1st Appointment, Confirming the Obvious.

So, today was my first official visit to the doctor to confirm what I already know to be true. Yep, I’m officially pregnant – 8 weeks, 2 days as a matter of fact. Having been through all of this before, I at least know what to expect in the coming months, I was NOT prepared however, for how my appointment would go this morning.

As per the courtesy call left on my answering machine, I arrived 15 minutes early to my appointment, to complete all necessary paperwork. UGH, paperwork. Not much to do in this department except fill the receptionist in on my name change and fill out for the 1000th time (or so it seems like it) the privacy rights paper that gives authorization for certain people to obtain my medical records if necessary. After I am through with the receptionist, I take my seat in the waiting room and begin working on the “questionnaire” I must give to the nurse.

And so, I sit, and I wait, and I start to get annoyed because I REALLY have to pee, something I didn’t do before arriving because I knew I would have to give a specimen. I watch ladies, old and young check in and also take their seats in the waiting room and then I also watch as most of them are called back BEFORE I am, which chaps my ass even more. After 20 minutes or more waiting and fidgeting and trying not to pee myself, I am called to go back. As I walk through the door and hand the nurse my clipboard I am instructed to label my cup and pee in it and then head to exam room 3. No problem.

THAT is until I waltz into the bathroom and am greeted by an un-flushed toilet . . . not just a number 1 mind you, a number 2. At this point, I am sooooo ready to pee my pants that I can’t take the time to chase down the nurse to report the nastiness . . . I quickly gasp for a breath of air and in I go-- flush the toilet with my foot, grab a cup, scribble my name, hover-pee and fill my cup in a swift move, open the little door to the “specimen” chamber and disinfect myself in the sink. I don’t know who was using the bathroom before me, but whoever that person is – LEARN TO FLUSH! It’s a common courtesy, not to mention SANITARY.

After the bathroom I waltz in to the exam room where the nurse takes my blood pressure and weight. Next its “bottoms” off and up on the exam table. I am informed that I will be seeing one of the nurse-midwives today, not an actual doctor. The midwife is pleasant and friendly, so I have no complaints; she does an ultrasound to check the baby and make sure everything is “normal.” It is, and I am quickly sent on my way and instructed that I will have to schedule an appointment for the “History & Initial Exam” appointment. I am scheduled to see a male doctor on my next visit, something I usually try to avoid; in fact I have NEVER had an exam by a male doctor, a fear I guess I will just have to get over.

So for now, all is well, no worries. I’m feeling pretty good, except for the exhaustion in the afternoon. I have been given a due date of April 18th and everything is starting to feel a little more real. Now that I have seen the tiny little “blob” on screen and I know for a fact that its in there, I’m a little more excited and anxious for the next 7 months to fly by!