Today was the much anticipated first OB/GYN visit. It was the day that Mike and I would finally get to see the baby -- to get confirmation that there really is a little somebody in there.
I was pretty nervous (and excited) and I was so glad to have Mike there with me. They started with the usual -- blood pressure, urine, weight, etc. etc. It looks like I gained 5 pounds already! Then came the ultrasound ... I was expecting to have the kind of ultrasound you see in the movies -- you know, the one where they put warm gel on your belly and put the scanner looking thing on top. However, since the baby is far to small for that at this point, they had to use a probe like device. It was pretty scary (I'm not a fan of pap smears to begin with) ... it looked like a wand with a camera thing on the tip. So they put the probe inside of me and for some reason, the doctor can't see the baby. She tries to shine a light in there but still has trouble getting good visibility. I try not to worry at this point and try to remain calm. She said its probably the machine and decides to move me to the bigger one in the other room. So we get situated in the other room and voila! We finally got to see our baby for the first time!!! He/she looked like a piece of rice with a bubble on it. They later explained that the bubble is actually the "yolk sac" which is where the baby gets all his/her nutrients until the umbilical cord is formed through the placenta. The best part of the entire experience was getting to hear the baby's heart beat for the first time. Tears instantly filled my eyes as I tried to get my head around the miracle living and growing inside of me. It's hard to believe that something so tiny and fragile already has a heartbeat!
Afterwards, the doctor told us that she doesn't think I'm 8 weeks (that's the time frame based on the first day of my last period, April 7th). She said the baby is actually the size of an embryo that's 5-6 weeks. She said perhaps I ovulated later than normal last month and that explains why I'm actually only 5-6 weeks pregnant. Just in case, she wanted to have another ultrasound in one week to monitor the baby's growth. Our new due date is actualy January 27, 2011! She assured me that everything was fine and that she just wanted to take some extra precautions.
I couldn't wait to get to work so that I could email our family the baby's very first photo. It may not be much right now, but I'm already a proud mama. I have every faith in my heart that this baby will be healthy and strong ...
It's amazing how much love you can feel for someone who is just as tiny as a piece of rice. His/her heartbeat validates that he/she is in fact ALIVE and HUMAN and GOD'S CHILD. What an honor it is for me to be able to provide the baby with his/her first home ... to be a vessel of peace and love and warmth ... truly, I'm blessed beyond belief!
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