When we got there, we had to find the right parking garage and figure out which floor we were on (which Kyle was great about because he had maps printed and directions ready). We found the OB department and it was a little intimidating at first. It was really, really big and had a huge round desk that you checked in at. We checked in and the receptionist told us we could have a seat while we waited and also told us that the left half of the waiting room was the women's health center. When I thought of the women's health center, I was thinking "wall of brochures" but it was that and much more. They have an entire library of books on women's health, parenting, childbirth, pregnancy, breast feeding and so much more! You can even check the books out and keep them for a month. That has the potential of saving me a lot of money! All of the titles were pretty new (a.k.a. weren't around back when I was born).
We didn't have to wait long before we were called in. The whole department is so huge that I was surprised at how tiny our room was. The medical assistant was very friendly and asked us all of the questions that we had already been asked by the nurse who called us for our phone interview a month and a half ago. But, I smiled and answered them anyway. She left us with a huge packet of information to look over while we waited for the doctor. That's about the time that my panic attack started.
In the packet, there's a pretty comprehensive notebook that takes you all the way from conception to post-delivery. The manual walks you through pregnancy month by month and includes what's happening to the baby, to me and gives suggestions for what we should be doing/buying/deciding each month. It also covers what will happen at each appointment that I'll have between now and several months after delivery. It's very impressive.
However, between this notebook, the stack of pamphlets and the video I started thinking about how much there is to know about having a baby. As I read pages of what to do and what not to do and what to do in this case, but not do in another case I could feel my chest start to tighten and my eyes start to well up.
Luckily, when the doctor came in I seemed to forget those fears. She came in and introduced herself to us by her first name (which I thought was nice) and spent a lot of time with us asking questions and explaining things. I know there were a ton of patients out there but she made me feel like we were the only patients at the office. She wasn't the doctor I was assigned to, nor was she the doctor I was supposed to see that day but when she left the room, I told Kyle that I wished she could be my doctor. A few minutes later, the nurse poked her head and and said, "Dr. Shah would like to be your doctor from this poing on, if you guys are ok with that." Awesome. That worked out perfectly.
So, we got to have another ultrasound which was mildly disappointing because the equipment wasn't nearly as advanced as the stuff at the clinic. Nonetheless, it was good to see the little guy/girl and see that the heartbeat was still strong.
We go back December 6. 40 weeks is a long time.
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