Appointments Week of 4/16

LaceyBee522

mytinc

Nothing this week for me.

sunshineandwhiskey

30 week appt today.  Woot. 

ramennoodlegif

I have a regular checkup tomorrow, along with a dental check up. I had a tooth extraction a few days after finding out I was pregnant, so we'll discuss a dental implant. Oh, goody!

sabby2

@kfren that makes me shudder.  good luck at your appointments!

None this week for me.

ramennoodlegif

@sabby2 Thanks! I've had so much work done on my mouth, I feel like a professional dental patient. 

emiliadkay

@kfren My wallet cries every time I take it to the dentist. I know unexpected and $$$ issues could come up at any sort of medical appointment, but it just seems so much more likely there! Good luck tomorrow, at both appts.

doxiemoxie212

Reg OB appt Thursday with another OB from the practice -- it's the dude OB. I've never actually had a dude OB. I don't really have any problem with it, just have never had the opportunity. He'll just measure my belly, though, and listen to the HB with the doppler so, NBD. No vag time. 

Osteopath on Wednesday, which helps for about 30 minutes after until my body just goes back to how it was before the appointment. It's mostly covered by my insurance... but I do wonder if I'm just wasting everyone's time with all this relaxin my body clearly responds exaggeratedly to. 

mytinc

@doxiemoxie212 - I went to a male OB from the time I was 18 until he moved practices over a decade later.  I had heard that male OBs could be more gentle during paps since "they don't have those parts".  I've certainly had some more painful paps when female OBs (not my current one though, she's great).

With DS2 I had a male nurse in labor and delivery while I was being induced.  It was a little weird to have him check my progress with DH standing there, but overall he was an awesome nurse and I had no issues at all with him.  He even gave me some tips that were super helpful with getting baby to drop and suggested to the anesthesiologist why my epidural was only working on one side (she tried his fix and it worked, so they didn't have to redo the whole thing).

doxiemoxie212

@mytinc I have never cared who looks at my vag, honestly. Like, in our birth classes they're always talking about how you have the right to tell residents and students you've already been checked 5 min ago and don't need to be checked again if you don't want to (all hospitals in NYC are major teaching hospitals), but if it's not painful, I don't think I'd care for modesty reasons. I always think it's funny when doctors get flustered if you don't have the drape over your lap yet or whatever for reg OB appts. I'm like, bruh, you're about to stick your hand up there, can we stop this nonsense? TW, for my miscarriage, a male radiology tech had to get all up in my business with TV wand with DH sitting right at my feet staring up the sheet. DH had no idea what would be involved, so he chose his seat unwisely. I think he only thought it was gross because there was so much blood, though, I don't think he cared at all there was a guy up in my business. 

rnielsen321

My male GP always did my Pap tests. Never had an OB until I was pregnant. And when I had my problems with my Bartholin's glad staph infection(s) and surgery, it was quote the teachable moment, and I was like "whomever needs to see this, so I can get going, is welcome! C'mon down!"

As for me, I have a Ultrasound today, to measure baby and size him... and get the lay of the land. I am 31w3d. Then I see the OB on Wednesday for results, and bloodwork results. Seems my cholestasis has reared its itchy self 4.5 weeks earlier this pregnancy. I am on Ursadiol, which is MOSTLY effective, but, I am still itchy. So who know when the OB may say we are moving forward... 

MLS6212

@kfren Good luck with the implant! I had a dental implant last year and it was a breeze! I was nervous about the idea of the whole thing but my oral surgeon was great and the procedure took about 30 minutes from start to finish and more than half of that was getting the Novocaine and waiting for it to kick in. The recovery was simple and I had very minimal pain or swelling afterwards. The pain to my wallet wasn't fun, but we were able to cover it out of our HSA.

Had my 32 week appointment this morning. I think my OB was probably involved in a delivery because she was in scrubs and not as chatty as usual even though I hadn't seen her in about two months (she had been out of town so I saw another doctor in the practice for my 28 week appointment).

I spent the entire weekend in the hospital, though. I woke up at 4am on Saturday morning thinking I was having some GI issues from some bad Chinese food. By 9am I was on the phone with the on call doctor because it felt like I was having contractions and they were coming more frequently (every 5-6 minutes) and getting stronger in intensity. Spent some time in L&D triage and when contractions were coming every 90 seconds they admitted me so I could start on magnesium and get some steroids to boost baby's lung and brain development in case he came early. Luckily, after 24 hours on magnesium the contractions stopped and I was able to go home. Just hoping this is an isolated incident and baby stays put for another 6-8 weeks!

ramennoodlegif

@MLS6212 Thanks! Glad to know it won't be too awful. Sorry to hear about about your weekend. Glad everything turned out ok and hopefully, you won't have any more scares!

jsl82

I've only had female OBs too- but one of the male drs delivered DD.  We didn't like his bedside manner- but the fact that he was a man had nothing to do with that.  Hopefully you end up liking all the doctor's in your practice, because Murphy's law says that whatever dr you don't like will in fact be the dr on call that day.

