There he is in all his glory (and I felt really strongly as soon as I saw him that it was a he, but it's way too soon to tell). Heartbeat is 167, the ultrasound tech said it was very strong and it was LOUD! Don't know if that's the machine or him just blowing out the speakers but it was loud. And he wiggled! His arms and legs were moving around, and he turned around at one point! He is mearing at 2.25 centimeters, which is basically an inch long. I am measuring at 8 weeks 6 days, which is 3 days behind what I was going by.
Now that all the fun stuff is out of the way, here's my first experience at Naval and some advice for people who have not been yet. My appointment was at 9:30 and I was told to get there at 9, which I did. I wore yoga pants and a tank top with a jacket, which I totally reccommend doing because 1) it's comfortable and 2) it's freezing. I filled out my big new medical chart, and proceeded to wait. And wait. And wait. At 10:30 we decided we were going to ask the nurse to check and make sure something wasn't wrong, and as soon as Matt got up my name was called. Woop!
We went into the ultrasound room which was dark and classical music was playing. I was told to lay down and lift up my shirt and get ready for the goo. What I did not know was going to happen was that I'd have to pull my pants so far down my V was practically hanging out. So tip number two is to SHAVE! Luckily I did.
As soon as she put the thingy (I don't know these things and I won't pretend to) on me there it was on the screen. I asked if I could record it with my cell phone and was told I couldn't, sorry family. First thing I did was ask if there was just one, and the answer was yes. The next thing Matt did was hassle the lady if she was sure, and the answer was yes. Then we watched him wiggle which was so exciting! He was moving around, moving his legs, and turning his whole body.
I asked where my placenta was located because I've heard if it's in the front, you feel less of the baby's movements since it acts as a barrier of sorts. Lucky for me mine's in the back! Soon I'll be feeling everything.
We listened to the heartbeat and the ultrasound tech said it was super strong, and 167. I asked about the old wives tale about the heart beat determining sex (it's said that high heartbeats are signs of a girl), and she said that at my stage every baby has a high heart beat so I'm not ready to judge that. I'm still judging though.
Two whole things Matt said during the ultrasound: 1) So there's just one right? and 2) It has two arms and two legs right?. The man doesn't say much, but when he does it's legitimate I suppose. I on the other hand was constantly blabbering "Look at it!" and "Oh my gosh!" and "This is so weird!" through the whole thing. I asked Matt his thoughts on two occassions, and both times I got "I'm so glad there's just one", so let's celebrate that there's just ONE!!!!!!
After the ultrasound we got four pictures, a congratulations, and a move to the next office where I ate a lot of mints. No reason for that. Matt's counting arms and legs in pictures and asking strangers if they're sure there's just one. Just kidding. We got what I call a welcome packet, which was filled with pamphlets and other things. Then we made our way to the dreaded lab for bloodwork.
The lab is set up like the DMV in the sense that you pull a number and an automated window with a subway voice says "Now calling number blah". I knew going into this that they were going to take a LOT of blood and I hate blood so I've been dreading this part. My number was called, and I was given a cup to pee in which I always mess up because I somehow do something wrong like get pee ON the cup or slosh pee out of the cup. I peed in my cup and thought "okay be very careful" and what do you know, the string to the hood on my jacket lands in my cup. I don't know how I always screw up peeing in a cup, but I left that bathroom with pee on my jacket, and probably remnants of jacket in my pee. I wonder if they will think I have some strange illness if there's fibers of cotton in there......
Next came the blood, and Matt came with me for that. I filled up EIGHT viles of blood! I was super rude to the tech I think and didn't look the entire time and just kept groaning and trying not to die. I lived. He put the tissue thingy on my arm and told me he hated his job (true story and he did not laugh when we did), and we were done!
I left at noon, so I was there right at 3 hours. An hour and a half of that was waiting, and the other hour and a half was what I actually came there for. Oh and we asked the utlrasound tech if it was normal to wait that long, and we ended up feeling like total assholes because she said the person before me did not have good news during her ultrasound, and her 15 minute appointment took an hour because they had to have doctors come in and counsel her for grieving and it turns out we were in the waiting room bitching the entire time. We are great people.
There's my first appointment in a nutshell! I go back in 7 days to get a physical and a pap smear....yaaaaaaaaay.
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