Meeting Lee & Lorraine

15 weeks reached today & it was off to our first midwife & obstetric appointment.

It's a bit strange being on the other side of the wall, so to speak. All the paperwork I've flicked through for years in my work in obstetrics/gynae, and it's now for me. All the obstetric/midwife notes I generally flick over in order to get to partograms and clinical pathways during labour - I now have my very own set.

All parties were very happy with me - well, Lee (my obstetrician who I've worked with for years) will be as long as I promise not to do any more night duty. All those statistics showing increased risks of premature labour and all that. Trust me, I'm not disappointed to give it up.

Yet more paperwork to read - about food and exercise and breastfeeding and private antenatal classes and postnatal depression. But I did get a really nice baby book to write down all the 'firsts' that Abeje will eventually have.

And over to pathology for even more blood tests - the ones that check for the nasties like Syphilis and HIV and Hepatitis. I am well and truly over blood tests now - but there's still more to come as time goes on. I also got a referral off to the anaesthetists to check my back due to having scoliosis as a child. Just in case I do end up begging for an epidural and the poor anaesthetist on at 2am in the morning freaks out over my back (I don't think they will though).

But the best bit was hearing Abeje's heartbeat, which we haven't heard since 7 weeks pregnant (we only saw it during the NT scan). Nice and strong and in the right range, which was wonderful once more.

Next time I see everyone won't be until the end of February, so I get a bit of rest from appointments now.