Le premier rendez-vous (The First Appointment)

Joel and I had our first Dr's appt for the new baby. I guess I'm actually due May 3, according to my 28-day cycle. She said since I had Stella at 38 weeks, I'll probably deliver this baby at 37-38 weeks. We were able to hear the heartbeat at 164 bmp, which is a higher, good number. Dr. Garvin-Cress reminded us that it is a wives' tail that a higher heart rate means girl. My uterus was where it should be. The past few days I have looked pregnant. Maybe not to an outsider, but my family noticed for sure. I also noticed that my midsection looks wider. My pants are snug and wearing most of them just isn't flattering/comfortable because they push things where they needn't be. My doctor said that this is completely normal, I look great, and at this point, most second-time moms are getting out the maternity clothes. We discussed the different degrees of genetic abnormalities testing and decided we're not going to do the early blood tests. There is a 5% false positive occurrence. She said that she'll be able to see spinal issues at the 20-week ultrasound, and only 50% of Downs babies are even detected because often they look completely normal on ultrasound. We only want testing done that will affect my prenatal care and/or delivery. A spinal issue would call for a c-section, etc... It was a great appointment. It made us both excited to experience the growth of this baby. My next appt is 11/6.