Wednesday, February 2, 2011

A Detailed Post that May Bore You....

I don't usually do step by step or super detailed posts about doctor visits or other baby related things besides my "weekly," baby updates.

And really, it's been closer to every three weeks, ha!

Today however, I have baby Grace on my mind.

We had our 30 week check up across the border and our early morning started even earlier with me waking up around 5:15. I would have been annoyed but I realized that what woke me up wasn't an AC going out or our bower failing (it's happened,) but instead it was a feeling in my stomach that I could quite place.

But, about 3 seconds later, it dawned on me.... she was hiccuping!

All of the books say I should have started feeling the hiccups around 22-24 weeks, but here I was at 30 weeks and 3 days and hadn't felt a one yet. These were clear as day and lasted for about 4-5 minutes.

We groggily got ready for our day and hit the road to stamp out of border #1 (35 minutes away,) then drive back to border #2 (right by our house, so another 35 minutes,) to stamp into the country that has our modern hospital.

We almost got turned away at border #2 because the border guard didn't think we had valid exit stamps from border #1, but we found them and showed them to her (I never get a girl guard!)

Turns out they were just really, really lightly stamped.

But they were there! So right through we went and we even had enough time to stop at the McDonalds there (no McD's on our side of the border so it's a super special treat!) Ian got 2 "sausage," muffins and I got a hash brown. I say "sausage," because it is a Muslim country so there aren't pork products for sale in restaurants so it was probably beef. Or something else.

But it tasted delicious.

On to the hospital I went. Ian drops me off and I enter the women's clinic (no men allowed there!) all by myself. I grab a number from a machine and sit and wait in waiting room #1 until the cashier calls my number up, checks me in, and takes my deposit for the visit (about 50 bucks.)

Then she gives me a new number and I go down a long hallway and sit in waiting room #2.

I wait for my number to be called again, and then I go to the triage area where a nice nurse takes my temperature, weight, blood pressure, and has me do the oh-so-glamorous part of pregnancy where you get the privilege of peeing in a cup. I get it tested for sugars and then am given a 3rd number and sit back in waiting room #2 until my number is called again.

This time (and right on my appointment time too, so punctual! they have you come in 1/2 an hour before your appointment time so that all of those steps can be finished.) I am whisked into my Dr.'s exam room where we have a nice chat about the wind and sand storm that we are in the middle of.

He tells me my weight is right where it should be, reminds me of a vaccine that I will have to get right after Grace is born (apparently my MMR vaccination isn't at acceptable levels. Who knew?) and talks about the pain medications the hospital offers.

I'm pretty excited about the fact that "happy gas," is an option. Happy gas and I go way back to my MANY dental extractions as a child. It works wonders on relaxing and calming me and it doesn't require numbing of your lower extremities. He talked a little bit about how the best patients are ones who come in with open birth plans instead of ones on either extremes of the spectrum ie: must have an epidural right away or no pain meds-whatsoever.

Luckily I'm a pretty "go with the flow," kind of girl and have learned to become really flexible and to lower my expectations on this side of the world.

He measured my belly and listened to the heartbeat (which he said was PERFECT!) She's still laying side ways but he assured me that we still had 5 1/2 weeks for her to flip until he would look into external methods of moving her. YAY!

He ended the appointment by saying that my pregnancy has been picture perfect so far, and that as long as I take my vitamins and be mindful of my food intake and exercise he doesn't predict any preventable problem. Double YAY!

Ian (who had been reading in the men's waiting room,) and I went to a local mall to pick up birthday presents for two kids we know then tried to track down Grace's coming home outfit. We were pretty unsuccessful at that, but were able to pick up 2 crib sheets and a mattress protector for 14 bucks total. Score.

We drove on over to another mall and treated ourselves to Chili's. Burger for me, quesadilla for him. Then we hit the western style supermarket downstairs in order to stock up on hard to get items such as beef (can only buy it there!) healthy cereals, and canned tomatoes.

We sighed a big sigh of exhaustion then headed to the border in order to tackle the great border headache of 2011.

We are supposed to go back through border #2, stamp out, and then drive 35 minutes to border #1 and stamp into our country where we live, before driving 35 minutes back the same way to our home. Confusing? Yes. And a big pain in my pregnant butt.

Sometimes however, the border guards don't care and don't make you stamp out of the country where our hospital is. They let us right into our little town while staying on the wrong visa.

And that's what happened today! It will make for a headache in the next week or so when we have to make a border run just to get on the correct visa, but today, all we needed was some rest, so we came right home and collapsed into bed for a 2 hour power nap before going to a 2 year olds birthday party.

I told you it was detailed.

And I also warned you it might bore you.

At least I'm honest, right?

3 comments:

Emily said...

I love reading your updates and seem to be facinated with your life over there! I cannot imagine living so far from "home"!

Rachel and John said...

It wasn't boring at all!! At my first blood test they told me that I wasn't immune to Rubella (or german measles) but since it's a live vaccine I can't get it until after Henry is born. But I'm sure I've had that vaccine way more times than I was supposed it. So my doctor said after I got it this time, she would monitor my antibody levels and see if something wacky is going on.

Kristin said...

I'm glad the pregnancy is going well! Can't wait to see pics of her!