Yesterday we went to see the ob-gyn, (the midwife group never called us back so that unfortunately isn’t a choice we have unless we wanted to travel downtown).

I am now in the 11th week and this was my first appointment with a doctor, not counting the original quick visit with my family doctor to get a blood test.  They let my husband come in with me for the whole thing (not like the previous ultrasound).

The baby waved at us during the ultrasound, we were really lucky to catch some movement and we were also able to see the heart beating.  My husband keeps calling the baby, “he”, but I keep trying to use gender neutral words.  I wish there was a nicer word that “it”.  Our baby is now 2.34cm (around 1 inch) and you can see the head and the arms and the cord.  My placenta is at the front of my uterus so the doctor said I might not feeling kicking as early as another mother might because the placenta will act as a buffer.

We declined the pre-screening tests since we decided we were not going to terminate anyway, so unless there was something that would help the baby, we didn’t see the point.  The doctor agreed with us that it makes sense, but I guess she has to offer this screening to everyone.  They did send me for lots of blood tests and I am sure they must have taken 10 tubes!  I have a huge fear of needles so I made them let me lie down, but I didn’t pass out this time.  I tried to have a conversation with the nurse, but she didn’t really help.  Doesn’t she realize that I am only chatting just to keep my mind off the needle?

We will book the 18-week ultrasound soon.  That will be really interesting, we hear that you get to see a lot more details then.

I have not been feeling well over the past few weeks.  I know I have not had first-trimester-yucks as badly as some women, but I still am having a hard time working since I am not getting enough sleep and I feel nauseous and get headaches and feel lightheaded.  I have not actually puked, but the nausea is still annoying to deal with and I have had a difficult time focusing on tasks, especially with the recent headaches.  I have had to give three big presentations over the last month and a half which have been stressful, but now they are over so things should lighten up for a bit.  I am meeting with my Mentor next week and I will ask her recommendations on how I should tell my manager.  I did ask the doctor if I could take tylenol and she said that was fine, that it was the one medication that the allow pregnant woment to take.  I will still try to minimize use though sine the books say it can cause Fetal Renal Failure.

The doctor said that at this point the chance of a miscarriage has basically flattened out, it will never be 0, but she said that all the other signs were good so that we could tell more people.  It is my grandfathers birthday tomorrow so I am going to call my Uncle now and ask him to tell grandpa.  (hearing is not so good so phone calls don’t work so well).
The doctor said not to worry about my low blood pressure, and not too worry too much if I do faint.  Even if I have convulsions after fainting, the baby should be fine.  Also, she said during epidurals, that they give you extra liquids to offset the additional lowering of the blood pressure caused by the epidural.  Not that I have decided on whether or not to get an epidural, but my chiropracter had one and since she is in the medical profession (she is also a registered nurse), so I am going to leave my options open for an epidural.

We also asked about pre-natal classes and she said not to worry about those until the middle of the second trimester.