February 15, 2010

That is my baby's due date! I'm secretly hoping for a Valentines Baby- we already have a Halloween baby in the family (Sydney was born on Halloween last year). I also want the baby to be early rather than 10 days late like his or her big brother Jeremiah- first of all, the waiting SUCKED- big time. Second of all, my parents are scheduled to be in Vegas less than a week after my due date for a major convention for their business. Not only do I want them present (well, in the waiting room or taking care of Jeremiah at our house, but none the less in the same city as we are) for the birth of their second grandchild, we were also counting on them to take care of Jeremiah during our hospital stay and for the first day or two at home with the baby. Recovery from Jeremiah sucked soooo bad. Worse than any part of my labor (no pain during the delivery thanks to my best friend Epidural!) I remember wondering where all the pain came from, going into the delivery naiively thinking that the only painful part was the labor and delivery, and if you were sore afterward, it lasted a day or two, tops- not a full two and a half weeks.

Anyway, today I had my first appointment. It was pretty standard and quick- just the initial female exam, and a blood test to verify the pregnancy. Once the lab sends back confirmation that I am pregnant, I will be going back (July 20th) for an ultrasound and the rest of my initial appointment- glucose test, lots of blood work, medical history. Oh, and I absolutely LOVE my new doctor's office. It is sooooo much nicer having insurance, getting to go to a nice office that specializes in pregnancy versus a crowded clinic that sees everyone for all sorts of ailments. Here's a few of the reasons why:
1) Wait time. With Jeremiah, it didn't matter what time my appointment was, I always had a minimum of an hour wait past my scheduled appointment time- or longer! For my first appointment I had to wait 6- yes S-I-X hours. And once I got into my room after blood/urine work was done and weight/temperature was taken, I had another half an hour to go before the doctor showed up. Today I waited at most 20 minutes , and was seen right away when I got into my room.

2) The waiting room itself was small, intimate, with nice music playing and MAGAZINES. In the clinic, there were rows and rows of chairs but still not enough for everybody to sit. Sick people were all around, couging up a lung. It was noisy, chaotic, and there were maybe two magazines available. There was a tiny tv tuned into either a Spanish station or the news, but good luck trying to hear it. This office has a policy where if you bring your kids, you have to wait outside for your turn so that they don't spread their germs to the mommies to be. Thank goodness, no foreign runny noses and screams! Because 80 percent of the moms in the waiting room at the clinic made no effort to control their children.

3) The overall visit itself- I did not feel rushed at all vs at the clinic- and the nurse practitioner was SO friendly- and gentle. I didn't even realize she had completed the procedure, it was over so fast. Let me tell you- it's a lot nicer having a pap done by a middle aged female than an 85 year old cranky man!!! Plus it was so nice not having to worry about how much everything was costing. I can handle a $10 co-pay vs. the insane amounts we were paying with Jer!

In all, I'm thrilled to be where I'm at. And thrilled to be pregnant =)

Tomorrow Marissa and I are taking Jeremiah to the beach! Have a great 4th of July weekend!