Midwife Appointment at 17 Weeks

      I can't believe how fast the time keeps going.  Before you know it, it will be February and our little one will be making their public debut.  Gaaaaahhh!  There's still so much to do before then.

      First thing to discuss at the appointment, as with all of them, is how I'm feeling.  I proclaimed that I'm tired and she asked if it was normal pregnancy tired or if it was something.  For the most part I think it's normal pregnancy tired as I have to get up at least once a night for a bathroom interruption.  However, I also explained that I wake up with a headache pretty much every morning.  She asked if I'm drinking enough water, to which I had to confess that I'm trying, but do sometimes forget.  It was decided though, that even though lack of water could be a contributing factor, my pre-existing neck and migraine condition was the primary cause.  We talked about how my appetite has increased and the nausea has diminished.  Yay!!!  Big Man Breakfasts for me.  :)

     I finally remembered to fill out the form she gave us which gave her primary information about mine and Ty's health background as it pertains to my pregnancy.  We went over a few things and all looked good, so there wasn't much to discuss.  Then, it was discussed if we wanted to have the blood test for Down Syndrome and Neural tube defects.  I'm personally not worried about our child having these issues.  However, if it does come about that our little one suffers from something in this category, I would rather not know about it and have the anxiety throughout the rest of my pregnancy.  I will still love this child no matter what and give them the help and care they need when it's necessary.  Ginger made a wonderful point that I completely agree with.  The doctor she trained with said, "You do a test if it relieves anxiety, not to increase it."  So we will forgo that test.  We then discussed what we will need to do for the ultrasound!!  :)  Since she doesn't do ultrasounds, she refers you to a place that does.  In this case I'll be calling Tri City Radiology in Kennewick.  So in a few weeks we will hopefully be finding out what is swimming around inside my belly.

     Then, it was time to get up on the table and she took my blood pressure.  Honestly, I don't know if it's just later on in the pregnancy or if you are already worried about something, but I don't really understand the anxiety with getting your blood pressure taken.  Can someone explain this to me?  Maybe it's just that I feel calm at that point already after talking with Ginger that I just don't really feel the need to be anxious.  At any rate, I was normal.  Huzzah.  She then examined my belly and poked around for baby.  She found him or her pretty quickly and I loved that she asked how they were doing in a sweet voice.  Everything is growing just right.  Then we got to hear the heartbeat and some moving around.  The repetitive sound of the heart is the only repetitive sound that will never get old or annoy.  The heart sounds to me like a bouncing basketball.  I'm so glad that we get to listen to it every visit. 

     Leading up to this appointment, I had been feeling very anxious about things.  It's still hard for me to believe that I'm pregnant and even harder to believe that everything is okay.  I was actually struggling with the idea that my pregnancy had ended and my body just hadn't taken care of things naturally.  Morbid, I know, but the reality is, my past bad experiences have tainted me and I'm a very insecure momma.  However, right from the start of the appointment, everything I felt previously was put to ease as I felt taken care of, my concerns were listened to and understood.  Ginger has a very positive attitude and demeanor so it's hard not to feel comforted being around her.  Hearing the heartbeat definitely put me in a better place as well.  All in all, it was a good visit and I'm anxious to find out what our little one is.  I keep looking to my belly and asking, "Are you a boy or a girl?"  We'll soon, hopefully, find out!