Ella at 18 and 19 months

Ella had her 18-month check-up in early January, and it went very well.

Weight: 24.5 pounds (50%)
Height: 32" (55%)
Head circumference: 90%
(Percentiles show where Ella is ranked relative to a large sample of children her age.)

She's adding new words to her vocabulary (car, please), learning how to use the phone (when she hears someone answer their end of the phone, she'll say "hi"), and is just starting to put words together to make phrases like "one more" and "please up". She makes the corresponding animal sound when we say "cow", "dog", "cat", "snake" and "lion".

She enjoys dressing up, and her grandmother Moira, sent her a darling fairy costume for Christmas. You can see it in action here:
Ella in Fairy Costume from /ella jean. on Vimeo.

Shown below is a picture of Ella and Oona in princess and fairy costumes, respectively.

Moira also sent her a musical toy, and Ella loves to watch and listen to it. The first time we introduced her to the toy was in October when Michael brought it back from his visit to family in Australia:
Ella admiring Jemima the Duck from /ella jean. on Vimeo.

Here are other pictures of Ella taken in the fall and winter of 2008 and this month (January, 2009). I had one celebrity sighting on the trip home to California for Christmas. When we were waiting for our luggage at the baggage claim, a girl complimented Ella on her big blue eyes. The girl asked me how old Ella was, and I realized it was Monica Lewinsky! She is prettier in real life than she looked in photographs and on television.

She Passed with Flying Colors

Ella had her one-year doctor appointment today, and Dr. Sarnoff gave her a good review.

Weight: 20 lbs 6 ounces
Height: 29.75 inches
Head circumference: 46.5 centimeters

He said she's in perfect health and is back in line with the growth curve by which children her age are tracked. She weighed 19 pounds at 8 months, and 19 pounds 3 ounces at 10 months, so Dr. Sarnoff had been concerned (at 10 months) that she wasn't progressing well on the rate of weight gain. Now she is back in line with where she should be relative to other children in her percentile bracket, and he is satisfied that she's eating enough, so Michael and I are relieved.

Here's a brief summary of Ella's activities so far:
+ walks independently
+ picks things off the floor and can stand up from a sitting position without holding on
+ holds each of her feet up to allow me to put her shoes on while she's standing up
+ climbs the stairs with her hands and feet, and sits down on each step to descend
+ says "ma ma", "da da", "hiiiii"
+ waves bye bye
+ sometimes greets strangers with a handshake
+ bops ('dances') to music, tries to sing along to familiar songs and tunes (with single syllables....)
+ plays ball with people
+ responds to most of our directions: "can I have that, please?", "Sit down", "Can you put that in the garbage?", "Come find me", etc.
+ "talks" a lot
+ plays games: peekabo; pushing her wagon into my ankles to get a laugh; walking back and forth between Michael and me to give us hugs (repeating many times); playing ball; putting foreheads together; trying sunglasses on together in front of the mirror
+ enjoys 'Music Together' and swim classes
+ focused on getting into cabinets, drawers and baskets and emptying them
+ likes to move furniture (pushing chairs)...

Weekly Checkup: No News & Weird Thing in Toilet... (Wednesday, June 13)

Vitals: 110/70
Weight: same as last week
Fetal heartbeat: good

We saw Dr. Holden today, and for the first time I was looking forward to him checking me out to see if I'm dilated (even though it hurts a bit). Was hoping that the cramping this week was a sign that things are moving along here. This is expected to be our last doctor visit before the birth.

He said I'm dilated ~2 centimeters and softer than last week, which are good signs but not necessarily indicators that we'll go into labor naturally soon, so I am a little disappointed. The cramps have diminished so doesn't seem like much is happening.

Our official due date is the day after tomorrow (Friday, June 15th). As per the discussion we had with Dr. Holden at last week's appointment, the latest we'll be allowed to wait for something to happen naturally will be next Thursday, June 21st. Since Dr. Holden is on duty next Tuesday, he recommended we formally book in to the hospital on Monday, and he'll deliver us either Monday or Tuesday (!). We can opt to wait until Thursday; the downside is we probably won't get Dr. Holden.

