Meeting baby

On the 18th, HID and I saw our little baby for the first time at our scan! I had received my instruction letter from the hospital two weeks beforehand, and was a little concerned about having to drink one and a half pints of liquid before an hour before the appointment. I am not into gulping, more of a sipper myself, and I was worried that my pregnancy bladder, that which used to be a real toughie, especially for a girl, would let me down!

My mum confirmed these worries, assuring me that I will be desperate for the loo, and then a midwife spends 10 mins pressing on your tummy! Nightmare. As it happens, I need not have worried about needing the loo, as I had a much more pressing problem to distract me: morning sickness. My tummy was not best impressed at being filled with sloshy liquid, and made it be known almost immediately. However, I knew that if I threw up, they would not be able to see the baby clearly, and I would probably be made to drink it all over again and sit in the waiting room for another hour! So I swallowed hard again and again, willing myself to keep it down until after the scan.

I managed the car journey well enough, and was told the unit was on the 3rd floor. I took one look at the lift, of which I am wary at the best of times, and thought no way, that feeling that your tummy leaves you when it goes and stops? I’d have no chance. Stairs it is. The midwife who booked me in is holding the lift for us….I am politely declining, explaining I plan to walk the stairs. HER: “Oh, well done you, you’ll be much fitter than me!” (Ironic that she’s a size 10 and I’m a 16) HID has had a root canal on his front tooth that morning, and is in a lot of pain that I know will only be made worse if he takes the stairs. I plead my case to him, leave me and meet me at the top. He protests that I have been feeling dizzy recently (another joy of pregnancy) and refuses to leave my side. By the time we are at the top, we are both wheezing like 40-a-day pensioners (I swear pregnancy is making me even more unfit), and HID is grimacing with his tooth. The lift pings, and the midwife grins at us. What a sight we must be. Smug cow. Lovely lady really!

The stairs have not really alleviated my sickness either, I could very easily be sick. Thank god the waiting room is empty, we’re next. We are led into a darkened room, and I’m invited to lie down and bare my tum, not something I even do on the beach. She squirts the gel on; I jump out of my skin. I always thought that stuff was cold, it was red hot! As the baby appeared on the screen, I did not need anything explaining to me as I thought I would, it was crystal clear to me the head, body, and legs. I could feel HID grinning beside me, squeezing my hand tighter. I didn’t think there would be so much detail!

Suddenly, the legs stretched right out, and back again. HID had thought it was a girl, but changed his mind when he saw all that kicking. I told him it was sexist, and that not only boys kick! He’s a weirdo; he doesn’t even like football anyway! The midwife took a few pictures and gave them to us on the way out. HID complained that they were all the same angle. He could have done better apparently, and almost grabbed the thing out of her hand! Funny, I had suddenly forgotten all about feeling sick and needing a wee….

Grown