Lots of great news and updates!!

13 weeks, 4 days today!

This was such an awesome week for appointments! I was already thrilled about my NT scan on Tuesday. Thursday, I went to see my OB for a quick check up and labs (no ultrasound, since I just had one). We listened to spot’s heartbeat on her portable doppler! It sounded wonderful!! Spot has moved up now, into my lower belly area (and out of my pelvic region). I thought that was pretty neat! She told me the chance of miscarriage goes down to less than 5% after hearing the heartbeat on doppler! And now I can find it at home! It’s still difficult to stay on the exact area. I don’t use it very much at all right now since it’s early, and I’ve had so many appointments and ultrasounds.

Oh, and my blood pressure was PERFECT at my OB appointment. They use a manual cuff there. So, perhaps Tuesday’s was just a fluke (and they use an automatic machine at the MFM clinic). And all my regular labs and urines I’ve been getting are totally normal! I’m healthy as can be, other than my immune issues – which we are working on. They are just tricky to get under control, and there’s not much on my end that I can do, other than what I’m already doing. To my friend, IF Me, who commented on my last post — I don’t eat ramen noodles anymore, and I don’t eat Lucky Charms all the time – LOL! I actually have a very well balanced diet, and I exercise. My cravings section on my weekly updates is just for fun. 🙂 One of my biggest cravings has actually been veggies!

So, my OB and I had a very productive conversation about what’s been going on with her staff – the rudeness, confusion, and disorganization. I simply stated what had occurred in my last few visits, and told her that I need to know we’re all on the same page. It’s important to me that the staff understand my diagnoses and treatment. I want to ensure that spot and I get the best possible care. I didn’t get huffy about it, because I feel that you can still get your point across without getting all upset. Plus, things had already seemed to be improving since Dr. Kwak-Kim sent the letter explaining my case. My OB was so receptive, apologetic, caring, and kind. She looked pretty embarrassed, shocked, and sad that I had encountered so many problems along the way. She kept apologizing profusely, but I told her it’s fine now – I just want things to stay on track.

My OB promised that things would keep improving and that she would have a talk with her staff to make sure they’re on the same page. She was very reassuring, and told me they would do their best to make sure these types of problems don’t happen anymore. I know that no medical office is perfect – I work in one! A mistake or a staff person having a bad day is totally understandable, but it shouldn’t happen all the time with multiple staff persons. So, I feel relieved and happy to have talked that all out. I feel more confident in my care & spot’s care now. My OB is actually a very nice & cool chick! 🙂

Anyway, we discussed my situation. I will now be seeing the MFM specialist for all my important appointments and ultrasounds, who will forward the reports to both my OB and Dr. Kwak-Kim. I will alternate visits with my OB, and see my OB more often towards then end since she will be delivering my baby. (Birth & delivery – I can’t even wrap my brain around getting to that point)! All my routine labs will be done at my OB’s office, and they will forward those reports to Dr. Kwak-Kim. The weekly ultrasounds are done – they were only up to 13 weeks (to get me out of the first trimester danger zone). I won’t have another scan until 18 weeks, when I have the anatomy scan. Then the scans will be every few weeks or so for growth checks (since spot is at risk for IUGR – Intrauterine Growth Retardation). All of those scans will be at the MFM specialist, including the anatomy scan. I will be setting that one up this coming week!

I’m kind of sad that I won’t get to see spot so often, but spot is so healthy and doing so well! I am so proud of my little miracle. I keep tearing up thinking of how far we’ve come, after all we’ve been through. It’ll be good for spot not to have so many scans though. I did have a few worries about the frequency of them, but we needed to do what was right and what Dr. Kwak-Kim ordered.

***Also……….My labs came back yesterday from when I had my NT scan, and they are PERFECT and NORMAL!!!! We have a 1:10,000 chance of having a baby with Downs or any type of trisomy!! They said this is excellent news!! I’m so happy!! I’m not used to getting so much good news! Thank you, God. I kept crying off and on yesterday after they called.

***And more exciting news….We are doing an elective gender scan on 2/28/13!! I will be 15 weeks, 2 days. There is a money back guarantee for 14 weeks or above. We’re getting a 3D/4D scan, 5 photos, a DVD, and a teddy bear that has spot’s heartbeat recorded inside! We get to watch the scan on a 50 inch plasma tv! We are soooo excited! We will be so surprised and happy with whatever news we get! Andy has no guess on the gender. I still lean towards boy, but maybe I’m wrong! 😉 Either way, it’s going to be amazing. I started a gender poll, so please vote! 🙂 Only about 11 days until we find out – omg! I can’t believe this is all happening! Guess spot’s gender! http://www.pollpub.com/guess-spots-gender.aspx