Michael and I would both like it if we went into labor naturally, so we're hoping something happens this weekend (but right now, it doesn't feel like much will happen...). We are scheduled to show up at Columbia Presbyterian next Monday at 6 a.m. eastern if nothing develops this weekend.

Dr. Holden said it would be normal to spot or cramp up after the appointment. After dinner, I went to the bathroom (pee), and found something weird in the toilet. Sort of light brown and scalloped... I called my Mom in and we both looked. Maybe mucous plug?
http://www.justmommies.com/articles/mucous-plug.shtml
Not sure, but hope that's what it was.

Some of the best laughs Michael and I have had this pregnancy have been around bathroom issues in the last trimester. One incident (#2) happened at the old apartment; and another incident (#1) happened at a recent doctor visit when I was trying to provide a urine sample. I'll write separate entries later with a warning up front in case anyone wants to be spared the bathroom humor. It's worth recording to me because it will capture at least two times Michael and I couldn't stop laughing recently. The closer the due date, the less the dignity...

Weekly Checkup & Countdown (Wednesday, June 6)

Weight: 181

Vitals: 120/60

Fetal heartbeat: good

Michael and I met Dr. Holden today. Our due date is next Friday, June 15th, so we're about 9 days away, though only 5% of women deliver on their actual due date -- roughly half go early and half go later.

Urine, blood pressure, weight and fetal heartbeat tested -- all fine. We asked what happens if we go past due date and there's no development, and Dr. Holden said the policy across different hospitals varies, but at Columbia, they won't let the baby come more than 1 week late (week 41). There's evidence that the probability of fetal distress increases dramatically between weeks 41 and 42 and beyond, so they'll induce labor after one week past the due date. Since Dr. Holden is on call Tuesdays and the weekends, if the Bean doesn't arrive naturally the weekend of the 16th/17th (due date), then we may induce on Monday, the 18th, with the expectation I'll deliver on Tuesday, the 19th when Dr. Holden is on call.

He did a quick internal exam and said I'm approximately 1 centimeter dilated and cervix is much softer than when he last saw me two weeks ago. We'll see him again next week...

35/36-week Check-up (Wednesday, May 16)

Weight: 177 (I think I'm retaining at least 2 pounds of water in my ankles)
Vitals: 100/60
Fetal heartbeat: good

Michael and I met Dr. Shinn today, one of the five doctors in the practice with Dr. Holden. He measured my abdomen and said we are on target size-wise for 35-36 weeks (I'll be at the 36-week mark on Friday). Once week 36 hits, he said the baby could come anytime, but normally comes within a week of the due date (before or after). He clarified when we should call if we go into labor and said everything looks fine so far.

Next week we will see Dr. Holden. Tonight we had our last Birth Preparation course. Practiced breathing, covered breast feeding in a lot more detail, discussed bathing the baby, etc. Michael and I talked in the cab ride home, and agreed that we feel like we are in reasonable shape to cope with the baby when he/she arrives (famous last words).

35-week mark

Went to the second birth preparation class this week by myself; Michael had a business trip to California. We saw a video of a woman giving birth vaginally filmed from the doctor's standpoint. Some of the Dads looked green afterward, and I felt queasy and almost dizzy. Delivering the placenta is one of those things people don't really talk about when sharing stories about the birth of their kids and I didn't know the placenta came out separately until getting pregnant.

No constipation, heartburn, varicose veins or shortness of breath so far...knock on wood. My feet have swelled up in the last few days and seem to be staying that way day and night -- I've got cankles now (cankles = calves merge directly into feet, no discernible ankle bones). My hands swell over the course of the day, especially after long walks.

