary sex, yes." So my baby has bits, but I don't know whether they're innies or outies.
Today was a perinatologist visit-not the OB that I like, but the jerky, icky, unpleasant perinatologist. Who continues to annoy me, especially when his cell phone started audibly ringing while I was there.
But enough about him. He lacks bedside manner and, he'll continue to do so. Dr P knows this, and agrees with me. The longer this pregnancy remains in good shape, the more likely it is that I'll deliver with Dr P instead of Dr C.
Everything looked normal that they could see-eyebrow ridges, arms, legs, feet, genitals. Hands waving all around the face, though not yet giving the finger, or anything like that. We saw the heartbeat, and heard it. (164, fairly consistent actually, with where it's been for the last month...161 in the ER, 166 at the obstetrician's last visit.) I cried when we listened to the heartbeat. And you can see in one of the photos where we were listening to it. They couldn't see enough of the heart to declare "all clear" but it looked normal for what they expected to see. They'll see more in a few weeks, and that's fine.
Placenta is anterior, which means that while I've probably felt some kicking or fetal movement already (and I think I have) feeling it consistently will probably happen on the later side rather than the earlier side.
I lost seven pounds in two weeks, which kind of worries me even if it doesn't worry the doctor-he saw it as seven pounds in a month, which wouldn't be unreasonable, but because I was weighed two weeks ago at the doctor I know it's seven pounds in two weeks. Considering that I undoubtedly gained baby-stuff, it's probably more than seven lbs. My pants, however, tell a different story...I spent much of our trip to Atlanta wishing I'd brought different ones, and well, I'm just about at the end of what I've got, which means it's shopping time.
My blood pressure, however, was all over the place. It was fine at the OB's office two weeks ago. The first time they took it today, it was crazy high. The second time they took it today it was fine. Not surprising since I find these visits so very stressful. We'll see what it looks like at Dr P's in a couple of weeks.
Annoying bits-the sonographer told me to keep my pants unfastened and left me there all covered with gel in case the doctor wanted to look again (he didn't) but by the time the doctor was done with everything the gel had dried in a sticky mess, and was hard to clean off.
I finally got numbers from the first trimester screenings...1 in 290 for Down's Syndrome (slightly lower than average for my age) and 1 in 4800 for Trisomy 18 (significantly lower than average for my age.) I had the Quad Screen bloodwork drawn today, and will get something resembling a more complete profile at the next visit with them in about a month. I know it doesn't guarantee anything, but with the problems that my cousin's baby has (deletion on the first chromosome-he was born with a cleft palate, heart issues, congenital hypothyroidism and they're not sure about hearing or cognitive impairments when I last heard) I find a little bit of relief from the screening. They also drew a thyroid panel, which will get sent over to the endocrinologist who may adjust thyroid meds again. I hope if she does, it's upwards, not downwards, because I like the slightly higher dose better than the lower dose.
Next up, a visit with the OB in about two weeks, sharing more information about why the GD test isn't really useful (though he's pretty willing to let it go if my sugar stays normal. Must find a new meter that works though-if anyone knows anything about glucose monitors, can you point me at one that requires a really small sample of blood and doesn't require testing on the fingers but lets you test elsewhere.) Schedule the anatomy ultrasound, and complain more about the perinatologist.
And counting the weeks left. It's amazing to me that in six weeks or so, this baby could be born and survive, and that right now, I'm about halfway to the end.
Maybe one of those ultrasound photos should become a pregnancy icon. Or something, since I've yet to find one.
The pants thing, by the way, refers to the fact that today's ultrasound was abdominal, rather than the transvaginal ones that I've been having up til now.
More pics if you click the photo.
The baby has genitals. When I walked in, I told her that I figured she could probably see something at this point, and if she could, to please not tell us anything but whether or not they looked normal. The tech saw them, and said they looked normal, and teased us by telling us that she knew what we were having. I was tempted to ask, but I didn't. I'm glad I didn't. But the more time I spend communicating with expectant mothers, the more distressed I get about the obsession with what bits the baby has. As
baratron said earlier today, "it says A LOT about how obsessed we are with binary sex, yes." So my baby has bits, but I don't know whether they're innies or outies. Today was a perinatologist visit-not the OB that I like, but the jerky, icky, unpleasant perinatologist. Who continues to annoy me, especially when his cell phone started audibly ringing while I was there.
But enough about him. He lacks bedside manner and, he'll continue to do so. Dr P knows this, and agrees with me. The longer this pregnancy remains in good shape, the more likely it is that I'll deliver with Dr P instead of Dr C.
Everything looked normal that they could see-eyebrow ridges, arms, legs, feet, genitals. Hands waving all around the face, though not yet giving the finger, or anything like that. We saw the heartbeat, and heard it. (164, fairly consistent actually, with where it's been for the last month...161 in the ER, 166 at the obstetrician's last visit.) I cried when we listened to the heartbeat. And you can see in one of the photos where we were listening to it. They couldn't see enough of the heart to declare "all clear" but it looked normal for what they expected to see. They'll see more in a few weeks, and that's fine.
Placenta is anterior, which means that while I've probably felt some kicking or fetal movement already (and I think I have) feeling it consistently will probably happen on the later side rather than the earlier side.
I lost seven pounds in two weeks, which kind of worries me even if it doesn't worry the doctor-he saw it as seven pounds in a month, which wouldn't be unreasonable, but because I was weighed two weeks ago at the doctor I know it's seven pounds in two weeks. Considering that I undoubtedly gained baby-stuff, it's probably more than seven lbs. My pants, however, tell a different story...I spent much of our trip to Atlanta wishing I'd brought different ones, and well, I'm just about at the end of what I've got, which means it's shopping time.
My blood pressure, however, was all over the place. It was fine at the OB's office two weeks ago. The first time they took it today, it was crazy high. The second time they took it today it was fine. Not surprising since I find these visits so very stressful. We'll see what it looks like at Dr P's in a couple of weeks.
Annoying bits-the sonographer told me to keep my pants unfastened and left me there all covered with gel in case the doctor wanted to look again (he didn't) but by the time the doctor was done with everything the gel had dried in a sticky mess, and was hard to clean off.
I finally got numbers from the first trimester screenings...1 in 290 for Down's Syndrome (slightly lower than average for my age) and 1 in 4800 for Trisomy 18 (significantly lower than average for my age.) I had the Quad Screen bloodwork drawn today, and will get something resembling a more complete profile at the next visit with them in about a month. I know it doesn't guarantee anything, but with the problems that my cousin's baby has (deletion on the first chromosome-he was born with a cleft palate, heart issues, congenital hypothyroidism and they're not sure about hearing or cognitive impairments when I last heard) I find a little bit of relief from the screening. They also drew a thyroid panel, which will get sent over to the endocrinologist who may adjust thyroid meds again. I hope if she does, it's upwards, not downwards, because I like the slightly higher dose better than the lower dose.
Next up, a visit with the OB in about two weeks, sharing more information about why the GD test isn't really useful (though he's pretty willing to let it go if my sugar stays normal. Must find a new meter that works though-if anyone knows anything about glucose monitors, can you point me at one that requires a really small sample of blood and doesn't require testing on the fingers but lets you test elsewhere.) Schedule the anatomy ultrasound, and complain more about the perinatologist.
And counting the weeks left. It's amazing to me that in six weeks or so, this baby could be born and survive, and that right now, I'm about halfway to the end.
Maybe one of those ultrasound photos should become a pregnancy icon. Or something, since I've yet to find one.