Prenatal Appointment #2 at 9 weeks + 5 days gestation- September 9, 2010

So, on Sept 9th I had my second prenatal appointment at the local (small but new) hospital.  It appears, that thanks to about 3 weeks worth of nausea I didn't gain any weight!  You could have fooled me! My clothes are already tight at that point.  The nausea was not making me throw up....yet, but it sure made food taste like shit!

At this appointment I decided to ask for accommodation at work.  Accommodation means that "due to medical reasons associated with the pregnancy I am requesting a modification of my job duties".  Essentially, this means I come out of uniform and into civies.  I get to work days (no more shift work!), and I am on "light" duties for the remainder of my contract.  My contract is up December 1st, and just like last year I am planning on going onto "sick" leave prior to that, and then spending the remainder of my pregnancy at home.  The doctor running the clinic that day happened to be my family doctor, and she had no problems signing the necessary paperwork.
 
We talked about a few other things, including a raging case of athletes foot, flu shots, Rogham (hubby is A + and I am A- so I get to have the shot in the hip at 28 weeks) and the fact that I feel nauseated when exercising.  She prescribed a cream for my foot, and told me to stop exercising until I'm able to eat enough and put on some weight. 

Next came the best part!  She brought out the ultrasound and said "We likely won't be able to hear a heartbeat with the Doppler at this point, would we like to try an ultrasound?"  Of course I said yes, I intentionally didn't give a urine sample at the beginning of the appointment, just so that my bladder would be full and they would (hopefully) be able to see something.  My hubby looked at me and said "remember...no expectations right? It is still early, don't get upset if they don't see anything".  But the minute she put that ultrasound on my tummy, there was a little amniotic sac and a little "critter" in there!  We watched him/her bounce around a little bit, and we could see a heart fluttering away.  That was exciting, and gave some relief to know that, at that moment, there was SOMETHING in there.  The doctor was not able to give me a printed picture because the machine was broken  :( , but the next appointment is September 27th in Fredericton with the specialist (who has an AMAZING ultrasound), so hopefully we will be able to get a picture at that appointment.

As I left the appointment, on the typical post-good-news high, I remembered having that same feeling with Kheri.  How it took a day or two to come down from that "high", and then how, as the pregnancy progressed, there were low appointments or diagnosis's that mirrored and sometimes overshadowed those highs.  I just keep hoping the highs keep coming, and the lows stay away, and at the end of the pregnancy, we have a living take home baby.