pregnancy journal entry 3

wow, i just checked my calendar, and apparently i am 16 weeks already, i kept thinking 14 1/2! time goes by so much faster with the second one. praise God. i am 40.4% of the way there! baby is about 2.8 ounces and 4.6 inches with working bladder function and fully formed fingernails.

We finally had our 1st "real" checkup last thursday, which meant actually getting to hear the heartbeat! it sounded a lot slower than i remember sparrow's, and it was loud and booming, not like her little beating-wings sound. thomas and sparrow got to come with me and we are now not only referring to new baby as "belly button baby," like sparrow, but also "boom boom baby." which is satisfying for now.

the county clinic is a cultural experience in itself. i could already tell that from my first visit there. i kid you not, they gave me a one-hour "total health" interview in which i swear they asked me if i could read, and how often i wear my seatbelt in the car. hahahahaha! also, i was almost 10 minutes late to my first appointment, and it turned out i hadn't received paperwork in the mail which they normally send. so i had to go sign this paper in the back office where the assistant guy was like, "oh, where are the english ones?!" he couldn't find them so i told him i could read spanish and sign that one. then he was saying something along the lines of how responsible i seemed. "we'll see about that," i said. because i felt it was a bit unfair of him to judge me as he seemed to be comparing me to other patients. "well, you were on time, at least, and most people can't even do that." what? interesting. i wasn't on time. but he had already decided about me, and in his mind i had been on time. well at least that one interpreted things in my favor.

for the second visit, the nurse practitioner ordered an ultrasound for me at 15 weeks, as well as iron pills. don't question a county health worker. or most any western medical worker who tells you anything, for that matter. i asked her if there were different types of iron supplements, and she said, "no, they're all the same, get the cheapest one, here's a prescription." then i asked her if it would really be necessary to get an ultrasound at 15 weeks, since i know they do one at 20 weeks to determine the sex. i would prefer not to have too many ultrasounds, and when i explained to her that i have read they can be harmful to the fetus' brain and are linked to ADD and other attention problems, she thought i was nuts, as she herself had "never heard that before." "here, come with me," she said, and charged out into the hallway to find some other random woman. "look, here, she's been doing ultrasounds for 30 years--have you ever heard that they can be harmful?" "no." "see, there you go!" (virtual pat on the head, thank you!) i am not so easily placated. "well since it's not that early on any more, i am really not that concerned, i just want to know that i have options." "options? yeah, oh yes, of course you have options! hahaha!" (later the other lady took me aside and told me that i absolutely did not have to have a 15-wk. ultrasound, esp. since the only purpose was to confirm my due date, and i was really sure on my cycle dates anyways. that's better.) oh, and on the iron pills: i KNOW there are different types of vitamins, some are much better than others. i am choosing to buy my own food-based pre-natals, for example, because the only ones doctors write prescriptions for are the synthetic ones, which can do more harm than good. so i go home and look at my food-based prenatal vitamins. they have iron in them. i have just been taking only half the dosage, since i am running low. but i will now take the full dosage, and skip the scary pills they gave me at the clinic, which say on the label, i kid you not, "do NOT lie down within 30 minutes after taking this product!" and "do NOT consume this product one hour before or within 2 hours after consuming: eggs, whole grains, antacids, ..." the list went on! any pregnant woman that could keep those things straight is miraculous--i eat whole grains for every meal--i'm sorry! besides, you should have seen the list of side effects. my prenatals say nothing about those kinds of goings-on. oh yes, but it's all the same, and it's all perfectly fine.

at least all the other results of my blood tests came out fine. no risks of major things with the baby, at least not that they can see. they took six vials of blood the first time i went to the clinic--sweet. i had asked them if they could have dr. green send over my medical records, since i have had all these blood tests before--maybe it could save us at least half of them? and they looked at me and said, "...no." "why not?" "that's just how we do things here. we have to do all our own bloodwork." great. welcome to the system. you'd think some smart, thinking person could say, "hey! we could save a lot of time and money if we had patients' previous medical records sent to us!" but no. they insisted on taking six vials of my blood, and that was just the first extraction. if they try to make me take that glucose drink again (neon green) i am flat-out refusing. i'll sign a waiver. that crap i'm sure does more harm than good. i do NOT have gestational diabetes!

well, enough on that ranting. now quickly for my thoughts on boys and girls. or have i already stated this? i think i did. however, for the record, here is the basic thought: i love girls. a girl would be great for sparrow to have by her side. now why do people see it as a cursed thing to have 2 girls in a row? i know ia m getting kinda defensive here, but there is a 52% chance of having a girl! just wanna get that out there and say that girls are amazing. i was the second girl, and i am hecka glad i am around! i think my parents even liked me a little bit! besides, if i were planning on only having 2 kids, the pressure would be a little bit stronger on the male end. you know men want to have their male offspring. and americans want you to have one of each, and then stop. one of each and a white picket fence and a dog and all your vaccines. that is why they see the second girl as a bane. sure, my life will be different depending on what the outcome is, and here's how: if it is a boy, the pressure for "producing a male heir" (to what?) is off, and i will take a few years break before starting in on my second batch of kids. if it is a girl, ...i guess we will just keep going! hahaha yes, there is that need to satisfy a man's craving for a manchild. i have had visions of 2 little mini-thomases running around in rain boots and little sweat pants. but we'll see if they substantiate.

now, friends, it is 12:15 am, and if i am to start in on my new resolution tomorrow: get up an hour earlier and exercise! (this means 5 am) --then i'd better get to sleep.