Sunday, April 15, 2012

I'm the Question Master

Justin and I headed to our first appointment with my current Obgyn on Wednesday the 11th.  I came armed with a huge folder of records from the fertility clinic and also a long list of questions.  

My appointment was scheduled at 245pm and I was not called back until 330pm.  For some reason that wait was really stressing me out and putting negative tally marks on my impression of this doctor. I know, I know....... you always wait forever when you go to a doctors appointment, but we are so used to the clinic where things never usually run more than 10 minutes behind.  

So we finally went back and were ushered into the ultrasound room which is where my entire exam would take place.  The nurse, Lindsey (who has been at the office for some time and I really like) asked me lots of questions, took my vitals and had me get into my paper skirt and wait for the doctor.  To my surprise we weren't waiting in the room forever for the doctor.  She came in and said congrats and we immediately started talking about how I had told our fertility doctor that she had called him the, "unconventional cowboy" of the infertility community.  And how our fertility doctor had called her to gloat about me and left a message for her that said, " Yippy kai yay mother f**ker".  It was all in good fun of course and I was glad she saw it as a joke. 

The doctor then asked me more questions about health, how I was feeling, family history, etc.

Let me back up for a second and describe this doctor first.  She is a nice looking, younger doctor who I can't figure out for the life of me.  I would say she is intelligent and informative, but somewhat soft spoken.  I sometimes feel she is judging me with her eyes while I am talking.  But I might be mistaken?  I don't know I just can't quite figure her out.  It's hard coming from the fertility doctor back to her because he is such an open book and warm and friendly and just says what he thinks.

So the doctor prepares to do an exam and ultrasound on my abdomen and asks what the piece of paper is in my hand.  I said it is my huge list of questions for her.  She said to start firing away while she was doing the exam.  So I did.  

I asked if she considered me high-risk and she said no.  I do not have any high risk factors like diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, or any other health ailments that would make me high risk.  She said that twins are considered high risk if you have another health factor added into the mix, but if I am healthy there is no need to consider me high risk.  This can change later in the pregnancy, and someone like myself can become high risk, if you develop something that puts you or the babies at risk.  But for now at this point, she says I am not.  Which is interesting to note, because our fertility doctor said he did consider me high-risk.  Her answer to this first question just made me glad about my decision to see a second high-risk OB next week to get several perspectives.  

I asked her if she had delivered twins before and she said yes, many, and that she had just had 4 sets of them in the last year.  Ok, not a huge number in my book, but some experience.  I also asked about a c-section versus labor delivery.  She said most twins are born around 36-37 weeks.  And about 50% of those are c-sections, but NOT planned ones.  Apparently it all has to do with how the bottom baby is positioned and this can change up until the minute the babies come out.  If the lower baby is breech and you go into labor they will automatically do a c-section.  If the lower baby is head down, they like you to try and go through labor to deliver.  And what about the second baby you ask??  Well, if the first baby is breech, then no worries, because they are both arriving via c-section.  If the first baby is head down and delivered and the second baby is breech, it is a last minute call by the doctor.  Sometimes (WARNING: this scares the crap out of me!) they will just reach in and pull it out no matter if it is head or feet first.  AHHHHHH!!!  And sometimes they have to do a c-section to get the second baby out.  So, you could end up with labor and a c-section, or one or the other.  Ok, so really by her answer I just need to plan on well.....ummmm.....whatever happens happens.

I honestly wasn't crazy about the answers she had for most of my questions.  I guess because I had been told a totally different thing by our fertility doctor (who mind you was an OB for 25 years).  She said my care wouldn't be any more specialized than someone carrying 1 baby and that I would only come in once a month for visits.  I would get an ultrasound every visit, but that is the only more specialized care she would recommend.  I asked her about delivering at a specific hospital that our fertility doctor highly suggested and she didn't seem to like the idea all that much.  (I am assuming because she is affiliated with a different hospital??)  So overall I wasn't too excited or thrilled with her answers.  But again I have to keep this all in perspective because she deals with hundreds of pregnant women, so why should I be treated any different right?  Well I guess I feel like I should feel special, just like the fertility doctor made me feel.

Overall, I think she would be a fine OBGYN and I don't question her abilities, I just question her ability to make me feel secure and confident.  I do realize she has very high expectations to live up to when compared to our fertility doctor.  Sooo, with all that being said, and all my questions asked, she proceeded with the abdominal ultrasound.  They have a computer screen for me and the doctor to look at and then a big flat screen on the wall for Justin to look at.  It was very cool!  She said we are welcome to video the ultrasound on our phone, so we can have the actual movements of the babies captured. We agreed we will do this next time.

The babies were even bigger this week and moving even more!  It is so COOL to see.  They were wiggling around kicking arms and legs, bobbing heads and even flipping over.  I am not able to feel any of these things yet, but she said hopefully in a couple more weeks I would be able to start to feel them move.  She did say she noticed that Baby A's placenta is attached in the front like closest to my belly button, so I might not feel them kick until a little later than normal because it is blocking them.  She said we could start to look for the sexes of the babies at our 16 week appointment, but sometimes you have to wait until the 20 week appointment to get a clear view.  So that means we have between 4 and 8 weeks to find out the sexes.  I am sure hoping it is 4 weeks!  