I realized I'm not supposed to be eating deli meat sandwiches for lunch (which I had been doing until about two weeks ago - listeria risk) and tuna fish is also off the list (too much mercury), so when I'm working from home, which is most days now, the menu is fruit plus hard boiled eggs, a peanut butter sandwich or yogurt & granola. Looking forward to eating ham and cheese sandwiches again later.

Dad is visiting to help us with the move, and it's fun to have him here. Mom is in California, and said she and the dog are doing fine. Shi Shi Ling has always been attached to Mom; I'm sort of a distant 2nd favorite, followed by Dad and Ben (in definite last place in her affections).

In the recent past, my father has been doing most of the feeding/walking for schedule reasons. When Dad left for New York earlier this week, Mom said Shi Shi looked deflated when he packed his suitcase, and after he left she disappeared and now is only showing up now to interact with Mom at mealtimes and to be walked. Mom thinks the dog is missing Dad.

[Shi Shi Ling photographed by my father a week ago in Goleta.]

33 week check-up (Wednesday, May 2)

Weight: 175 pounds (same as last visit -- thank heavens); Vitals: 120/80

Michael and I saw Dr. Holden today. The Bean's heartbeat sounded good, and Dr. Holden said that we are on target and progressing normally. He indicated we'll have one more sonogram -- on or near the due date, and will start seeing him weekly around 36 weeks. Next visit, I'll be tested for Group B Strep (http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/prenatalhealth/1647.html). We will also meet two other doctors in the practice who share on-call responsibilities.

We went to our first Birth Preparation class tonight, taught by Fern Drillings, the woman who also instructed us in the Baby CPR class. There are about 15 couples in the class, all due this summer. One other woman and I are the two scheduled to deliver the soonest.
There is couple in the class expecting twins, and one couple that looks a lot younger than the rest of us -- in their early or mid-twenties -- and both women look great. No extra weight anywhere except their bellies.

I used to fantasize that it would be great to have twins so that we'd have two kids at the same time and could get all the vaginal deliveries/pain out of the way at once. Now that I've been through the drill with this single pregnancy, including digesting all the probabilities of potential problems for singletons, twins and multiples, I realized a singleton is plenty. There's a lot more to stress about with two in the oven at the same time... What if you only felt one move, and not the other, or the nurse could only find one baby's heartbeat and not the other's at an exam? etc.

There were some weird questions by some of the fathers in the class tonight:
+ Do I HAVE to hold my wife's hand during the delivery? (He was afraid his wife would break his hand by squeezing too hard during her labor. Fern's answer: You'll do whatever she tells you to do.)
+ Is there a sheet or barrier that shields her lower half during delivery? (He doesn't want to see the blood and stuff around the delivery... Fern's answer: No barrier, no sheet. It's all there and you'll be seeing it all, so if you can't handle the blood and stuff, ask for a chair and sit 'upstream' near your wife's shoulders, or leave the room.)

The winner of the weirdest question award goes to a father in Emma & Alan's birth class. Emma told me that when she and Alan went to Birth classes in San Francisco to prepare for Senan's arrival, one of the fathers in their class asked if he could breast feed the baby himself too, acknowledging he wouldn't be providing any milk, but wanting the bonding opportunity (!)...

8-month Checkup (April 20, 2007)

Weight: 175 pounds (40+ pound gain since getting pregnant!)
Blood pressure: 110/70

I met Dr. Hadden today as part of a rotation every two weeks to meet all 5 doctors that take turns being on duty for the labor/delivery ward at Columbia Presbyterian. By doing this, whichever doctor is on duty in the labor/delivery ward and I will be somewhat familiar when the time comes to deliver.

Dr. Hadden looks as though he's in his early or mid-fifties and said he's been practicing for 25+ years. He said there's a 50 - 70% chance that Dr. Holden will help me deliver versus one of the other doctors.

I assumed this visit would be a handshake and brief conversation, but for each visit from now on (roughly every two weeks), I'll get a pregnancy checkup including urine test, weight, vitals and monitoring of the the baby's heartbeat.

