First visit to the midwife
What a great Christmas present – I heard the baby’s heartbeat today. I thought perhaps I wouldn’t cry this time but of course I did! I’m glad to say the midwife was very understanding, which was a bit different from my Swiss doctor who assumed that crying meant I didn’t want the baby! I shouldn’t complain about that doctor though; we trusted him completely and we’re really going to miss him this time.
Overall the visit to the midwife went well. She did all the usual tests, taking my blood pressure and blood tests for things like HIV, Hepatitis B, and Rubella, as well as a urine test for gestational diabetes. She was really thorough and spent a long time going through mine and my husband’s family history to check if there is anything particular she should test for. She also took down a lot of details about my first pregnancy.
The midwife wasn’t really expecting to be able to hear the heartbeat yet so we were all quite surprised to hear what sounded like a little train chugging away in there. Because of the heartbeat, and the height of my uterus, the midwife is pretty sure I’m a bit further on than I originally thought. To be certain she’s booked me in for a dating scan early in the New Year. If I’m within the necessary timeframe I’ll have a nuchal translucency scan at the same time, to check for the likelihood of Downs Syndrome.
I was surprised how well behaved my little boy was at the appointment. I guess the midwives are used to having siblings around and they have plenty of toys to keep them amused. A trainee midwife came in when I was having my blood tests to entertain him, but he still looked really concerned, and as soon as the needle had been disposed of he was allowed to come and stand next to me and hold my hand which was really cute.
Well that’s given me a perfect start to Christmas. I hope you all have a great one too and enjoy some time with your families and friends. Merry Christmas everyone!
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