My last visit to the OB/GYN was on August 3, 2012. I
was pretty excited and anxious about this visit because six weeks had passed
since the other one. The manner in which
pregnancy is treated in the United States is different from Puerto Rico, where
my first daughter was born. During the first trimester and the beginning of the
second, doctors in the United States see pregnant women every six weeks.
Meanwhile, doctors in Puerto Rico see pregnant women every four weeks. The
other striking difference is the performance of sonograms. Currently, I am 18
weeks pregnant, and I have only one sonogram of my baby, and I do not know the
sex. At this time, I had four sonogram’s pictures of my first pregnancy, and I
knew the sex of the baby.
I am not complaining but stating the differences,
although I would prefer more sonogram’s pictures. The logic behind doing only
two sonograms during the entire pregnancy is that if the baby is in good
health, then, there are not necessary. An OB/GYN in the United States will only
order more sonograms if there is the possibility of being something wrong with
the baby. In addition, they consider that knowing the sex of the baby just for
curiosity is not essential. The health of the baby is the most significant
matter. I agree with this logic and the way of thinking. I also believe that
doctors in Puerto Rico perform so many sonograms to gain more money.
Returning to the account of my last visit, I was
excited because we were going to hear the baby’s heart rate. My husband and our
five-year-old daughter went with me, and we were all smiles when we heard the
baby’s heart. He or she has a healthy heart rate of 140. The baby was moving a
lot too. We got even happier when the doctor said that soon it would be time
for the second sonogram. It is scheduled for August 30, 2012. The radiologist
will measure the baby’s proportions, check that everything is alright, revise
the due date, and, maybe, tell us the sex of the baby. Of course, we would like
to know the sex of baby if it is possible, but his or her health is more
important.
As for my health, everything was superb with the
exception that I have been a little bit anxious. There have been a lot of
strong thunderstorms going on during the summer in our area. These scare me
that much, which is ironic since I was born in Puerto Rico, where people are
used to hurricanes. I get so scared because houses here are made of wood not
concrete. Many are made of bricks but not mine. This is silly, but has gotten
me on chicken mode.
The other reason I am a bit anxious is because we
are going to move soon, but my husband’s orders have not gotten out yet. I am
approaching the five months mark, and the baby is supposed to arrive in the
middle of January. As I have said previously, I do not mind moving and enjoy it
contrary to most people. I have a strong character built for being an officer’s
wife. However, I would have expected more readiness regarding my husband’s
orders this time around. The doctor said that I should be moved at least one
month before I give birth. I have to clean and assemble everything in my
current house for the move. I have to deal with the out-processing of this
base. I have to organize my health and pregnancy’s files and transfer these to
the clinic in the new base. I have to acclimate to the new clinic and doctors.
I have to prepare the new house and the entire baby’s stuff. It is a lot of
stuff to do, and time is running out. We are supposed to move at the end of
October, but I will not believe it until I see those orders. I am a
perfectionist and on-time individual, which is not helping in this situation.
I guess that my pregnancy hormones and organized
character are getting a hold of me this time. Nevertheless, at least my
physical health is excellent at the moment. The doctor also ordered an early
glucose blood test because my mother has a type of diabetes. I took it on
August 3 and have not heard anything back, so it must have come negative. YAY!
Usually, they call if tests came out positive. My blood pressure is low as
always. It was 96/60 or something like that. For a person who exercises
regularly, like me, that is normal. My low blood pressure always causes nurses
to think something is wrong with me. That is until they ask if I exercise
frequently. Many members of my mother’s family, including her, suffer from high
blood pressure; therefore; I dread it. One of my missions in life is to be in
my best health.
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