We finished the ultrasound, and she said she wasn't sure what blood tests I still needed to do, but that she would review my huge file and I could just do the blood work at my next appointment.  So my next appointment at that office is scheduled for April 25th, or 2 weeks from this appointment.  I will see the ultrasound tech for an ultrasound to do measurements, and then the nurse practioner (the doctor will be out of town) and then get blood work done.  And yes, all this is not set in stone, if in fact I decide to go with the high-risk specialist, which I will see April 19th.  

So that was Wednesday.  Now cut to Friday morning, I get a phone call from this doctor who leaves me a voicemail that goes something like this.  "Hi Jenny, I wanted to let you know I reviewed your file and there is some bloodwork missing, but I will verify with the clinic and if you do in fact need it you can just do it on the 25th.  Also, if you would like to come in this week and have an ultrasound done for your piece of mind just call us and we will fit you in.  And really we can do that for you any time in between your scheduled appointments."   Ummm, ok  she just earned some points in my book.

Friday afternoon we head to the baseball game and to a place beforehand to hang out and get out of the rain.  Well... I am walking around trying to find something to eat, because if you can't drink beer at a baseball game you might as well eat, right!?  And who do I run into...... THE DOCTOR!!  She says "Jenny" and I looked up and there she was standing in front of me, and I was kind of taken back, because I don't really know what you say to your OBGYN when you see them out in public.  And I can't even tell you a word I said to her because I felt akward and nervous.  But she was making a huge effort to have a conversation, so again I give her points for that.  And I also think, because you know how I am about things happening for a reason, that maybe I am supposed to give her a chance???

Ok, shut up Jenny and get to the good news!!!  I have finally made it to 12 WEEKS!!!!!!!  Hurray!!!!!!  Technically, I am still in the first trimester until the end of the 12th week, which would be next Sunday the 22nd.  But hey I can say I am in my 12th week, and that makes me SOOOOO happy!!  And the other good news is I have 2 MORE INJECTIONS!!!!  That's right, 2 more needles!  Myself and my hips are grateful that it is coming to an end.

And one last thing.  I believe honesty is the best policy and I hate complainers, BUT this first 12 weeks has been well......hard (mentally and physically)!  My nausea goes in waves and just when I have a couple good days and I think it is ending it comes back full throttle and kicks my butt and like last night I couldn't get to bed till 2am.  And I have begun having headaches, which are just annoying and painful.  And I am crabby and mean to my poor husband.  I admit it, I have been down right hard to deal with the last 2 weeks.  And the exhaustion from the headaches and the nausea, and the exhaustion from the exhaustion makes me want to sleep all day every day.  And food sucks!  Nothing sounds good, my taste buds are totally off, and I have this weird taste flem thing in the back of my throat that never goes away, WTF???  

I mean I guess it could be worse and I am sure there are women who have it way worse in the first trimester, and maybe I am just being wimpy about it, but whatever the case may be, I just had to get it out there, that this is NOT easy, and I can imagine it is only going to get harder.  And I thought...... because we had a hard time getting pregnant, and all the painful years of periods I suffered though was enough to get me out of the side effects of pregnancy.  HA!!  Was I wrong!

Ok, enough complaining.  Here are my ultrasound and belly photos for this week.

The one on the bottom right in all the pictures is harder to see she said because it is further away from the ultrasound waves.





How far along? 12 weeks today!!  Yay!
Total weight gain/loss: Well according to the OBGYN scale I have lost 2 pounds coming from the fertility clinic, but she said that could just be because scales are different.
Maternity clothes?  Loving maxi dresses and maternity t-shirts are comfy
Stretch marks?  NOPE
Sleep: I sleep at weird times, and can't get to bed till late because of the nausea.
Best moment this week: It would have to be seeing the babies wiggle around on the screen.  I am hoping I will be able to post the video on here next week. So cool!
Have you told family and friends: Yes, I believe everyone now knows our great news!
Miss Anything? My appetite and food sounding and tasting good.
Movement: We have visual movement, but not feeling it yet.
Food cravings?  Turkey sandwiches, popsicles
Anything making you queasy or sick: What doesn't?
Have you started to show yet: I believe that is a yes!
Gender prediction: UGH, I want to know so bad, but I don't want to guess!
Labor Signs: NO
Belly Button in or out? IN
Wedding rings on or off? ON
Happy or Moody most of the time:  CRABBY!  Sorry honey!  Thanks for being so understanding!  Love you! 
Weekly Wisdom: There is a reason other pregnant people don't tell you all the horrible things that can happen to you until you are pregnant, because at that point there is no turning back.  I am not sure how women have multiple pregnancies.  More power to you women!
Looking forward to: Meeting with the new doctor Thursday, having another ultrasound with him, and my belly popping out.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Jenny & Justin +2





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