Sigh of Relief

Of course the doctor’s appointment went well. And of course I was worrying over nothing. We could hear the heartbeat just fine. Coming in loud and clear at 155 beats per minute. They said it’s actually not common for me to have been feeling so many flutters last week and not be worried if I don’t feel them. I had tears in my eyes when I heard Banjo’s heartbeat because I was so afraid something was wrong. We also only heard static at first until we moved it around and found it.

Ok, what were my other items I wanted to discuss…
The nurse checked my lungs and everything sounds normal and fine. Probably related to allergies or a slight cold but to keep an eye on it and not over-exert myself. For the light-headed thing, no surprise there that I was told “This is a warning sign not to ignore” and no matter how busy I get, don’t forget to eat! (cheese nips would have come in handy). Not sure how many people can be in the delivery room but I did learn that assuming I don’t have a c-section, there’s no moving from my room to a delivery room – it’s all done in the same room. (reminder to go get that tour of the hospital) and the hospital can provide the information on how many people can/should be in that room. There are no restrictions on using a doula. They do have swine flu shots but they are limiting their distribution and only giving them to women in their third trimester right now. When I come back for my next appointment, even though I won’t be in my third trimester, they may have a better idea of their supply and I may be eligible. Unrelated to my list, I CAN sleep on my back until the 24th week – or if I am sleeping on my back and I feel short of breath then I should stop sleeping on my back. Even then, I can still sleep on my back but propped up with several pillows. I’ve gained exactly 10 pounds since getting pregnant. It’s a little more than I would’ve liked but nothing to be worried about. The nurse thinks it’s because I finally got my appetite back in the 2nd trimester and could start eating more regularly again. I know I’m not over-eating and somehow I still have a waist (it looks so funny from the front, a waist with a big belly). I should take more than one view on my weekly belly shot because I’m sure there will be a time very soon when I no longer have a waist. I’m about 2 weeks away from the 20th week (official halfway mark – yay!) so to have gained 10 pounds still leaves me with 20 pounds to gain the rest of the pregnancy. And if I happen to gain more than 30 pounds total, the world will not end.

All in all a very good and reassuring appointment. Hopefully I will sleep better tonight because I won’t be worrying so much. I also won’t be waking myself up every time I happen to roll on my back with panicked thoughts of “Oh no! I’m killing my baby!!!”
So the moral of the story is…STOP WORRYING. Ha ha, yeah, right. I think I’m good for the next 3 weeks or so and then I’ll coincidentally be ready for my next appointment with a new list of worries and concerns.