On doctor's check ups...

This past week I had my 32 week check up appointment. I usually like to make these appointments early in the morning, to minimize the wait time. My doctor is pretty good at going through the appts quickly, and while I still wait for longer than he sees me, it is not that big of a wait.

I got there nice and early. You know you have been to the office many times when the receptionist does not have to ask you your name to be able to pull your chart out. "You are here to see Doctor K, right?" To which I nod. "I'll let them know you are here".

I wait in the reception area all of 5 minutes, when my "regular" nurse calls my name. I think in this practice there are nurses assigned to each doctor, and I really like the girl that my doc has assigned. After the regular courtesies (how are you? you are looking great, not long to go, etc.) She asks me to step on the scale. Oh boy.... This is my least favorite part of the whole visit. I do NOT like the numbers I see on the scale. I am currently on my 33rd week and I have already put on 33 lbs. At this rate, if I go all the way to 40 weeks, I will probably put on close to 40 lbs.. And I am not too happy about it.

The worst part about gaining so much weight this time around is that I have really not modified my eating at all. I have not been "indulging" (like I did when I was pregnant with Megan, which led me to gain 50 lbs); I have been exercising to the best of my ability and yet I am still gaining all this weight. To make matters worse is that I now officially am the heaviest person in this household. Lovely. It is for a greater purpose I tell myself everyday; but it still does not help.

After getting off the scale I am required to leave a urine sample. As I have been doing each time I go to the doctor. Let me tell you, I have mastered the art of peeing in a cup. It is not as glamorous as it sounds (maybe it does not even sound glamorous); but heck, it's a new skill! The weirdest thing is that while I am leaving them this beautiful gift I remember a post that my coach did while she was pregnant about how the nurse told her she did not need to leave that much pee; and I can't help but laugh about it.

Next on the list, blood pressure. Mine has stayed pretty constant, not really any major shifts, the high is on the low 100's and the low is staying in the 60's. "Perfect", nurse D tells me. We go through the normal list of questions... Do I notice any excessive swelling? Am I having contractions? Any headaches? To all of those my answer is NO. The only thing I ask her about is if there is anything I can rub on my sore ribs, to make the pain go away. She tells me that while pregnant we are not allowed to rub Icy hot, and she says that she will check her list of allowed medications to see if she can find something; but if she can't she is sure Doctor K will know what to do. And I think to myself... He better know, he is a doctor!

We then proceed to hear the heartbeat. To do this they use this device called a doppler, that while I am not sure exactly how it works I believe it has something to do with sound waves and all that stuff. At first she tries to get Baby's heartbeat near my belly button, she is unsuccessful. Baby likes to hang on my right side, so when I tell her that she moves the little wand to the right side of my belly, and sure enough, there he is! His heartbeat is strong, over 150 bpms; and I LOVE hearing it.  After helping me sit back up, and yes, at this point my belly is so big, that I need help sitting up; she exits the room.

I am left to my own thoughts for about 5 minutes. Not a lot goes through my head. As usual, all the questions that I had intended to ask my doc have left my head the minute I stepped in the door; so I just sit there and wait.

Doctor K comes in, and we go through our "routine"... Shake hands, make small talk, measure my belly (which has consistently measured 1 1/2 weeks ahead), and then we are done. Here is where I ask him about my side pain. A couple of weeks ago, they had me come in and they ran a battery of tests to rule out some kind of kidney infection, liver problem and some other stuff I can't remember, due to how the pain goes all around from the front of my ribs all the way to the back. After finally agreeing with me that it is some kind of muscle pain, he prescribes me a muscle relaxant that is safe to take during pregnancy. He tells me that I will probably NOT like the side effects (it will make me really tired), but that he hopes it will help the pain go away.

Next thing I know he starts talking to me about getting the flu shot. I politely decline, saying that I have NEVER gotten one before, no one in my family does; and I am not about to get started with it now. Besides, I have read from people that got it, that the side effects can be pretty nasty, and I think I do not need to feel any worse than I already do. He goes through his list of reasons why I should get it, including the scare tactics..."You know if you contract H1N1, there is a 1 in 20 chance you could die?" And I am thinking to myself, really?? Do you have to use THAT excuse? After sensing that he would NOT let up until I agreed, I asked if I could think about it some more and let him know on my next appointment. He reluctantly agrees, and we call it a day. He leaves the room and I am free to go, with instructions to come back in 2 weeks.

The routine of it all is somewhat comforting. You know what to expect, and you are prepared for it. Even though I still have about 2 months until my due date; the countdown has started. I will go to the doc's every 2 weeks and then I will start going weekly... And then, before we know it our little guy will be here; and with him, the mysteries of being parents to 2 kids...