The nurse found the Bean's heartbeat low on my belly on the left side, but as soon as the monitor tracked the heartbeat, the baby shifted and we couldn't hear it anymore. She moved the monitor and found the heartbeat again, but the Bean shifted and heartbeat went away again. Finally, she trained it near the center and we heard the heartbeat for several seconds. We both laughed. The nurse said she hasn't seen a baby shy away from the monitor in a long time -- the monitor makes a loud crackling noise, and the Bean doesn't like it.

Dr. Hadden measured my abdomen from pubic bone to fundus (top of uterus) and said I'm tracking at 32 weeks, in line with the other measurements taken over the past couple of months confirming mid-June for the due date. He felt my abdomen and said he could feel the Bean's head down near my pubic bone and back/butt up and to my right, all of which is normal.

His only warning to me at the appointment was to try not to gain any more weight. He said "Anything over 35 pounds is yours to keep" (meaning it will be harder to lose after the baby is born) and there's also a risk that if I gain more weight the baby will also get bigger, creating a harder labor situation. I'm embarrassed to write about this today, but am trying to be honest for the journal.

Attached is a picture from about 3 weeks ago (week 28)... [Demi Moore/Vanity Fair copy cat shot - Take 2]

7-month Checkup (April 4, 2007)

Weight: 173 pounds, a 36-pound gain since the start of the pregnancy (!)
Blood pressure: 110/70

The fun news at this appointment is that Dr. Holden and his wife had their 2nd child - a girl - on Saturday (Mar 31st). He and his wife have a 2-year old boy too. We asked him how he and his wife got to the hospital, and he said they took a taxi -- same strategy as for their first child. He also said that another doctor delivered the baby; Dr. Holden was there as a husband/father only. He said his wife doesn't like getting advice from him when she's pregnant, which was funny.

This appointment went quickly. We listened to the Bean's heartbeat and it sounded good. The monitor that the nurse used this session did not provide a digital readout of the number of beats per minute, so I am not able to record that data for this entry, but in general, the Bean's heart rate is faster than mine.

He said I look good, all signs are good, and we can keep on truckin. Because Dr. Holden is part of a team of 6 doctors that takes turns being on call at nights and on weekends, I will meet each of the other doctors every couple of weeks so that regardless of who is on call when the Bean finally arrives, the doctor who assists will not be a complete stranger if the time comes and Dr. Holden is not available.

I received a shot of Rhogam in the rear end to prevent any blood incompatibility issues with the Bean, and then we all went back to work.

6-Month Checkup (Wednesday, Feb 28th, 2007)

25 weeks

Weight: 160 pounds (!)

Vitals: 110/60

Bean: 132 beats/minute

Visit went quickly. I took a sugar test -- will get results next Wednesday. Doctor said he thinks my risk of gestational diabetes is low, and although I'm heavier than I've ever been, he said I'm within 25 pounds of my original weight, and has no worries. I'm ok to travel to San Jose in March.

Bean's heartbeat was 132 and my blood pressure is low, both of which are positive.

Next visit is in April, and I'll get a shot of Rhogam (becuase of potential differences in my blood type vs Michael's). No other blood tests will be needed now until it's time to deliver. We will have one more routine ultrasound at week 36 or 38.

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Rhogam: Rh0 immunoglobulin, also called anti-Rh or anti-D immunoglobulin. An injectable blood product used to protect an Rh-positive fetus from antibodies by its Rh-negative mother. The idea underlying Rhogam is if anti-Rh antibody is given soon after delivery, it blocks the sensitization of the mother and prevents Rh disease from occurring in the woman's next Rh-positive child. Rhogam is now given routinely to Rh-negative women after pregnancies in which they carried Rh-positive fetuses to prevent the mother's immune system from reacting to the Rh-positive blood of any subsequent fetus. Rhogam was developed in the 1960s by Dr. Vincent J. Freda (1927-2003), professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University.Source: MedicalNet.com http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=11961

5-Month Check-up

20 weeks: weight 153 pounds; blood pressure 117/70.

