Full Bladder and Heartbeat..

We did another scan this week. The one that you do before 13 weeks that's more detailed and measures the baby's neck thickness to check its within range. So Gra and Dee were here so they went with us to the appointment. It was one of those ones where you have to drink copious amounts of water for the scan. I was told scan was at 915am then the genetic counseling at 1015 so drank 2 large cups of tea, one large glass of OJ, large cup of ginger tea and three 12oz bottles of water in the car on way over. So about 63 oz of fluid in one hour.....

We get to appointment and they put us in genetic counselor office first. Nice lady and a lot brighter than last one we went to who didn't know anything about my blood disease hereditary spherecytosis. http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=3724clekey=3724
its a hereditary blood disease, although looks like my Mum is the mutant who gave it to me and my sister Orla. Its grand and not curable but treatable. We all got our spleens out as kids and Orlas both wee ones have it so its something we have to be prepared for with our wee Baby Borg. Anyway counselor at least knew what it was and also was a nice lady however at this point I am squirming on chair with the size of my bladder overflowing...

So back to waiting room and now I am trying not to think of waterfalls as all the liquid is having me cross my legs while I walk. They take us in at 1030am to a room for first scan. I lie on table as intern tries to find the baby. After 10 minutes I get worried as she cant seem to find the baby. I cant see the monitor just himself's face and Gra is in room as well. They do however see my bladder and intern keeps saying - that's really full bladder. Yes I KNOW ! Heres how I felt. Gushing waterfalls and pressure building up...




They call in this French Doc who was lovely and amazing and found baby straight away. He turned up the monitor and we heard heartbeat for the first time. Amazing. 160 beats a minute, so really strong and baby is now 59 mm long (was 45 not even a week before). Here's a baby's heartbeat so you can hear what its like. (still trying to work out how to put our wee clip on blog). So everything looked good amniotic fluid and size of baby and placenta etc. Which is all good news. Turns out intern kept passing over the baby and himself andGra keep seeing baby and all my other organs too. They said they felt like saying you're getting warmer warmer. Of course all I could think was , well it was there last Tuesday when I was at the OB/Gyn so where is it now.
http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/pregnancyphotos/l/blheartbeat.htm

We weren't finished though - off to another room for a scan and I still haven't tinkled. I am now crossing my eyes and my back teeth are floating.... So this scan they measure the babies neck thickness so they can determine if its in the normal range of development. Problem is they have to have the baby lie flat in one certain position when they take the picture. Baby Borg decides its bouncing time and is bouncing all over the scan, curling up one minute and doing a routine for Olympic gymnastics the next. Finally French Doc again comes to rescue and gets the picture they need. At this point he's my hero and Gra is taking pics of the hunky doc instead of the scan. The main Doc a Belfast man who came here 1975 comes in and thankfully I understand him and wonder how the American patients do as he mutters low and with a northern accent that hasn't changed much since he left Belfast. They send the pics off to a special lab but this Doc reads them also and says all looks good, the thickness of skin is 1.4 mm which is normal (usually range of 1 to 3mm). So all good

They walk out and himself gets me off the table, I ask where the ladies toilet is while i run with legs crossed. Finally.. the ladies room. I was never so happy to be there. Maybe I should get one of those special astronaut space diapers/nappies so I'm prepared ;-)

Have yourselves a great day and thanks a million for all the emails and good wishes to those who called and sent a wee note.