The First Appointment

I had my first appointment today and it went really well! It really made feel excited about this pregnancy, and that I should actually expect to have a baby next July.

Erich was able to go with me, which was awesome. We had to wait a while, as usual, and then I was called in for a weight/BP/urine check with a nurse. She used the little useless wheel calendar to determine my due date based on my LMP: July 11. Not gonna happen, but she wasn't allowed to go by anything other than LMP. She gave me an order for standard blood work, and I went back to wait. Even though I hadn't been looking forward to returning to this office for the first time since my D&C follow-up, the more I sat there, the better I felt about everything. I'm pregnant, it's early, and I was there for my first appointment. One day at a time. Big whoop.

Before too long, Erich and I were called back to wait in an exam room for Dr. P. On our way, the nurse stopped me to reclaim my blood work order and cross out the cystic fibrosis screening since I've already had it done.

In the exam room, I undressed and prepared to be examined for the first time in a long time, relatively speaking. When Dr. P burst into the room with a huge smile and a "Congratulations!" I couldn't help but feel happy and excited. "And you're ten weeks already! Wow!" I told her that wasn't accurate since I'm a late ovulator and she automatically responded, "Oh, that's okay, we can just do an ultrasound." I did a little happy dance. :) She immediately wanted to know what happened with me after she finally referred me to Dr. M. She seemed really pleased and proud of herself that it was a uterine septum, which I believe was her original theory. After a medical history questionnaire, she did a quick pap and then felt my uterus. She had to search a little since I'm retroverted, but when she found it, she said, "Oh yes, getting bigger!" This was a contrast to my first appointment last time: I was about a week further along, but when Dr. D went to find my uterus, she frowned and said, "You're not twelve weeks," which I knew, but then she went on to say, "You did get a positive home pregnancy test, right?" I guess my little septate uterus wasn't stretching at all.

Once the exam part was over, Dr. P assured us again that we would come in for an ultrasound as soon as possible, and we should be able to see a heartbeat on the ultrasound. The thought of seeing a heartbeat within a few days just made me sigh with relief and happiness. I know Dr. P appreciated that. She also said that by my next appointment they'd probably be able to hear a heartbeat with a doppler. And the next appointment feels so close since I'm doing such a great job of taking this one day at a time! On our way out of the exam room, Dr. P told the receptionist to schedule me for another appointment in four weeks and for the first available ultrasound. she emphasized again: "FIRST AVAILABLE." Then she asked for my blood work order again to add progesterone. She and I both know that low progesterone wasn't the cause of my miscarriage, but she said that since I had one they should test for it and they can always supplement if it's low. Okay, whatever! Since we had time, I went ahead and got my blood drawn right away after the appointment.

Second appointment is for 1/14 with Dr. D. And the first available ultrasound isn't until Monday at 10:30. Booo. But at least we're getting one before Christmas so that we have a visual aid when we tell people!