Dr. Holden said everything looks good. Last week's sonogram at 19 weeks was normal so no follow-up tests or ultrasounds are scheduled at this point. True to form, the baby moved around so much it was difficult for the nurse to find the heartbeat with the monitor, but we found it eventually. **I love this little bean.**

Next month I'll go back for 6-month check-up (early March) and will get the standard sugar test. All pregnant women get tested in the US at 6 months for signs of gestational diabetes. The test will take an hour, and will involve drinking sugar water, waiting sixty minutes, and then giving blood for testing purposes (insulin levels).

19-Week Sonogram: The Bean is Jumping (Fri Jan 19)

We went for the 19-week ultrasound today at 1:30 pm. This is a standard test prescribed for all pregnancies to measure the development of the internal organs and bone structure of the baby.

We saw the spinal cord, bones in the arms, legs, hands and feet (10 toes), the four chambers of the heart (!), etc. The baby's arms were bent and hands were in front of its face a lot during the screening, so it was difficult to see the face. This is the second sonogram at which the radiologists commented that the baby is very active and so was difficult to measure! She asked if I had eaten just before the appointment (I hadn't). She also mentioned she felt a hardness on my left side and asked if I have a cyst or have had one in the past (I said no). She said it was nothing to worry about. I will investigate after the baby is born.

An ultrasound technician looked at the Bean from all angles, took measurements and said everything looked normal. The Chief Radiologist on staff followed up to check measurements and agreed that everything looks good. In total, we spent an hour in the ultrasound getting screened. The radiologist said the baby is still on track for a delivery date of June 15th (size-wise).

From the radiologist's point of view, everything is developing normally so they are not recommending the need for any follow-up. Since we elected not to find out the sex of the baby, the radiologists hid the screen for part of the examination.

Now that the baby is getting bigger and I've seen it moving, I'm more aware of having a baby inside (vs what had felt mostly like an unpredictable medical condition). Things have progressed smoothly so far, my bump is noticeable, and I'm more conscious now that everything I eat is feeding two of us.

4-Month Check-up (Wednesday, January 3, 2007)

16-week checkup: weight 148 pounds; blood pressure 117/70.

Today was our 4-month visit. My weight has gone up 10 pounds (what?!). Blood pressure remains low. My trousers fit the same so hope the extra weight is due mostly to bigger breasts, the bump and the clothes I was wearing. The results of the blood tests from the last visit were all negative (HIV, anemia, STDs, etc).

It took awhile for the nurse to find the Bean’s heartbeat but she found it low in my abdomen. The heartbeat would fade as the baby moved away from the monitor, but the nurse tracked its movement and charted the heart rate between 145 – 152 beats per minute, which she said was good.

The fetal heartbeat sounds ike a "sh sh sh sh" sound (vs. thump thump thump). The nurse said it's fetal bowels we're hearing.

Dr. Holden told us there was a mix-up with our final CVS test results (!). The preliminary lab results that were given to us were accurate. The first set of final results that the geneticist gave me via a phone message were actually for a different ‘Melissa’. However, during the follow-up phone call to discuss final results in person, the results she shared were ours, and were normal as well. Although there was a mix-up, there has been no harm done.

Mentioned to Dr. Holden that it is easy to wonder about the health of the baby since I can’t feel anything yet. He said this is a common concern for women in the early part of the second trimester -- ‘no mans land’ -- since there are no direct signs of progress other than the bump getting bigger.

We can expect to start feeling the Bean move in the 5^th month (February). At the next visit, he will teach me tactics to feel the baby and look for signs that things are ok.

We are scheduled for an ultrasound on January 19^th and the next monthly visit on February 1^st.

They took blood before I left the office to test spinal cord development in the baby. This time I laid on a table during the test and had no problems.

