Pregnant - Finding A Doctor

After taking the home pregnancy test, I immediately drove to Planned Parenthood for confirmation. (I knew they would take me on a walk-in basis.) They suggested that I find a doctor soon because my age would put me in a high risk category. I went home and started browsing the phone book for doctors. I called a clinic that was nearest my home. The receptionist asked how far along I was. I didn't know. She asked the date of my last period. Again, I didn't know. She asked when I had discontinued my oral contraceptive. I didn't know. Exasperated, she snapped, “Well, if you're too far along, no one is going to take you!” I was so overwhelmed that I just hung up the phone, and cried. I had just received shocking news of a pregnancy, the words “high risk” had set me on edge, and now the thought that no doctor would even see me was horrifying! Then I was struck with the thought that crying isn't good for baby, and I composed myself. The next phone call to another clinic began like this, “I just found out I'm pregnant. I don't know how far along I am. I don't know the date of my last period. I'm 38 years old. I've been told that no one will take me if I'm too far along, so what am I supposed to do?” The sweetest receptionist soothed all my fears, “We specialize in high-risk pregnancies here. You're going to need medical care no matter how far along you are, and we can easily find that out with a simple ultrasound.”

It sounded too good to be true, so I launched my next test, “I don't know anything about having babies, but I want to be in control of everything. Do you know of any doctor who is going to want to work with me?” The response came, “I think you need to meet Jen.”

Turns out that Jen is a Certified Nurse and Midwife. She is suprisingly open to working with my wishes, even though I am very inexperienced.   

Hello. You Don't Know Me, But I Have A Bathing Suit.

I was chatting with a new client of ours as her vehicle was being worked on--about the weather, as strangers do.  To combat the scorching heat wave we've been having, she put up a pool in the back yard and had been enjoying it for the past few days.  She said that one day a woman and her young son knocked on her door.  She asked them, "Can I help you?"  

The visitor said, "I see that you have a pool" as if that statement should say it all.  

The householder said, "Yeah.  So?"  

The lady continued, "Well, we're wearing our swimming suites."  

"And...?"

"Well, we were wondering if we could use your pool.  We brought our own towels, and you're not using it anyway."

Can you believe the nerve of some people?  To actually show up in a bathing suite, fully expecting to use someone's new pool?  Makes you wonder if they hadn't already jumped the fence and helped themselves when the householder was out of the house on a previous day.  

I think I would have offered to turn the hose on them!

Pregnant - This is Happening

After a period of depression, my concerned husband suggested that I discontinue my use of oral contraceptives. My doctor had already threatened to take me off of them because I've been on them for 20 years. She had said that at the first sign of any health problems, she would not prescribe them, and I was fairly certain that depression symptoms would qualify. I thought that it was a prudent precaution, and agreed to go off of the pill. The depression faded completely over the months that followed, but I was concerned about getting pregnant. My husband reassured me with the words, “Don't worry. We will use condoms most of the time.” Well, turns out that “most of the time” isn't enough.

I dismissed tender breasts as premenstral symptoms--for 3 weeks. I dismissed swollen ankles as a result of salty meals—for which I had been having abnormally strong cravings. I was concerned about the dizziness though, which seemed to make my stomach queasy. I was also having little episodes where I didn't feel bad, but just felt a definite need to sit down for a minute. In my mind, each symptom was unrelated. Denial. During a chat with a girlfriend, I started to see them all as having a common cause. She suggested that I get a pregnancy test, which I immediately did.

My husband called my cell while I was at the store, but I told him that I was purchasing vegetables. He wanted to swap vehicles with me before he headed to work. I told him that I would finish and head home, but that I couldn't be certain whether I could be there in time for the swap or not. When I did get home, he was not there, so I concluded that he had left for work. So, I head into the bathroom to take the test. And having the house to myself, I'd left the bathroom door wide open. Just then he came home and caught me in the act. I was studying the stick and the diagram. I could clearly see that the results did not match the “not pregnant” figure, but my mind could not match the results to the “pregnant” figure. So, I handed it off to him. He studied it for a time. Pointing to the “not pregnant” figure, he concluded, “it's definitely not that one.” I stared at him, stunned, with teary wide eyes. He hugged me and said, “I am very sorry, but I'm very happy.” I croaked, “OK.” And then I sighed and said more resigned and resolute, “this is happening.”