The Fool on the Hill

I admit it: I'm a pregnancy newbie. I feel like such a moron sometimes because I really don't know anything about anything. As well-versed as I've become with infertility lingo, I find myself stammering when it comes to talking about this pregnancy.

Which is why I am relying so much on my doctor to tell me what is going on. In plain English. Like she's speaking to a 5 year-old.

Today, at 9 weeks, 3 days, I had my first appointment with a real OB-GYN. Not an infertility specialist, but where 'normal' women go when they get knocked up. It was very strange, being there for the first time for my first pregnancy check-up. I was hoping that she could provide the same kind of attention that my IVF clinic had. Most of all, I was terribly nervous that my Little Embryo that Could would stop could-ing.

Not knowing what to expect for my first OB appointment, I felt like an idiot. It was like my first visit to the 'girl parts doctor'. I was shaking and sweating and praying to Whoever Is In Charge Of This that everything would be ok. I was hoping that I would get to have another ultrasound for a few more weeks of peace of mind.

First, the nurse weighed me and measured my blood pressure. Surprisingly, I hadn't gained any weight. Probably has something to do with my food aversions and nausea. I'm sure that my weight is being distributed differently though. I have quite the belly pooch now.

Then the doctor came in and we went over some stuff. I made her aware of the progesterone scare I had a couple of weeks ago, and that this was the lone embryo out of 18 so I am still so nervous about this one not developing properly. I told her about the two fibroids that were seen during my first ultrasound at the IVF clinic. She assured me that fibroids do not grow that quickly and that I shouldn't worry that they're going to get too big.

She did a pelvic exam and took a cervical culture. It wasn't so bad. One thing I can say about this doctor is that she is very gentle. She said everything felt completely normal. That was good.
I asked her about getting another ultrasound. She said that she would be referring me to the Maternal Fetal specialist at the hospital, since I am more of a high-risk case. Which is fine, because I certainly want to be monitored more often, and by someone who specializes in high-risk pregnancies. But I also wanted another ultrasound today. I don't know how I managed to get her to offer to do one, but she rolled in the little cart and did a quick scan. The resolution on this equipment wasn't as good as the type that was used to at the IVF clinic, but it was really all I needed to get an idea that Blobby is still growing. We saw the heartbeat and Blobby is measuring 2.5 cm, which is about twice the size it was less than 2 weeks ago. The doctor told me that this size corresponded to 8 weeks gestation, but I looked here, and according to this table, we're right on track!

So, I feel much better about things today. I still feel like a worrying fool who has no idea what she's doing; but with any luck, in a few months I'll be worrying about our new baby.