I noticed that another woman who had gone in for an appointment ahead of mine was laying on the floor with her feet propped up on the wall after having just given blood. Happy to see I'm not the only one who struggles to stay upright for blood tests.

On to more interesting news: an article published by Finnish scientists in New Science Magazine reported that women who eat chocolate regularly during their pregnancies are more likely to have placid babies. Big thanks to Carey -- a friend in Australia and new mom for the 2nd time -- for mentioning this study! www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn4854

"Six months after birth, the researchers asked mothers to rate their infants' behaviour in various categories, including fear, soothability, smiling and laughter.

The babies born to women who had been eating chocolate daily during pregnancy were more active and "positively reactive" - a measure that encompasses traits such as smiling and laughter. And the babies of stressed women who had regularly consumed chocolate showed less fear of new situations than babies of stressed women who abstained.

The researchers point out that they cannot rule out the possibility that chocolate consumption and baby behaviour are both linked with some other factor. But they speculate that the effects they observed could result from chemicals in chocolate associated with positive mood being passed on to the baby in the womb."

Journal reference: Early Human Development (vol 76, p 139)

Ate some Hersheys Dark Chocolate tonight in support of the research. :-)

CVS Test (Thursday, 7 December 2006)

I returned to the Columbia-Presbyterian offices to get the CVS test. The first step was a level II sonogram. The radiologist was a woman who has worked with Dr. Wapner for years and was very easy-going. Because she was upbeat and calm, it helped me relax. She showed me the baby on-screen, and we saw legs and arms moving! She took measurements, confirmed we were at 12 weeks and 5 days, and performed Nuchal Fold measurements http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/prenatalhealth/118.html saying the baby looked normal and there were no indications of Down Syndrome. She gave me two copies of sonogram pictures.

The Bean still looks like ET.

After approximately 20 minutes, Dr. Wapner came in, and they agreed that the transabdominal version of CVS would be safest in my case, based on where the baby was located within my uterus (the alternative is trans-vaginal). Dr. Wapner looks like Dr. Who – tall with a lot of curly hair. He used a transducer to insert the needle, and in less than 60 seconds, was finished withdrawing material. We talked movies while he performed the test, and he recommended I see “The Queen” starring Helen Mirren, because of the years I lived in Windsor, England, near the castle.

The use of a topical anesthesia is not used for this procedure. At least half of women who have undergone CVS in the past indicated the pain caused by an anesthesia shot was not worth mitigating the pain of the second bigger needle used for the procedure. With my general phobia of needles, I was onboard with using as few needles as possible and willing to have more pain if it meant getting through the procedure as quickly as possible.

When the test was done, Dr. Wapner said the procedure could not have gone more smoothly and indicated I'd have no problems as a result of getting the test. Preliminary results will be available early next week, and final results within 10 days.

Because my blood type (Rh) is A negative and Michael may have a positive blood type (we don't know his), I was given a shot of Rhogam (1) in the rear end before leaving the office, and will now get a Rhogam shot around week 26 and once more after delivery. In this case, I received Rhogam during pregnancy because the CVS procedure (like Amniocentesis) introduces the slight risk that the baby's blood or DNA could interact with mine, and cause my blood to create antibodies against the baby's blood (if the baby has a positive blood type).

I got dressed and felt surprisingly steady on my feet. Took the subway home, laid on the couch, ordered pizza for dinner and watched TV. Slept soundly for the first time this week!

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(1) Rhogam: Rh0 immunoglobulin, also called anti-Rh or anti-D immunoglobulin. An injectable blood product used to protect an Rh-positive fetus from antibodies by its Rh-negative mother. The idea underlying Rhogam is if anti-Rh antibody is given soon after delivery, it blocks the sensitization of the mother and prevents Rh disease from occurring in the woman's next Rh-positive child. Rhogam is now given routinely to Rh-negative women after pregnancies in which they carried Rh-positive fetuses to prevent the mother's immune system from reacting to the Rh-positive blood of any subsequent fetus. Rhogam was developed in the 1960s by Dr. Vincent J. Freda (1927-2003), professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University.

