Appointments | October

shamrocandroll

Talk about upcoming appointments and results here!

*Edited to remove duplicate thread

pirateduck

Today is October 1 and I have an US this afternoon and I am beyond excited and absolutely terrified (AGAIN)!  Praying for a strong and healthy heartbeat and good growth since last appointment.  I just need the reassurance that there's really still a baby in there and it's doing exactly what it's supposed to be doing.  FTM and PGAL brain make me a basket case.

shamrocandroll

@pirateduck Good luck!  I hope your scan is perfect!  Keep us posted!

soprano19

@pirateduck good luck today! I have my first US today too.

mdfarmchick

@pirateduck @soprano19 I’m looking forward to good updates from you both later today. ♥️

ruby696

Good luck today @pirateduck and @soprano19!

pirateduck

Thank you ladies...  I just gotta make it through a few more hours at work...  then appointment, then if all goes well and I'm not an emotional wreck, back to work and back to trying to pretend I'm not pregnant for the time being.  It's probably time to start telling people soon.

mamaqdubu

good luck to all the appt ladies today!!

adventuresawait2

Good luck to everyone with appts this week! Didn’t post on appts yesterday, so doing so a bit belatedly. I had a good first appt at 7 weeks 6 days. I am switching practices from the one I used with DD due to a tough hospital delivery / postpartum experience. Dr seemed very reasonable and got to see the little one by ultrasound. They will take standard AMA measures. Had asked about VBAC and they said it can depend a lot based on how things go during the pregnancy, but that I would likely be a candidate. Overall, feeling good about things!  

doctorcrime

I just had my first appoint for this pregnancy. I had a MC earlier this year and that was my first pregnancy. I've been very cautious and trying not to get my hopes up since I have not known what it is like to have a successful pregnancy. I also switched doctors and this was my first time seeing the new doc today. They did an ultrasound and I am measuring 8 weeks 3 days. I am still very cautious because my MC was at 9 weeks and 5 days so I am not even to that point.

Also, the doctor said he saw another "form" and wasn't sure what it was. He suggested it was likely either a vanishing twin or a fibroid but was leaning toward the first. He is sending me for a more in depth scan. Has anyone had experience with a vanishing twin? 

It's weird because I went into today expecting either good news or bad news. I feel like I got mixed news. I am SUPER excited that I have a healthy baby in there right now but also sad if it turns out I had another baby that didn't make it. 

pirateduck

@doctorcrime last time I had form/shape/something on my scan that they couldn't quite determine what it was.  Possibly a second gestational sac, possibly some fluid, a blood clot, who knows...  essentially I was told it's common and as long as it doesn't interfere with the location and growth of the healthy baby they don't worry about it and it will resolve in some way on it's own.  I decided if my doctor wasn't worried that I wouldn't worry.  So they measure it and take a pic of it and then look at it again next time and see how it's changed.  I just had a follow up scan 2 weeks later and the conclusion is that it was a small SCH and it hadn't grown at all and it's really no concern.  

I also have no children and my only experience with pregnancy was a loss in July at 9 weeks.  It's hard to know what is normal and healthy and what you should feel like etc.  You kinda just have to go with it.  Remember this is a new pregnancy.  It is not the same as the last one.  Today you are pregnant.  Also don't let your pain from the past steal your joy from this pregnancy.  It's ok to be nervous, but it's also ok to be excited.  Feel free to join us on the PGAL thread.  There are lots of women who feel similar.

pirateduck

My update.  I am 7+6 today and everything looks perfect I am so excited and it's finally starting to feel real.  My small SCH has not grown any and the baby is growing on track.  Our US tech was awesome and we saw the heartbeat and the little flipper arms and the yolk sac and the umbilical cord.  Next appointment in 3 weeks.  I will be 11 weeks and that will be the normal first OB appointment.  I guess that's the starting point for most pregnancies, but I'm not most pregnancies.  It sounds like lots of blood work and such, but I feel like I've already done a lot of it with my RE so we'll see.

