Those of you who are my Facebook friends know that I'm generous, to say the least, with my photo-sharing. So why, at this turning-pointy time, am I holding out on you? Without getting too graphic, there's been some spotting. Don't think it qualifies as "bleeding," but it's in the same family. So I'm worried. Given what a challenge it was to get this little bugger in there in the first place, I'm awfully afraid to lose it. I say "I" and not "we" because N, bless him, has been very even-keeled about the whole thing. If he's anxious, he's keeping it well disguised, and is putting his energy instead into trying to persuade me not to worry too much. Positive thinking is the name of the game, he tells me, and I know that he's right; it's just not easy. Sometimes assuming the worst feels like self-protection, but it also stinks. You know what's been the best way to soothe my frazzliness? Talking to the little bean within. No kidding. One hand on my tummy, and away we go. Because I'm pretty darn good at reassuring others; it's just when the freaker-out is me that I have a harder time. I saw a doctor yesterday, and she even suggested that I talk to the kiddo. So clearly doing so is in line with medical best practices. Speaking of the doctor, she was recommended to me by the wellness coordinator at the university where I'm taking one of my summer classes, and she accepts our piddly student insurance. I paid exactly 0€ for the appointment, which would have cost who-knows-how-much back in New York, where we won't be insured until September 1. And she saw me the same day I called. Blessings upon you and French medicine, Dr. S. She was a nice enough lady, had a peek inside, and sent me for blood tests. At five weeks, it's a little early to see much of anything on an ultrasound, and so what we're doing for the moment is a beta-hCG test. I don't know what the "beta" is for, but hCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin (I just typed that from memory; let me look it up and see how I did...wow, I got it right!), which is the hormone that appears in the urine and blood of pregnant women. At this point in a pregnancy, at least, the level of hCG is supposed to double every couple of days. So the doc sent me for two tests, 48 hours apart, to see if my levels were increasing in such a way as to imply a properly progressing pregnancy. The first one, yesterday, came back at 540 mIU/ml, which, as far as I can tell, is a good level for five weeks in. The dolls at the lab put a rush on it, so that I was able to get my results yesterday afternoon. The woman who took my blood advised me to take it easy and not move around too much, and it seems that the more I do that, the less I spot. I'll go back early tomorrow morning for the second test, so that I can get the results before noon. At that point, at the very least, we'll have some info. Until then, keep your fingers crossed for us? I'll have one hand on my tummy, hoping for good things.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Trying to Leave Those Chickens Uncounted
Those of you who are my Facebook friends know that I'm generous, to say the least, with my photo-sharing. So why, at this turning-pointy time, am I holding out on you? Without getting too graphic, there's been some spotting. Don't think it qualifies as "bleeding," but it's in the same family. So I'm worried. Given what a challenge it was to get this little bugger in there in the first place, I'm awfully afraid to lose it. I say "I" and not "we" because N, bless him, has been very even-keeled about the whole thing. If he's anxious, he's keeping it well disguised, and is putting his energy instead into trying to persuade me not to worry too much. Positive thinking is the name of the game, he tells me, and I know that he's right; it's just not easy. Sometimes assuming the worst feels like self-protection, but it also stinks. You know what's been the best way to soothe my frazzliness? Talking to the little bean within. No kidding. One hand on my tummy, and away we go. Because I'm pretty darn good at reassuring others; it's just when the freaker-out is me that I have a harder time. I saw a doctor yesterday, and she even suggested that I talk to the kiddo. So clearly doing so is in line with medical best practices. Speaking of the doctor, she was recommended to me by the wellness coordinator at the university where I'm taking one of my summer classes, and she accepts our piddly student insurance. I paid exactly 0€ for the appointment, which would have cost who-knows-how-much back in New York, where we won't be insured until September 1. And she saw me the same day I called. Blessings upon you and French medicine, Dr. S. She was a nice enough lady, had a peek inside, and sent me for blood tests. At five weeks, it's a little early to see much of anything on an ultrasound, and so what we're doing for the moment is a beta-hCG test. I don't know what the "beta" is for, but hCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin (I just typed that from memory; let me look it up and see how I did...wow, I got it right!), which is the hormone that appears in the urine and blood of pregnant women. At this point in a pregnancy, at least, the level of hCG is supposed to double every couple of days. So the doc sent me for two tests, 48 hours apart, to see if my levels were increasing in such a way as to imply a properly progressing pregnancy. The first one, yesterday, came back at 540 mIU/ml, which, as far as I can tell, is a good level for five weeks in. The dolls at the lab put a rush on it, so that I was able to get my results yesterday afternoon. The woman who took my blood advised me to take it easy and not move around too much, and it seems that the more I do that, the less I spot. I'll go back early tomorrow morning for the second test, so that I can get the results before noon. At that point, at the very least, we'll have some info. Until then, keep your fingers crossed for us? I'll have one hand on my tummy, hoping for good things.
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I hear a lot of women get this! so hold off on the worry-wart-ness! you're going to be wonderful. The mother of twins that I nannyed for still reminds me of that fear when she spotted with the girls... she wishes someone had told her to expect such things and that they are perfectly ordinary. So voila! Consider yourself updated. ;)
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