High Risk Doctor Appt - 8w6d in The REAL Baby Journey!

I don't even know where to start with this. As many of you will remember, I had requested bringing a high risk obstetrician into my care planning after my initial positive pregnancy test. My OBGYN initially refused, saying he could manage me and 'figure it out' along the way. This made extremely uncomfortable, especially after hearing how laid back he planned to be with monitoring, and I pushed again. Thankfully he begrudgingly consented to a one time consult and told me "But I don't think they'll tell you any different!"

Well, buddy, *you're wrong!!

I met with the sweetest OBGYN Fellow today and the smartest and wittiest OBGYN Attending and they treated me like an educated, competent, mature adult. They didn't talk down to me. They didn't belittle my list of 25 questions. They gave me more information than I expected and calmed the fears I had Googled my way into. They were patient and calm, attentive and respectful, everything my personal OBGYN is...not very good at. They were great. I couldn't have walked out of there with a bigger grin on my face. :)

I had asked my mom to join me for this appointment as she is my backbone through this pregnancy so far (Rob is so go with the flow...the man listens to anything anyone tells him without pushing for more info or questioning anything medical - very unlike me ;)) and since Rob had to work, she happily came along. I was thrilled she got to be there - they even doppler'ed the little heartbeat and my mom got to hear it! She choked up at the "whoosh whoosh whoosh" at 172 beats per minute echoing through the room and I'm certain that was better than the hanging plant and colorful blanket I had given her for Mother's Day. ;)

As I said, I came in with at least 25 questions. They were the result of Googling, of reading blogs, of being in online support groups, of reading websites and books and articles and so much information my mind was swimming with the extremes and the risks and the fear that all that information can cause. But they calmly walked me through every single question and were so patient with me. They gave me great advice about how to best care for my one sweet little kidney and made promises about how closely they will monitor me but reassured me "Here, in a high risk clinic, your story isn't even exciting. We've seen your issue before, we'll see it again and we're more than comfortable dealing with it and monitoring it and knowing what to expect. You can relax here. " I could have kissed them!

They did say no volleyball after 20 weeks but that I can keep running. I will have my kidney monitored monthly with blood and urine tests and I will get monthly ultrasounds to check for growth given my likely space restriction with half a uterus. They made recommendations on all parts of my life - food, work, exercise, relationship, emotional, physical, etc - and I felt entirely cared for. At one point the Attending asked me if I had had any cravings and I shyly whispered "Cheeseburgers", expecting to be scolded. She laughed out loud and whispered back "Cholesterol is essential for brain function. You're just going to have one very smart baby!" She even went on to say I should start drinking milkshakes due to all the calcium, healthy fats and protein in dairy products. Ok! Doctor's orders!

Right near the end of the appointment as we were wrapping up and answering the last few things, she made a point to get my attention and tell me one last tidbit of advice. "Try to relax. Enjoy this. Enjoy pregnancy. It goes so fast. Especially as a nurse - a trauma nurse on top of that - and as a high risk patient, it's easy to lose yourself in the numbers and the statistics and the risks. Let us worry about that. I'm a huge numbers nerd, I thrive on that stuff - you worry about becoming a parent. At 20 weeks I'm going to stop asking you about your pregnancy and I'm going to start talking to you about becoming a mother. I'll want to know what you're doing to get ready to be a mom, not what stage your baby is at or how long it is or what fruit it's shaped like. It's just as important to nurture your own path as it is to be nurture your baby. A healthy mom makes a healthy baby. Remember that." How brilliant is she? Brilliant.

So I'll head back in a few weeks for a 13 week ultrasound/end of first trimester scan to check all kinds of numbers and lengths and blood work and then another ultrasound at 20 weeks and every four weeks after that. They'll use their 3D/4D scanner for each ultrasound and I'll really get to SEE my little peanut as he/she grows up in there. (I have an inkling it's a girl already. I really really feel it. Let's see if I'm right. ;)) Until then, I'm giving it up to the powers that be and to these fantastic doctors. I'm trusting them and their training, their confidence and their experience. I feel incredible. I could not be more pleased with how everything turned out today :)