Linsbins

I had a couple surprise appointments due to nausea but I’m super excited for my actual first appointment, because dh gets to come!

mokay19

Just had my first scan today at 6+3 and everything measured correctly with the HR at 144! Such a relief, but next week is the REAL milestone to cross so I go back Wednesday afternoon! My RE and the nurses were more concerned about my nausea that I feel like I have let myself be. I’ve been gagging and spitting up since the beginning and recently I started puking multiple times per day. Which then gives me killer headaches that feel like they’re tiptoeing migraines (I have a history of migraines that I’ve actually gone to the ER before because we thought that I was having a stroke). They told me to stop accepting the suffering and ask them for help 😂

I have my nurse intake at the OB on 10/14 and my actual OB appt on Halloween. It’ll be an exciting October hopefully!

mdfarmchick

@mokay19 congrats! Glad they are getting you some help for the nausea ♥️

lizm1234

Well, I just found out I will NOT be getting an ultrasound at my first prenatal appointment.  So, I will definitely enter at least week 11 with no scan.  I did finally find out what my HCG levels were when they confirmed pregnancy, 19,850 at 6 weeks.  Technically the info is kind of useless now, but oh well.  I just keep being positive and hope everything is ok.  Definitely not how I thought pregnancy would go.  Sorry for the vent.

mokay19

@lizm1234 I’d say that’s pretty normal for a low risk pregnancy. If I hadn’t gone through fertility treatments and had a history of losses, then I wouldn’t have my first scan until between 10-12 weeks either. 

shamrocandroll

@lizm1134 I didn't have a scan until 12 weeks for my first pregnancy because I had no risk factors. The waiting sucks, but I'd take that over being higher risk every time. I'm also paying a fortune for my early scans. 😣 I've been in your shoes and I get how you're feeling, but believe me when I say the grass isn't greener on the other side. In the meantime, do you have someone you can talk to about your anxiety surrounding this pregnancy? I'm sorry you're having a hard time, but just keep reminding yourself that today, you are pregnant! 

mamaqdubu

@lizm1234 I have my nurse intake appt tomorrow at 6+5, and i expect to hear the same thing. I think my last 2 pregnancies i had my first scan at 8 weeks, but I've heard my OB office is moving them out later to to the 10+ week timeframe which makes me sad. 

splashmountain

@liz1234 with my 1st pregnancy, I didn't get a scan until my formal u/s at 22 weeks. My doc was a little old fashioned lol. So basically, don't worry, extra scans usually mean high risks. But I do get the excitement of wanting to see your lo. Just hang on, you will soon.

Afm, I've been a little mia lately, this whole bump app not working on my phone has been irritating me lol, but I think it was @shamrocandroll that said she just uses the bump website on her chrome app and lo and behold it works great. My 1st OB appointment is next Tuesday, my RE offered to do another u/s around the same time, but since they're 2.5 hours away, I told them I'll just stick with the OB for now, but I'll call if they don't do one and I feel like I need to.

lizm1234

I appreciate the support.   I don't know if I'm technically "low risk": as I am 37 and of advanced maternal age.   However,  I do relize that having no history means having no history of problems.  I agree @shamrocandroll that the grass isn't  always greener and can understand where you're  coming from.  I'm actually seeing my doctor that has been treating my anxiety soon.  I don't mind starting counseling if it's good for the baby.  

What is not good is getting emails from this app and what to expect constantly telling me all the things that should have been done already.  That is stessful.  Getiing multiple emails saying "by now you've had your first prenatal appointment and scan" is hard.  I'm actually unsubscribing to all of the emails as we speak.   My husband and I decided to put What to Expect (the book) down until after the 1st appointment as to not build up false expectations.  Obviously things are a bit different now.  

jhysmath

I finally booked my first appointment. 10/22 they will get me in for the pregnancy test and sneak me in for a dating ultrasound too. The appointment taker said she'll likely get in trouble for doing it that way, but she doesn't want to make me do that drive twice which is a relief to me. Now....is it 10/22 yet?????

shamrocandroll

@lizm1234 The AMA is more likely to affect which tests they choose to run for you when you get to the point of needing blood work.  There isn't much different they can do early on, so most of the time they wait until 10-12 weeks to start running formal tests. I'm sure at your initial OB appointment, they will get you set up for all of your labs and scans from that point.  I know the waiting is hard, but definitely take some time to talk to someone about your anxiety in the meantime!

pirateduck

lizm1234 said:

I appreciate the support.   I don't know if I'm technically "low risk": as I am 37 and of advanced maternal age.   However,  I do relize that having no history means having no history of problems.  I agree @shamrocandroll that the grass isn't  always greener and can understand where you're  coming from.  I'm actually seeing my doctor that has been treating my anxiety soon.  I don't mind starting counseling if it's good for the baby.  

