Yesterday afternoon, Andre' and I went to see my new doctor, an OB by the name of Dr. Ernestine Bustamonte. I have to say it - I was impressed! She took the time to answer any and all of my questions, gave me some tips, and really seemed focused on helping me to continue having a healthy pregnancy... which is completely the opposite of the way I was treated in Atlanta.
My weight was down to 131 pounds, so somehow I have lost a pound since my last visit in October. I am a little concerned about that; I think she might be, as well because she scheduled me for an ultrasound to check the fetal weight in two weeks. Other than that, she said that my uterus is measuring where it is supposed to be, and I think that's what is of most importance right now. I think that if my uterus had not grown, we would probably be more concerned at this point.
Maybe my new diet has contributed to my weight loss? We will see what happens. In the meantime, she told me to take calcium and DHA supplements, to make sure the baby is getting what she needs. The DHA is good for babies - it helps their brains to grow and develop. Andre' used to buy me the Horizon Organic Milk with DHA so that she could get the nutrient, but so far, we have been unable to locate that particular type out West. Tonight we are going to Wal-mart to pick up those supplements and a few other grocery items.
The doctor told me that she wanted to perform an ultrasound to check fetal weight and the length of my cervix, as my previous doctors had expressed concern about it being too short. She went ahead and did a cervical exam, which was not my idea of fun, but completely necessary. Last night, I started to bleed a little from the exam, which is normal. The doctor told me that my cervix was closed tightly and felt really thick, so that is very good news! I was worried that Anna would try to be born early, since I started having contractions a week ago - but since the cervix is closed, that does not appear to be the case.
We asked about getting the 4D ultrasound, since it is the same price as the regular one (out here - not in GA, where the 4D was like 10 times more expensive!) - but they told us that we had just missed the deadline. They don't perform 4D u/s past 32 weeks... We get to see our precious Anna soon, so I'm not too bummed out about that. I will post her new ultrasound pictures as soon as I get them (Jan. 2nd).
We are very fortunate to have a doctor with a payment plan! Since we are uninsured, we are having to pay out-of-pocket for everything - but that's alright, because we still come out ahead in the long-term. My prenatal care visits, delivery, and postnatal care visits (plus many other things) are covered in the package, which will cost us $1587.00 if we pay by January 18th. That's not too bad, eh? The only things not covered would be the hospital room and anesthesia (which I don't plan on having in the first place). I am really happy that we were able to work this out! If there are complications and I must have a c-section, it is only an additional $200, so that is not too much to handle on our end.
Today, Anna has been wiggling around quite a bit. The doctor told me to do a kick count - she should be kicking 6 times per hour... but I don't think that is necessary because she is ALWAYS moving! Andre' cuddled with me this morning before getting up for work, and she just kicked away at him. I am so happy with my husband and my little baby girl.
