Peeper Update

I had an appointment this morning with one of the midwives from my OB's office, and the official diagnosis is that I'm crazy.

Because, of course, everything is just fine with Peeper and I've been a big ol' fret-ball for nothing. But we knew that.

So, to be more specific . . . .

We got a listen with the Doppler and Peeper's heartrate was 145 (I think?) which she said is right what it's supposed to be.

She poked on my belly, and when I asked if she could feel my uterus in there, she showed us both where it is and how to feel it.

Turns out the top is just a little more than "three fingers" below my belly-button. No wonder my tummy's starting to feel a bit firmer. (Although not noticably bigger yet.)

I described the tap-tappity-taps that I felt last night (at dinner, which I blogged about yesterday, and again, as I was going to sleep) and she confirmed that they were Peeper!

She did caution me not to freak out if I don't feel them again for a few weeks, as it is still pretty early, but said that it definitely counts as "quickening."

(I love that term!)

Before seeing the midwife, we talked with a nurse for about an hour, going over my medical history and Shrike's genetic history.

And we got prizes! She gave us a whole bag full of literature and other goodies. Well, mostly stuff to read, I think. But it was free stuff. You gotta like that!

It was kind of funny, though, I figured all the "history" questions would be about things that have happened already, but she also kind of threw me for a loop with a few "future" questions.

At least we knew the answers to "Are you planning to breastfeed?" (yes) and "If you have a boy, do you want him circumsized?" (no) but then she really stumped us with "What pediatrician do you plan to take the baby to?"

Um . . . oh shit.

We've been so concerned with the doctors required to get Peeper made, and then to get him/her here that we've not even thought about who'll take care of him/her once s/he's actually born!

I'm afraid that I looked a bit like an idiot at that point, given that I don't even know who our options are, let alone who we want to use!

So, if you live near us and have a pediatrician that you love (or not!) please email me directly with advice!

Of course, after the appointment, I'm feeling much more confident about things and should be a bit less crazy. At least for a while.

Actually, I was feeling a little better even before the appointment, when I started noticing my belly firming up a bit, and especially after Peeper sent me those Morse code messages last night (s/he's a POW, remember), although I wasn't sure whether to believe that's what they were.

I think that's what gave me the confidence to actually buy some maternity clothes.

(That and the 90% off prices.)

The midwife said to come back in four weeks, but I actually made the appointment for five weeks from now, so as to stagger those appointments with the perinatologist appointments.

I see him on June 25, at which point we hope to find out the sex (!) and them I'm back at the OB's office (seeing the midwife whom I met at Drinking Liberally a couple of weeks ago) on July 7.

I think I'll see them each every four weeks until about 32 weeks, when I'll start having weekly non-stress tests, along with ultrasounds every four weeks.

That should keep me (relatively) sane.