Oh, how I have been waiting
for you to arrive! Week 12 has officially ended! I wish I could say it went out
with a bang; I think I expected some monumental change to occur to mark the
beginning of my 2nd trimester. I think
my nausea got a little better this past week (although that could just be
wishful thinking) but indigestion, acid reflux, non-stop peeing, and restless
nights continue to haunt me.
The exciting
point of this week was going to get my 12 week ultrasound! The down point of
this week was also that ultrasound visit. We did not see my usual OB; instead,
we saw a new lady and she was not very warm or kind. (Yes, I may be a little
over sensitive right now due to the humongous volume of hormones coursing
through my body.) She seemed relatively nice until I started asking questions,
to which she responded as if she were greatly annoyed. Then, we were supposed
to get to use the Doppler and hear the twins heartbeats for the first time
(yay!) but she decided that since there were twins we would not be able to
determine if we were hearing two heart beats or one, so it was a waste. I
gently persuaded her to let us hear the heart beat anyways. (Side note here:
She said she had twins too; didn’t she want to hear their heartbeats?).
I think my
biggest issue with this woman was that she was very clinical and cold. This is
my first pregnancy experience. I have questions and it is a very special
circumstance; a miracle (aren’t all pregnancies?). I guess I just expected her
to be excited about the babies; to want to see them and hear them just as much
as we do!
Once she
actually started the Doppler she ran it for a while and didn’t say a word. I
thought there was no heartbeat. I finally asked her, “is that a heartbeat?” She
looked pointedly at me and said “yes.” Like I was supposed to know what I was listening
for!? I have never heard a heartbeat in the womb. Couldn’t she have at least
said, “Oh listen, there’s a heartbeat!” I could have just done the ultrasound
myself!
So the
actual ultrasound was so good to see! They do have really old and grainy equipment
(which they tell you) but we did get to see those babies moving! They were
stretching out and kicking! One even did a complete roll! They are so active
and so full of life! I was disappointed because I asked her to tell me how fast
their hearts were beating and she didn’t, and also because she didn’t even
bother to measure them.
I will stop
my rant about that doctor now. I promise, my next rant is not about her. So
this same doctor told me that I would need to see a perinatologist every month
for a more detailed ultrasound because they have better equipment. She gave me
a referral and told me to call and schedule a 16 week visit with them. I
clarified with her that she wanted me to see my OB and the Perinatologist every
month, and she confirmed it. So yesterday I tried to schedule my 16 week
appointment with the specialist and they told me that they only perform a level
2 ultrasound at 20 weeks and that they would not see me at 16 weeks simply
based on me having twins. They said that the doctor would have to give them a
different diagnosis. Of course I immediately called said doctor to tell her
this and to ask what to do; lo and behold, she had the day off and would not be
back in until Monday.
So yes, at
this point I was very frustrated. The backstory is that I tried to schedule a 1st
trimester ultra-screen with this same perinatologist to screen for Down
Syndrome and it was such a hassle with them. The only appointment I could get
was the very next day (super short notice) when my husband would be out of state
and could not make it. So there I was, on the phone with them, crying, begging
them to fit me in so that my husband could accompany me; and no, they couldn’t
do it.
Before you
think I am a total whack job, please remember that we have waited 7 years for
this pregnancy, we ended up adopting embryos do to complete infertility, we had
no guarantee of success and we are having twins (don’t forget those lovely
pregnancy hormones). My husband wants to be with me every step of the way and I
think I was well within my rights to bawl because I would be faced with a potentially
scary test all alone.
Needless to
say, I found a different perinatologist for this 2st trimester screening, and
they see me in two days (they said it simply had to be before 13weeks 6 days).
If I go to their office and they are wonderful and agree to see me every month
(like my doctor ordered) I will forgo the office my doctor tried to send me to
(the hassling one).
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