As promised… the “freak out” story: at our last OB appointment I asked our doctor how big Baby Girl Bail was because the technician didn’t really give us more than “it’s a girl!” and “everything looks good”. The rest of our time was spent explaining what each organ was she kept looking at and trying to reassure me that indeed everyone has one of those (anatomy wasn’t my strongest class to say the least!). So our OB looks it up and tells us 1 lb 2 oz. alright, that means nothing to me, but I can write it in my pregnancy journal if I decide to update it ever.
The remainder of the appointment we discussed what to expect now and she kept asking if I’m doing well emotionally unstable, but fine! physically this has been easier than I expected, I’m blessed and mentally… that’s when I finally divulged my struggle with the weight gain. I’ve been much more shallow than I anticipated because I don’t like seeing the increasing number on the scale or the stretch marks I recently discovered that weren’t on my stomach AUGH! I totally know that the end result will be well worth it and the only reason I’m putting on the pounds is because I have a baby inside, I get that—I don’t get why I’m getting bigger EVERYWHERE when my belly is where she’s actually growing, but whatever. (not whatever actually, I think it’s the most irritating thing in the world that my hips, thighs and badonky donk have to grow too…) anyway, the doctor’s response was a very encouraging “you should expect to gain 1-2 lbs a week for the remainder of your pregnancy.” I’m sorry?! I still have 18 weeks left! When I asked if she thinks I’m ridiculous for being concerned about it she laughed like it was a joke but definitely didn’t say no. awesome.
Later that night I was talking to my childhood friend Melissa who’s also pregnant and due just a few days after me and she just found out they’re having a girl too (which if you knew our story it’s really only fitting, but another promised post another day). Her doctors were concerned that her baby wasn’t quite 1 lb yet and I got concerned that at 22 weeks her baby wasn’t even 1 lb, but at 19 weeks my baby was a couple ounces over a pound! So I jump online and unfortunately learned that the average fetus is 8.5 oz at 19 weeks. First reaction was to panic, but I did the math quick and since there’s 12 oz in a pound and she was a pound and two ounces she was only 14 ounces, which is bigger but I convinced myself it wasn’t terrible… then Justin politely reminded me that my math skills leave much to be desired and there’s actually 16 oz in a pound so she was 18 oz at 19 weeks. How is that “fine”?! Sounds to me like something to be at least a teeny frickin’ little bit concerned about when a baby is DOUBLE the average size!
At this point I called my mom completely panicked and freaking out because not only is there no way that can be healthy, but I was picturing giving birth to a front-cover National Enquirer size baby! J and I were both just under 9 lbs when we were born so Baby being twice that at 18 lbs they’re going to need the Jaws of Life to get her out of me! A C-Section would have to basically cut me in half so she could say hello. And then I was frustrated that she wasn’t going to be the small baby we pictured her being compared to her cousins that were both big babies that didn’t stay little long. She was going to be on pace, it was the plan. I was actually mad, how terrible! I’m already a bad mother because I’m irritated about something so superficial and the right Sunday school answer is as long as she’s healthy, right?! I was a wreck, crying on the phone to my mom who couldn’t even understand everything I was saying because it was so incoherent…
A ridiculously long story short: I talked to the nurse the next day and she told me to take deep breaths and everything indeed looks fine, at 19 weeks Baby was 10 oz. I assured her that the doctor said 1 lb 2 oz and the nurse guessed she was speculating how big Baby was at the appointment that day. That’s not what I asked! Needless to say, I’m considering looking for a new OB just because she thinks I’m shallow and stupid instead of normal with stupid questions (which is completely different) and that’s not something I want tainting this experience. That, and every time we go we have to wait, no exaggeration, at least 30 minutes for her see us. They take us into the room almost immediately, but then we have to sit there and wait for her. It’s not like it’s a nice room either, the only décor is a poster with a giant vagina diagram. awkward to say the least…
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2 comments:
Dont feel too bad about the stretch marks, I started getting them when I was 19 and I havent even had a baby!! Lord knows what's going to happen then. Just think of them as a rite of passage in becoming a woman ;)
Oh and I dont know if you watch Seinfeld, but the waiting 30 minutes thing reminds me of what he said while at the car rental place. "So, you can make the appointment, but you can't KEEP the appointment." haha
So I left you a comment last night...not sure where it went:)...For reals though, both your niece and nephew were big and healthy, both mamas went right back to tiny...you:the same thing. I hve no doubt in my mind you'll be cuter than ever. Though I do hear you on the weight gain freakout...my friend and I would joke that we preferred to go to the dr in the a.m. because we weighed less (before b-fast, lunch, snacks, coffee, etc.) I swear it worked:)
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