Source: MedicalNet.com http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=11961

3-Month Check-up: Finding a Doctor Who Delivers! (Wednesday, 6 December 2006)

3-Month Checkup: weight 137.5 pounds, blood pressure 110/70.

My cousins and friends gave us recommendations for obstetricians, but those that I could track down were unavailable – no longer do deliveries, were booked for the next six months, not accepting new patients, or don’t accept any form of insurance. Who knew it would be such a challenge to find a doctor that delivers in Manhattan?

Today I met Dr. Holden for the first time, and the visit coincides with a 12-week checkup. He is part of an obstetrical practice associated with Columbia Presbyterian Hospital – reputed to be one of the best in the city for delivering babies and providing neonatal care. He reviewed the test results from the first doctor visit and took a history of my health, Michael’s health, and the events leading up to this visit. He looks young…younger than us, but seems competent, cheerful, and mentioned he is married with a young son. That’s a good sign… at least he’s married and has been through one birth of his own! He gave me all his office numbers and his cell phone number and encouraged me to call anytime for any reason.

I was directed to an exam room, where a nurse took my vitals and put a fetal heart monitor on my abdomen to listen for the fetal heartbeat. Initially, we couldn’t hear anything and I started to worry, but the nurse assured me that when the fetus is small, as it is at week 12 (about 3-4" long!), it takes time to find the heartbeat. Within a few moments, she found the heartbeat, and it was very rapid. Pelvic exam normal.

After the exam, Dr. Holden and I regrouped in his office. He advised me that because of my age, we should decide whether to get genetic testing – either Chorionic Villis Sampling (CVS) http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/prenatalhealth/328.html or Amniocentesis http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/prenatalhealth/327.html?ccRelLink=&url=%2Frefcap%2Fpregnancy%2Fprenatalhealth%2F328.html&xTopic=prenattest&bus=content– -- to confirm the health of the baby.

Women who are 35 or older at the time of delivery are encouraged to take either the CVS or Amniocentesis test (and insurance companies cover the cost). While there are risks associated with both procedures, the probability of finding a genetic problem with the baby is greater than the probability of complications resulting from either procedure because of the statistics associated with maternal age. Before I left the appointment, Dr. Holden and I agreed to meet once a month going forward for progress visits.

I am not going to look further for a doctor – glad to find someone who is positive, seemingly trustworthy, and makes himself available to answer questions anytime. My initial thinking about wanting a female OB has gone out the window; other worries eclipsed any hesitation I had about a male doctor performing pelvic exams, and Emma and others assure me that when the Bean is born, any shyness I had about strangers seeing 'my business' will disappear.

Before I left the office, I gave several vials of blood for tests, including HIV. The nurse asked me to sit in a chair in a very small office (claustrophobic). When she was done, I fainted, and woke up on the floor with my feet propped up on the wall. After a few minutes of laying down, my equilibrium was back and I was up and ready to go home. The nurses told me its pretty common, but it's a bummer that it's a challenge for me to stay upright for blood tests.

Tonight ranks as one of the most stressful I can remember in recent times. Lots of crying on the phone to Michael, my parents, Emma, and my brother. The CVS procedure is scary and I dread the risk to the baby, as well as the decisions we face if the results aren’t good. At what point (if any) would aborting feel like the humane thing to do? In cases of Trisomy 13 or 18 where the baby would suffer severe birth defects and would not be projected to live longer than 12 months (in pain and on life support systems)? The risk of CVS complications is slightly higher than amniocentesis, and the safety of the test depends heavily on the experience of the doctor performing it. On the positive side, the geneticist, also a Melissa, told me Dr. Wapner pioneered the procedure, has performed more than 22,000 of them, and does about 80 a month. She said if she had to get the test, he’s the only one she’d trust, and he comes to Columbia every Thursday to perform the test for those that need it.

