We got to hear the Heartbeat

Promise of Beauty to Come

We had an appointment to meet our Jamaican OB yesterday. I hoped this would calm some of my apprehension. I'm not sure if all drs here are like this...but mine doesn't give scheduled appointments. You get a Day....and they say the doctor starts seeing people at 2:00...first comes first serve. We arrived before 1 and the waiting room already had almost 10 people in it. No complaints though....it was air conditioned! (big sigh) That was so nice. By 1:30 I was wishing I had brought the book I'm reading along with me! Sitting still in the a/c was making me so sleepy... maybe I'll bring a little pillow next time! That sounds more like it. (wink) The room was very modern and professional looking with a pretty, tall lady sitting behind a receptionist desk.

A little after 2:30 we got showed in to see the dr. She was very friendly and answered all our questions. Some times I couldn't understand her accent...so I'd look to Josh to "translate". I heard her pretty clearly though, when she said they don't use pain medicine here. She said she would give me gas if I was at the hospital before 4 centimeters. Gas...that's positively primeval! I'm really not comfortable with that.

I got to hear the little heartbeat....so much fun.

I was a little embarrassed when the nurse took me into the bathroom so they could get a......umm......sample. She said there is a container on the shelf then she turned and left. There was a little plastic shelf, so I looked on the 2nd shelf....nothing......bent way down to the bottom shelf (by the floor)....it was empty too. I was confused. On the top of the shelf was a stainless steel bowl. I looked at the bowl....then I looked at myself in the tiny mirror above the sink.
"Surely not."
"How do they sanitize it?"
"I was expecting the little throw away cups that you write your name on the side."
"If that's not what I'm supposed to use....this is gonna be really embarrassing!"
After a few minutes of questioning myself.... I quickly used the bowl and sat it back on top the shelf. I was reallllly thankful she hadn't asked me to bring it to her. I would have been mortified carrying it through the waiting room full of people! (red face)

On the way to the bathroom, I passed a door. There was a paper taped to it, that had ...long ago....been printed off of a computer. The faded letters said, "Operating Room." Just through I'd throw that out.

After I was done with the dr. she gave me a slip kinda like a prescription. She said I now had to go to a lab and have blood work done! UGH! I forgot about blood work! If I had remembered I probably wouldn't have come! I hate needles and anyone pointing one in my direction! We found a lab and gave them our paperwork. Before I knew what was happening, we were sitting in the waiting room of a hot little room with plywood walls dividing us from the main room. There were faded posters and a 2009 calendar taped to the wall. When we paid our fee, they had me go through the door and sit on an old metal chair. A lady in white scrubs told me to hold my arm out and make a fist. "pinch" "wince" "a few deep breaths" All over.

On Friday, we are going to have an ultrasound done. I'm really excited.