Second Prenatal Appt went GREAT!!!

Get settled in..this is long:

My 2nd PNA (prenatal appt...the words are too long..I'm starting my own abbreviation) was AWESOME! A large part of that fact was due to the WONDERFUL Nurse Practitioner I saw. I knew she was great as I had seen her before, but she is just spectacular. I'm sending her an email after I post this blog post, just to thank her. So here's the lowdown:

DH was able to meet me at the doctor's office. His captain let him off. =)

We go in and my blood pressure is taken, my weight is taken (ugh, gained about 5 lbs...bleh, a lot of it due to vacation overeating, I'm sure. I resolve to get on the ball with eating healthy and exercising to maintain a healthy weight). I also have to pee in a cup.

Then I go into the exam room, change and DH is allowed in. Then very quickly (usually I have to wait for the darn doctor for quite a while in the exam room before I'm seen) NP WONDERFUL comes in. She asks how I'm doing and if I have had any problems. I say something along the lines of, "I'm good and not having any problems - that I know of." She knows about my prior history and says she understands, so she pulls out the little hand doppler monitor thingy and says, "Let's just get this out of the way. We'll look for the baby's heartbeat so you can relax and enjoy the rest of the visit." I'm eternally greatful for this!! She warns that because the baby is still small, it may be difficult to find the heartbeat and if we dont find it, we can do other things to hear it. I say that I was warned early that day with a co-worker who said at her 12 week visit her doctor couldn't find the heartbeat, but later found it on the vaginal u/s.

So NP Wonderful gels up that little black device and applies it to my pelvis. We start looking and listening....I swear, 15-20 seconds go by and we dont hear anything. A million thoughts race through my mind. At one point, I think she'll find something on the left side of my pelvis, b/c that's where I've been feeling a little crampy and feel as if my tummy is poking out more on that side and assume the baby is..but nope, not there. Another thought, ...oh no, not again... Another thought, Be patient, she'll find it.... But then, (with the wand on the right side of my pelvis -not the left, like I thought) she smiles and says, "there, do you hear it?" I respond with relief, "Good, you can hear it? I cant really hear anything." So she turns up the volume and there it is....the whoosh, whoosh, whoosh of the little baby's HEARTBEAT!!! I'm so ecstatic. I thank God out loud. I turn to my DH and I smile and I giggle and say, "There's a heartbeat! There's a little baby inside of me!" I ask to hear it again, but because I'm giggling and talking she smiles and says, "Mom has to keep still." So I sit as still as I can, and we hear that wonderful sound again!!! (this must be the best part of being an OB or NP, seeing a relieved expectant parent's smile at the wonder of their growing child). She continues to listen for a minute or so, and reports that baby's heart beat is about 163BMP, which is perfect she explains. =) She continues on to say nice things like "this baby is a keeper", which makes me happy.

We go on with the exam and she reports that everything is as it should be and that my pelvis/uterus is perfect. =) My questions are reduced in number (b/c truly, all I really wanted to know was if we had a heartbeat and if all is normal down there). DH asks if it's ok that I've been eating spicy food (which I LOVE). NP Wonderful says its fine, as long as I dont have heartburn, which I dont. She answers our questions, and explains what appts will be coming up next.

In 4-5 weeks I'll be seeing my doctor where I'll be getting another u/s and I'll have the quad screening (which she explains is a blood test to check for downs). In 7 weeks, I'll be going to the hospital (I've been going to the local KP clinic) to have the major ultrasound where they'll check for the gender of the baby and for any birth defects. I ask whether I'll have the NT scan which I've heard about, and she said that because I'm still young, they dont normally do that test. I think that's fine by me, b/c I dont want to give myself any additional reason for worry.

She also explains that I'll have some lab blood work after the appt. and I note that I get queasy when they take lots of blood. She asks when was the last time I ate and I explain that I've had a big lunch about two-three hours ago. So she goes out and gets me apple juice and instructs me to drink it all before going to the lab. She also gives me pamphlets on prenatal classes and points out a particular one that we may be interested based on one small comment I made about my dad having potential skin allergies (shows she was listening well.)

Overall, NP Wonderful just made the experience so enjoyable. Of course, hearing the heart beat was the ultimate best thing in the world, but NP Wonderful just helped make this visit the very best it could be.

After this appointment, I can FINALLY allow myself to start contemplating the actual thought that there will be a baby in December. We'll actually have to start planning for baby, and thinking of baby stuff we'd like to get. We'll finally be able to start telling people about the pregnancy. =) We are starting to realize that we'll be parents soon! This is definitely one of the most enjoyable days of my life. Just think of what more is in store for us in the future!

Thank you Lord. I know that I am blessed and it is all because of Him.