What is not good is getting emails from this app and what to expect constantly telling me all the things that should have been done already.  That is stessful.  Getiing multiple emails saying "by now you've had your first prenatal appointment and scan" is hard.  I'm actually unsubscribing to all of the emails as we speak.   My husband and I decided to put What to Expect (the book) down until after the 1st appointment as to not build up false expectations.  Obviously things are a bit different now.  

Yeah, I unsubscribed from all communications.  I just check in when I want.  I haven’t been reading my book much either.  Once it got into the bit about the millions of tests for all the things that could be wrong with baby is what set me over the edge.  I don’t wanna focus on the potential bad things and like to think my OB will recommend the appropriate tests at the appropriate times if there is a risk or he deems it necessary.

pirateduck

At my recent appointment I received an info. packet of what to expect regarding care over the next 8 months.  My facility uses the "centering pregnancy program."  I have never heard of this and do not know anything about it other than what is in my welcome letter.  Have any of you moms received your prenatal care at a facility that uses this method?  What did you love or hate about it?  It sounds like there will be some sort of group appointments/classes with other women who are at the same stage in pregnancy as me.  I really can't imagine there will be a large group as it's such a small community, but who knows.  I will find out more in a few weeks at my next appointment.

shamrocandroll

@pirateduck I did Centering with my first pregnancy and I liked it.  It was good for me as a FTM and gave me a lot of good resources and details that I don't think I would have gotten from a regular office visit.  However, I won't be doing it for this pregnancy because they were 2 hour sessions monthly and then bi-monthly and that's a big time commitment for repeat information this time.  I also know of women with a lot of anxiety who didn't enjoy the Centering environment because it's less private.  For example, at the beginning of each session, they used doppler to check heartbeat in the corner of the room (behind like a little curtain thing), and one friend of mine would get really anxious that they wouldn't find a heartbeat and she would be in a room full of other women and she couldn't deal with that anxiety so she switched to regular office visits.  

pirateduck

@shamrocandroll Did most women's husbands/partners come to these appointments with them?  How did that change the dynamic of the group?

shamrocandroll

@pirateduck Some did, but most of them stopped coming after they saw what the first couple were like.  Not many of them wanted to sit around and talk about pregnancy symptoms for 2 hours, and the ones who did come regularly were pretty quiet.  However, most of them came to the one that included a tour of the delivery wing of the hospital.  

pirateduck

Hmm...  I fear my husband will actually be less inclined to participate in this type of setting.  I suppose we can do one session and see.  My husband has been with me to many appointments through IF and this pregnancy, and even though he sometimes grumbles about going, he always talks to the doctor and asks questions and interacts in a way that makes me feel like he is getting something out of these appointments too.

shamrocandroll

@pirateduck It definitely might hinder some people from asking questions they might ask privately to a doctor.  In most cases, we were all going through the same things (kind of like here) so there weren't many topics that were sacred.  Which is part of why I think some of the men got uncomfortable, hah.  Especially when we started talking about things like mucus plugs. 

mamaqdubu

I had my intake appt today and initial blood draw. I forgot how many vials they take! I think like 7 or 8. It felt nuts. 

Anyways, the intake was all fine. They switched their nurse to a much nicer woman. The woman I saw for my first two pregnancies was super offish and had no compassion. This girl was so nice and sweet. 

I scheduled my my first official OB visit & US for 2 weeks... so I’ll be 8 + 5 when I get to see this little goober. I’m so excited. 

pirateduck

I'm having serious reservations about this whole "centering pregnancy" program...  does anyone else have experience with this?

I just feel like it's a scam.  Like it's some program some hospital business type came up with as a way to save money.  They don't need to pay to have as many doctors on staff because instead of meeting 10 patients individually at appointments throughout their pregnancies they only have 10 appointments total and see them all at once.  Then they get some PR person to put a positive spin on it and say that somehow this is better for the patients.  

I fear that somehow I won't get the individual attention I want/need/pay an arm and a leg for.

