Anatomy Scan!

We were originally scheduled to have the anatomy scan on April 19th, but due to a surgery that came up at the last minute, the doctor's office had to reschedule the appointment.  At first I was disappointed because I figured the appointment would be later, but it turns out they had an opening on Monday at a reasonable time! So much excitement...

As suggested, I had my first caffeinated beverage in over 16 weeks.  It worked because the baby was jumping all over the place!  The baby was moving so much it was hard for the ultrasound technician to take good still shots.  The baby started with the head on my left side and within a minute was flipped around with the head on my right side - reminds me how I use to sleep when I was younger!

Baby Bowers turns out to be a boy!  We are more than excited, and it's crazy to think that all of my gender dreams from the first trimester were correct!  It's amazing what our bodies and subconscious know.  He showed us his goods and then promptly crossed his legs and turned his back towards us.  We had a great view of his spine.

He was kicking, squirming, flipping, grabbing toes, putting his hands up near his head.  He seems to react to caffeine like I do - hyper.  He'd probably do the same if he had too much sugar - like a box of nerds and a couple handfuls of gummy bears. :)  It was awesome to see him bouncing and moving around.  He had a strong heartbeat of 145 BPM.  All is well, and we are happy to have a healthy baby.

I must say, though, on Tuesday, I severely regretted drinking the Diet Pepsi – not out of guilt, but due to the caffeine keeping me up and messing up my sleep.  Even when I drank caffeinated beverages, I would stop by noon so that it would wear off before bed time.  This was not the case on Monday, and I struggled to fall asleep and stay asleep.  I think giving up caffeine is the key reason why I have been sleeping so well during this pregnancy – that and my awesome bladder, which means I don’t wake up in the middle of the night to go pee.









12 Week Appointment

Quick and easy appointment...pee in a cup, take the blood pressure, weigh in, and see the doctor (~5min).

The doctor found the heartbeat very quickly, which was cool to hear.  In addition, I bought a Sonoline B 3MHz Doppler from eBay (brand new) last week, and it arrived today.  So I paid attention to where the doctor could hear the heartbeat, and I tried at home.  It definitely took some time, and I found my own heartbeat many times and struggled to find the baby's.  BUT I found it, and it was cool to hear.  http://qik.com/37821342/98a22868  I need to figure out how to get the video off my phone since the file is too large for me to send it to my email.

I also talked to my doctor more about being Rh-...so I requested that he send my husband to get his blood tested for type/Rh since AJ doesn't know it.  No need to get a shot if AJ is also RH-, though only 15% of the population is, and AJ believes he is A+...but doesn't know for sure.  He's not big on having blood drawn, but come on!  I gave 9 vials already, though I was a regular blood donor.  It's better for him to give the blood and know his type than for me to blindly receive the shot at 28 weeks.  However, I am thinking statistics are against me, and I will receive the shot, but he can go through a little discomfort, too!  At least he can have a beer afterwards!

Can You Pee in a Cup...TWICE?

The first OB appointment was today, which included an ultrasound.  I had read that it can help to have a full bladder when the technician is conducting the ultrasound.  So I drank 32 oz of water in an hour and a half leading up to the appointment.  When the technician put the cold gel and then the ultrasound wand on my belly and pressed to see the baby, I wanted to bust!  But it was all worth it because we were able to see the baby and hear the heartbeat.



8 w 3 d

Based on my LMP, I am 8 weeks and 3 days along; the baby was measured to be on track with my LMP.  In addition, the heartbeat was 175 beats per minute. 

With my lack of symptoms (little bloat and fatigue), I was slightly concerned about what was going on, so it was very reassuring to see and hear the baby.  The next ultrasound isn't until 20 weeks, when we hope to find out the gender!  3 months to go.  Though there will be other appointments before the 20th week.

So after the ultrasound, I have to provide an urine sample...it appears they test to ensure you are pregnant.  Seems like it should be the opposite, but then I wouldn't have the full bladder that is beneficial to the ultrasound when conducting on the outside of the belly.  After the ultrasound, AJ went back to work.  I am so happy I chose a local OBGYN so that my husband could come to the appointments, even when he is on duty.

Afterwards, I met with the doctor.  We discussed my medical history, and he answered any questions I had.  He was very surprised and pleased that I knew so much about pregnancy - especially having a blood type that is Rh-.  He was glad to see I had done my research.  I like the OB very much.  He doesn't believe a pregnant woman needs to live in a bubble, and that most things are okay in moderation.  He wasn't against exercise or me continuing my pre pregnancy routine, as long as I was comfortable when doing so.

Then came the fun part...the pelvic exam.  So we'll skip that part.  Though I will say the doctor and nurse put me at ease - really like the practice so far!

Afterwards, I had to go give blood (9 tubes) and another urine sample!  Thank goodness that I drank all that water.  The nurse conducting the lab samples said she didn't understand why the OB always had his patient give a sample, and then sent them upstairs 30 minutes later.  Most can't go twice.  Most don't drink as much water as I do!

In all, I was at the doctor's office for 2 hours.  Normally, I can't stand being at the doctor's office, but today was definitely an exception.  Well worth every waiting minute. :)