First Doctor Appointment
I met the doctor that will be delivering my baby today. He’s a nice guy that is very confident in his mannerisms. I always love that in a health professional. We often only go to doctors when something is wrong, and when they present an air of confidence, knowledge, and surety. then they tend to put us (or, at least, me) at ease.
Kiara had told me that he has big, strong hands. She wasn’t kidding! I could feel the strength in his grip when he shook my hand, but he seemed to know that he was strong and didn’t exert his full power into the grip. I like that in a man. A handshake should be firm, but not bone-crushing.
Just before that handshake, however, my first impression of him was that he looked quite a bit like George Hamilton. He has the same complexion, and almost the same face. The doctor was quite a bit bigger (mostly muscle, you could tell) and several decades younger.
We asked him all sorts of questions about how to proceed with the pregnancy, and when I should come to appointments and such. He was very clear in his answers and very honest with us. That was also appreciated.
There is a history of Downs Syndrome (1 cousin) on Kiara’s side, so that is a concern for us. We’re going to get an ultrasound done next Wednesday to get a firm date on how far along Kiara is. This will allow the doctor to schedule an ultrasound between the 12th and 13th week to check for signs of Downs Syndrome. It has something to do with some measurements in the spacing between the neck bones and the folds of skin on the neck. There are also some blood tests that go along with it. The results of the ultrasound and the blood work are plugged into a computer, and it spits out a probability of Downs Syndrome being a possibility. If the probability is low, then we continue on normally. If it’s high, then we may do an amniocentesis to do further testing. Even if the tests tell us that our child will have Downs Syndrome, we’ll have the baby. It just means more challenges after the birth.
Enough doom and gloom. I’m getting down a little just typing this out. I’m sure that everything will work out in the end.
I was also there during the “woman exam,” and, no, I didn’t watch! I don’t think I want to be there for another one. Poor Kiara squirmed and grimaced the whole time. It hurt me to watch her in pain. I could barely stand it. Kiara has told me that this doctor is the gentlest and best that she’s ever been to. I couldn’t image the pain and suffering that a careless doctor can cause if this guy is one of the best!
Of course, when it comes time for labor, I hope that I handle it better than I did the exam. We’ll have to wait until November to find out.
