Yesterday we went back to the doctor for another ultrasound to see how my fibroid tumor is coming along. The doctor said his first choice was if it had shrunk. Not the case. Next he hoped it would at least stay the same size. Not so. Well, he said, at least it's not growing extremely rapidly. But it's definitely growing. So that's not good. I'm not quite sure what that means for me or what they're planning on doing about it, but that's the news for now.
While they were ultrasounding around in there, they snapped a few blurry shots of the baby, flinging her hands and feet around.
These are her feet. We asked the ultrasound lady to make sure she had all her toes as my brother has only four toes on one foot and Dave's dad has about half of one toe. She counted ten, for which we are thankful.
At one point while watching the screen, a very clear nose and mouth appeared. It looked like a grown woman! The lips were exceedingly curvy and voluptuous and did not look like they belonged on a baby at all! Very surreal. You can kind of even tell from the profile shot above that the lips are huge. Be prepared if Angelina Jolie's mini-me pops out.
Next we had our regular monthly meeting with the doctor, which we had to wait an hour for because of an emergency birth he had attended that morning. He examined me for two minutes, checked that the heartbeat was there and measured my stomach. He was in and out in three minutes. This is what happened last time too. Now, I could have told you the heart was beating, as I receive frequent other kinds of beatings from this baby day and night. And my stomach is also definitely growing, I don't need the doctor's tape measure to tell me that. Getting those things checked seemed kind of pointless when that was all there was. Plus I forgot to ask about the future for my fibroid and I, and as I grumpily made my way out to make our next appointment, I felt like I was being shuffled through a factory as 48 other pregnant women waited in the lounge to be seen next. The one interesting tidbit he imparted was that the baby now weighs 1.12 pounds. What a fatty!
We decided to schedule the rest of our appointments until the baby is born, as the doctor is so busy that you are practically on a waiting list. The appointment-girl looked nervous after looking at our charts and the doctor's schedule.
"Uh, he's out of town in four weeks," she told us, which is when our next appointment should be. "But I can put you with a nurse?"
"Fine," we said. When he was too booked up for an appointment before we had seen her instead.
"Uh, he's out of town for the last two appointments you'll need before giving birth," she mentioned. Hmm.
"Oh," we said.
"Now you're really going to hate me," she said, twisting her hair. "But... his long vacation of the year kind of... coincides with..." she hemmed and hawed and pretended to check his schedule some more. I looked her square in the eye.
"When exactly is his long vacation?" I asked.
"Well, it kind of couldn't be worse for you," she apologized. "He is gone from July 27th- August 11th." I am due August 9th.
So probably I'll have a stranger deliver me. I became very grumpy and the grumpiness is still lingering. And this morning we woke up and Pixie had puked all over Dave and his pillow without him realizing it. Not feeling good at our house.
5 days ago
15 comments:
Ha! Okay, I know you're kinda miserable right now, but the way you mentioned Pixie's vomiting episode as sort of the "cherry-on-the-icing" totally had me cracking up. Hope it gets better, Jess.
Random stranger here...hope you don't mind. I totally recommend nurse midwives. They are amazing and are way more personable.
Ewwww on the pixie-vomited-upon pillow.
Fun ultrasound pictures! So my laser darts of death didn't work on the fibroid? Darn. I will come up with a new tactic.
What is up with your doctor taking massive amounts of vacation???? That sucks.
You can change providers, or have several appointments with the back up doctor that will likely deliver you. You need to discuss your birth plan with both doctors and hire a doula to be with you throughout the birth process.
Remember, you are in charge. You can do anything you want to do.
Honey, I know this might not be the BEST time to mention it, but... I was actually planning some vacation time around that same time and won't be able to make the birth. Is that a problem?
I love you m'dear. I wish every day started with me staring into your lovely eyes and getting some dog vomit on me. Don't worry, I have a backup that will be on call.
Agree with Staci completely! Especially if you are going to try to go natural, the last thing you are going to want is some stranger who honestly won't really care too much. Don't be afraid to change doctors. The early appointments don't matter much as you now know, but you don't want him gone at the end when things get critical and plus being high risk, that sucks. And I am sure you know this or have been told, but the nurses are the ones that do most everything up until you push. The doc will come in like every couple of hours, check your dilation, then disappear. I would get other referrals:) I personally can't wait to see the Angelina lips! Maybe you could name her Lena. Pronounced leena, not len-a btw. I really like that name.
Aw Jess, that post is so sad! I'm so sorry things are so gloomy right now.
However, the part about Pixie's vomit was hilarious. I'd like to think of that as karma getting back at Dave for taking away your Cheetos.
I agree with Staci too. The stranger doesn't have a bad idea either. I've heard midwives are fabulous. If I didn't like my doctor so much, I would probably go to a midwife myself.
Don't worry the doctor just walks in the last five minutes of pushing to catch the baby. You barely see him anyway (unless you tear like I do and have to get sewn up for an hour). It's the nurse that counts. They are the ones that you spend the most time with and push with. My friends that had natural births hired doulas and said they couldn't have done it without them.
oh, and I had a friend that had a tumor growing inside her uterus alongside the baby. by the time the baby was born the tumor was the size of a watermelon (she delivered it with the baby) but it was benign and both she and the baby were perfectly fine. no big deal. i am sure you will be fine too.
The day before Kaitlyn was born I was told I would not be delivering any time soon, by one Doctor that I had never met, becuase mine was out of town. My water broke the next morning where then the doctor on call met me at the hospital. She then was off duty and two different male doctors I had never met delivered Kaitlyn via emergency c-section. I can say from experience that it never phased me that morning that it was not my doctor delivering my child. She came out just right and they all know what to do.
I do think, however, that it might be a good idea to switch to someone else in the same practice if you feel you are not getting the attention you feel you need or if he is going to be missing the rest of your appointments anyway. Just for a sense of continuity considering the fibroid.
Hi Jessica,
I'm really sorry you're dealing with all that! That sounds stressful! I agree that you should switch doctors. If it were me, I would want it to be someone I had previously met and felt comfortable with to deliver the baby, and he doesn't seem to be giving you the attention you should be getting now anyway.
I'm so sorry the fibroid is growing! Have you thought about calling them and asking the doctor to give you a call or send you an email to tell you what he thinks about the fibroid, since he didn't take the time in the appointment? I don't think that would be unreasonable at all, and then maybe he could do it on his schedule which is apparently so busy. I will keep praying about you and the baby and the fibroid.
By the way, thanks for your note. Sorry I missed you. It will be good to see you at National Scrapbook Day.
I understand your disappointment. My dotor is scheduled to be on vacation when I am due, too.
Actually -- I requested your doctor for the birth of our son (since I can't have mine), and maybe my doctor will deliver your little girl! :)
jess, it's so amazing! she does look like a real person already. i'm sure you look beautiful as always, plus, you are pregnant, so give yourself a break (this based on earlier blog of yours). and don't be like one of those crazy anorexic pregnant women ok!
hope all the nausea is gone. so much for "enjoying pregnancy, eh? that's terrible about your doctor, what's up with that??
If your OB is in a practice I would IMMEDIATELY switch to start seeing someone who WILL be around for your birth.
That's just horse puckey if you ask me.
And, for the grain of salt....I live in nowheresville where in the two county area there are literally THREE OB-GYNs.
I guarantee you that if I didn't have c-sections with my kids, I'd have the crap shoot of docs too.
But, you don't want a c-section....so yeah.....
I get that doctors need vacations too and all that, but dang!
That's just bad timing!
Remember, HE works for YOU!
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