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1st Trimester
Need your input please!!
I'll be 12 weeks tomorrow, and have had 2 trips to the doctor fr my pregnancy. My husband is military so I am getting care on a military post and at my first appointment (at 7 weeks) but they called it "registering for a OB appointment" and I met with an OB nurse and discussed family history and and estimated my due date by last period and gave me local info and some magazines.
My next appointment was supposed to be a full physical (week 11) however the doctor (who seemed OB qualified but I also saw this same doc when I had a problem with my eye last year) said it wasn't necessary to do a pelvic exam because I'm only 20yo and the whole appointment just ended up being us talking again (and we listened to the heartbeat).
According to the book I was given that is supposed to tell me what to expect at each appointment by military standards my next appointment an ultrasound will be ordered but not likely done at this appointment (which should be between weeks 16 and 20) so I'm not looking at an ultrasound until after week 20 and I just feel that everyone else is getting an ultrasound much much sooner.
This is my first pregnancy and I honestly expected an ultrasound at my first or second appointment not my fourth, and my MIL keeps asking when my "official" due date is but they are using a cardboard wheel to predict my due date (which is just as accurate as the online calculators I used) and I feel like I'm not getting the same care as other pregnant women. I tried looking up when my first ultra sound should be and according to the website I found it I could/should have had 4 by the time I get 1.
I mean of course I want to see my baby but don't they use ultrasound to help detect problems and the growth to calculate a more accurate due date and to just make sure everything is okay? So I guess what I'm asking here is what do you all think that this is normal or do you think I'm not getting the typical treatment. Should I be as upset/concerned as I am or are my emotions getting the best of me? Does it seem weird that my pelvic exam wasn't administered because according to the doc I saw the "norm" says that pelvic exams aren't necessary until your 21 even if you're pregnant?
I could just really use some advice/opinions on my situation, I'm really just upset and confused about the whole thing. Please honestly anything would be helpful.
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Re: Need your input please!!
With my first, I only had the one ultrasound at 20 weeks. As long as you're "measuring" okay as far as fundal height (when they measure to the top of the uterus) or there are other issues at play, I don't think they'll give you more ultrasounds. I have no guidance for the pelvic exam though.
ETA: I expect only one ultrasound with this pregnancy as well. As much as I'd like to see the baby before then, I won't push it. My insurance pays for one, so as long as it goes well, I won't have more.
TTC Baby #2 - BFP on 12/14/11 @ 10DPO - CP confirmed 12/18/11
BFP #2 on 1/13/12
This. I only had an early u/s with DD as I had a ton of bleeding at 6 weeks, otherwise it would have been at 21-22 weeks. With DS I had an early one at 9 weeks as they had no idea how far along I was and I also had the NT scan at 13 weeks due to my age increasing into the 'higher risk' area, etc.
Only have 1 scan is totally normal for a young, healthy, uncomplicated pg.
I am a Navy wife. Honestly, you are getting better care than I did when I was seen on post. My past experience with the MTF here was a JOKE and I refused to go back (that pregnancy ended in a loss, which was not their fault, but at the same time they handled it poorly) Here they won't see you until at least 10 weeks, and at that point you have to have a 3 hour class (where you sit with a group of around 10 other women and they walk you step by step through paperwork. Umm I can read and I am perfectly able to do paperwork on my own, thank you.)
Anyway, if you are unhappy with your care you CAN go on Tricare Standard. You might have to pay a little (so far I have only had to pay about $100 total, and I am high risk, so I have been seen A LOT) and that way you can go to a civilian and if you don't like the care you are getting you can switch to a different Dr instead of being stuck in the OB clinic. I went with Standard so I didn't have to go back to the MTF and I am SO glad I did. I love my OB and am extremely happy with the care I am getting.
One other thing though, not all OB's will do an early u/s. I have been to OB's before where the only u/s for a normal, low risk pregnancy is the anatomy scan at 20 weeks. Not all OB's do a dating u/s and they typically just base your edd on your last period (the little cardboard wheel).
Ahhhh Tricare and ultrasounds... From what I've read tricare pays for no ultrasounds unless they are 'medically' necessary. I got one last week but only because I was bleeding. Found out I have a large Fibroid that now has to be watched weekly (I"m hoping they pay as it is a 'complication' and puts me into a higher risk category, thus being 'medically' necessary)
Like others have said, when you see people getting early u/s it's mostly because they have run into problems or they have higher risk factors. I was really confused too, how can they expect you to go through a whole pregnancy without looking in there to make sure everything is ok??? Hang in there, I'm so glad you got to hear the heartbeat, try not to stress, your risk factors are low and you aren't having any alarming side effects so I'm sure everything is fine. Even though that doesn't take away from your need to KNOW, I know that feeling....