Tuesday 7 September 2004

thumpity thump thump



My faith in doctorkind has been restored thanks to Dr. Whitten who turned out to be pretty much okay. After a bit of a wait (he got called out on an emergency just as we showed up, lucky us), he did a thorough exam and declared Pip and I fit and healthy. I am AB+, so no rhesus factor problems here. I am not anemic - although with the amount I eat, I would be amazed if I was deficient in any nutrient. My blood pressure is fine, I am just the right size for 16 weeks, and most importantly, Pip's heartbeat is nice and strong. Disappointingly, we didn't get to hear the heartbeat as the doctor used some sort of funnel-like device to listen. Apparently the midwife will let us hear with the doppler, but that's not until 24 weeks. Of course I'm thrilled that Pip's heartbeat was good (frankly I'm just thrilled that there was a heartbeat), but I was so looking forward to hearing it go thumpa thumpa thumpa thumpa ourselves.



I felt like the doctor knew what he was talking about and took a lot of time to check me over. He asked me if I felt any foetal movement yet, and I mentioned the fluttering; we both agreed that it's hard to tell when it's your first baby. He said that it can be felt anywhere from 16 weeks onwards, but when I said it was a sensation I've never felt before, he agreed that it must indeed be foetal activity. That was nice - I half expected any doctor to look at me like I was insane or laugh when I mentioned these flutters at this point.



So, overall, it's been a good experience. I am still jealous of friends who live mere miles away from me who seem to have a bazillion more midwife visits, scans, and doppler experiences than me...but I'm certainly happy knowing that Pip's in there thumpa thumpa thumpa-ing away nicely.

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