I hope that my office gives me an option and I can go the traditional route if I want.  I really don't want to change facilities because of where I live.

mdfarmchick

@pirateduck it’s sounds like what they wanted to steam roll me into with my first. I didn’t like that way of doing things, personally. I would think you should be able to ask your office to go the more traditional route.  Cookie cutter appointments don’t suit everyone. And while there are probably some positives as far as being around other women who are at the same point in pregnancy as you, I personally agree that it seems like a way for them to save money at your expense. 

shamrocandroll

@pirateduck My Centering visits were all completely free (never even saw an EOB from insurance for them) and I liked that it allowed me to have both the midwife and OB experience.  A midwife ran the centering sessions, but I still got periodic OB visit check-ins.  It also turned what would have been a 15 minute rushed visit with an OB into a 2 hour structured session with set discussion topics for each one, so a lot of the time I ended up asking questions I wouldn't have otherwise thought of on my own.  Again, like I said before, it's not for everyone, and if you like a more private setting, then you may want to opt out.  My OB gave me the choice both times.  I picked centering the first time and office visits this time (mostly because of the time commitment and repeat info).  Even if this was my first time, I don't think I would go with the centering approach this time because of my PGAL anxiety with being able to find a heartbeat.  

pirateduck

mdfarmchick said:

@pirateduck it’s sounds like what they wanted to steam roll me into with my first. I didn’t like that way of doing things, personally. I would think you should be able to ask your office to go the more traditional route.  Cookie cutter appointments don’t suit everyone. And while there are probably some positives as far as being around other women who are at the same point in pregnancy as you, I personally agree that it seems like a way for them to save money at your expense. 

I guess I'm also partly bothered by the fact that no one (not yet anyway, maybe it's coming at my next appointment) has explained this to me as an option or presented it to me as a choice.  I think I need more info. and need to be able to make my own decision in terms of what I am comfortable with.  I have social anxiety as well as anxiety concerning this pregnancy due to my medical history and the thought of being in a group of people (strangers!) is driving up my blood pressure as I sit here.

Before learning all this, I was looking into birth class options as a FTM and a way to meet other people and learn more about other things that maybe aren't covered as medical issues.  To learn about swaddling a baby with other people or staying calm in labor or changing diapers is one thing, but medical issues are quite another.

pirateduck

@shamrocandroll

Did you know what the discussion topics would be in advance?  
What sorts of things did you talk about?  Did the midwife decide this or the group?

I guess more than anything I feel I don't have enough information at this point because I didn't even know this sort of thing existed!

It may be a good choice, but I just don't know...

shamrocandroll

I think they gave us a book that broke it down into topics by week.  Theoretically, you could read ahead to see what topics were up next, but I never really did, haha.  Also, you always got 1-on-1 time at the start of the visit with the midwife to ask more private questions.  And you still should have access to your OB for questions/issues, as well.  You can also always decide not to go that route if you don't like it after a couple of sessions.  I highly doubt you'll be forced into it.  

mdfarmchick

@pirateduck I highly recommend a birth class, at the hospital where you are giving birth if possible. It definitely gives you a good overview of how your hospital policy will effect your birth. They will cover things like emergencies in childbirth or potential problems, so medical issues will come up but it’s a very different setting. I also took a birth class offered by a local women’s center here because I knew I wanted a doula and to know more about natural childbirth options. 

pirateduck

mdfarmchick said:

@pirateduck I highly recommend a birth class, at the hospital where you are giving birth if possible. It definitely gives you a good overview of how your hospital policy will effect your birth. They will cover things like emergencies in childbirth or potential problems, so medical issues will come up but it’s a very different setting. I also took a birth class offered by a local women’s center here because I knew I wanted a doula and to know more about natural childbirth options. 

This is a good point.  Some of the classes I was looking at are at a different medical center.  It sounds like there could be information that would be specific to the facility and what they are equipped to handle etc.  

queenklau

I had an early dating/viability ultrasound today (pic in ultrasound thread)-measured 6w4d. I also got a third beta/progesterone draw. Had a quick check in with the nurse over the phone, she order some additional blood work (standard intake blood work), so I need to get that done next week.

My next “real” initial OB appt will be on Oct 15th, at 8w1d.

I haven’t heard of this Centering Format. How new is it? I am also not sure how I would feel about it.

ETA because words

mdfarmchick

@queenklau it was favored by my providers with my first in 2015