We had our growth scan today- which means it may have been my last ever pregnancy ultrasound.  Baby was head down and ready to go... measuring in 63rd percentile.  The tech didn't tell me how big the head was, but MH has a large head- so it's always my biggest worry.  DD was in the 55th so he's bigger- and I'm getting a little scared.    

marcus7676

@MLS6212 I hope you are feeling better and the baby stays in there for longer!

afm, my 34 week appointment is Wednesday. I’m particularly anxious because I’ve convinced myself the baby is head up based on all he strange movements and new hiccup location. This baby is bigger than average so I’m worried it got feels stuck in breech position. 

LaceyBee522

@MLS6212 Oh, no! I'm so sorry to hear that was your weekend! It sounds so scary. I'm glad they got the contractions stopped. FX they stay gone until closer to time!

starla487

Just an MFM appt on Thursday. Will probably start the NSTs next week. (And I have another growth scan next Tuesday.)

Amphibious22

I've got my 32 week appointment tomorrow morning. Nothing major though since I pushed my growth scan to 34 weeks. DH really wanted to be there for it and he's out of town this week. I am so ready for it though to see if this LO is head down or not. I can't tell at all and I'm carrying so high, it's deceiving.

Also I've only ever had female OBs. I don't think I would have a huge issue with it in an emergency, but I've always felt more comfortable with a woman down there. I guess I'm more modest than I thought.  

Austenista

In my experience, the male Ob’s in my practice are less gentle. I always dreaded seeing them because one would actually be painful with the Doppler the other I’ve only seen a couple of times, once in the hospital the first time they were going to induce me and he was 10/10 the most painful cervical checks I experienced. Left the hospital bleeding. I think it was just an individual case of him not knowing his own strength or how to be gentle though. 

izza2

I only had female OBs until my current one, because I was young/modest and H thought it was weird for a man to be all up in my vag.
But, between those female OBs and my current male OB - my current one is by far my favourite. Always gentle, hilarious, and he always offers his arm to help me up when I have to lie down for dopplers. I usually don't need it, but, I know the ladies in my previous office never did such a thing.
I've also heard horror stories for male OBs, though, so I don't necessarily think it's a sex issue, but more of a "this person's a douche" issue.

doxiemoxie212

@izza2 oh man, I haven't had the male OB yet, but EVERYONE in my OB's office is always trying to help me up, but I'm already mostly sitting so it always confuses me. I think I forget I'm pregnant briefly? Like why are you helping me? I can sit up! And then oh, oof, this is harder than I remembered. 

lisa2589

I’m really sad that so many have not had a good experience with male OBs. I honestly can’t rave enough about mine for so many reasons, I picked him from a practice of 6 other women! And I have worked with them all as a nurse as well, as my floor post ops all the hysterectomy patients. Admittedly my H is super cagey about another male in my business (for unknown male reasons, eye roll) but every time still walks away saying what a great guy my OB is. I’ve found him to be more gentle with cervical checks or any type of pelvic exam than any other medical professional I’ve seen. Luck of the draw I guess! 

LaceyBee522

As an adult all my Gynos/OBs were referrals from friends/co-workers, so I've just happened to never had a male. Not against it, just never happened.

However, the male OB in my OB's practice seems like a total douche canoe. I met him when I was admitted a few weeks ago and did not like him at all. So, knowing luck/Murphy's Law, if I go into spontaneous labor, he'll be the one on call. Womp!

catlady1215

Since I'm going to be needing a new OB by my 6 wk check up, one on the list is male. He's actually one my OB recommends and did my csection for DS. I had only met him right before the OR, so i don't know his exam ways. But he was actually the dr that came and talked to me this wkend also. Nice guy. I might consider him, not sure yet.

i will say, with 48 hrs of cervical checks with ds, the female residents were the roughest. One snuck attacked me. I was super tense so she said 'ok ok' and pulled out. Then once I relaxed and she knew it, she shoved her fingers up to check me. I almost kicked her.. not even on purpose. Yet it should have been. So by day 2, when a male resident walked in (my first male ever), I almost cried. And he was the most gentle out of everyone.

rnielsen321

So 32 week check in at the OB, and follow up on US from Monday. Seems our "wee one" is measuring over 99th percentile. He weighs 5.5 lbs at the moment...Approximately. I am measuring 38 weeks based on Fundal height. 
No wonder I am tired, cranky, can't sleep and just not always "at my best". SHEESH!

the good news is the cholestasis (aka liver problems), build up for bile salts, is measuring rather low, so hopefully with the combination of low bile salts, and the medication to take care of them, the babe continues to bake.  Preterm labour is one of the risks of cholestasis. My OB and I are still in discussions on induction, or C section. So I will be back for another Ultrasound at 36 weeks (if we make it that far). DH predicts 34 - 36 weeks as a window for the little man to make an appearance. Here's to hoping he's wrong!