I’m 12 weeks and 5 days, so this is the last week of opportunity for me to take the test. Need to do it tomorrow, or wait until week 18-20 for Amniocentesis. After discussing the options with Michael by phone tonight (he is on a business trip this week), we agreed that CVS would be the best plan because of the ability to get results more quickly than amniocentesis, and Dr. Wapner sounds like the best man to do it.

Michael won’t be back until the day after this test, so I’ll be on my own tomorrow.

A Due Date and Nickname for Baby! (Friday, 17 November 2006)

Today we visited a radiologist to get the trans-vaginal ultrasound. Trans-vaginal scans are usually prescribed for early pregnancies or to diagnose ectopic pregnancies, tumors or cysts.

After inserting a large probe (easier than expected), we all watched the screen. The screen looked like a TV with bad reception -- a lot of snow. At least one or two minutes ticked by and neither the Doctor nor nurse showed any expression or said anything as they watched, so I started to worry.

Me: "Is it ectopic?"

Dr. S: “Are we LOOKING for an ectopic pregnancy??”

Me: "I don't think so..."

Dr. S: “Women these days! They get pregnant, read books and horror stories on the internet, and before they’ve had their first formal doctor visit, they’ve prepared themselves for every disaster! Millions of women get pregnant every year. It’s a perfectly normal process and there is no reason to assume the worst!”

Moments later a picture came into view and we were surprised to see what looked a black bubble with a 'bean' inside that had a large head and four appendages – little arms and legs! Dr. S said “There is the baby, and there is the heart beating!”. I felt such overwhelming relief that there was really a baby there, I started to cry and found it difficult to continue looking at the screen. This was the first time since we discovered I'm pregnant that we could see the baby and hear it, so it is starting to feel real.

Dr. Subramanyam activated a ruler on the screen to take measurements of the fetus, and indicated we were 10 weeks along. The due date is listed as June 15, 2007.

This surprise ranks second only to discovering the pregnancy last week. Within a few seconds of receiving this news, we realize I have been pregnant since slightly before our wedding in September. Immediately, I started reeling through the things I'd done since September and October that I wouldn't have done if I'd known I was pregnant: drank at the wedding, drank a bit over the honeymoon, took a fair amount of flu medicine/decongestant in Sydney in order to clear my ears for the flights back to the U.S....etc. These got filed in my head as things to raise with a doctor as soon as we find one.

The doctor gave us a print of the sonogram. Our first baby picture!
Nickname for baby is ‘Bean’ (aka 'the bean'), and 'it' looks like E.T.

Pictures: me at 10 weeks; sonogram of the Bean at 10 weeks

Pregnancy Confirmed (Tuesday, 14 November 2006)

Today Michael and I went to see Dr. Capalbo, a gynecologist, to get confirmation of the pregnancy and a pelvic exam. A nurse ushered us into an exam room, requested a urine sample to confirm the pregnancy, and took my vitals (blood pressure 120/80, weight 137).

A few minutes later, the nurse poked her head back in and said “Congratulations, you are definitely pregnant!”. Dr. Capalbo came in, introduced herself, and said she no longer performs deliveries so could not be our Ob/Gyn throughout the pregnancy, but would administer the first exam and order the relevant tests. She congratulated us on being pregnant, but warned us not to get our hopes up until we had passed the 12-week mark as it is possible to miscarry or experience a ‘chemical pregnancy’. On the positive side, she indicated that my pregnancy symptoms (nausea, tiredness, tender breasts) were good signs that the pregnancy was healthy. We told her we estimated we were about 5-6 weeks along based on the honeymoon dates.

She performed a PAP smear, took blood, did a manual exam and said my uterus was soft and enlarged – another good sign that the pregnancy was healthy. She prescribed a transvaginal sonogram (ultrasound) and sent us on our way, wishing us luck.