baby update

I had a monthly checkup yesterday. I continue to have nagging doubts about the birth facility, but I still maintain that it’s not all that hard (though it can be really freaking painful, don’t get me wrong!) to pop out a kid, so I want the place most likely to just shut up and get out of the way when the time comes. Meaning I’m still not keen on a hospital. So to the present facility I will continue to go.

If you've lost count, as I seem to, I'm at about 17 weeks now. I'm going ahead and declaring myself to be 'four months pregnant,' though that's probably not strictly true for another week at least.

We took my blood pressure – nice and low, which is somewhat amazing considering my absolute lack of exercise; we took my weight – I have somehow managed to gain NINE pounds in the past four weeks, which isn’t at all surprising considering my absolute lack of exercise; and we checked for a fetal heartbeat, which, for a scary minute or two (scary for me, anyway), we couldn’t find. But then we did! And all seemed well.

I also decided to have the blood screening test for whatever birth defects the test covers. I wasn't going to, but the lady I talked to was saying it can be nice to get back a 'negative' result (which probably means negative). But even if you get a 'positive' result, it often also means negative, which is why I wasn't going to get the thing done in the first place. Ugh. I'll just hope for a negative result, and try not to worry if I don't get one. I so don't want an ultrasound, though. I just don't.

If I haven’t mentioned this yet, I have a sonogram scheduled for the morning of Feb. 28. Check back here on that day for an educated guess as to gender, or some teeth-gnashing over the fact that my child already appears to be shy about his/her baby bits.