Baby Scare

At my doctors appointment yesterday they discovered a slight unevenness in the baby's heart beat. So my doctor said very nonchalantly "I'm going to go ahead and set you up an appointment for a third ultrasound, just to make sure it's nothing unusual. I'm sure it's not, but it's just better to be safe." I'm thinking it's going to be within the next week, I mean if they're not worried about anything . . .

He pokes his head back in the exam room and says "Okay it's all set up for 1:00 today. And I'll see you in a week if you make it that long."

A million thoughts run through my head all at the same time. I don't even have enough brain left to respond. I felt like I ran into a brick wall. Why is my appointment today? This place is always busy, they never have appointments open the day of. He must have pulled some strings to get me in today. Why would he need to get me in today? What's so wrong with my baby that I need to be seen today? Is she okay? Oh yep, she just kicked my ribs. Why does it have to be her heart they're worried about? Oh, this is really bad timing. Who's going to watch Googie? 1:00, huh. Wait, that means I need to leave my house in 20 minutes . . . my brain went on for a good 5 minutes before I settled myself down enough to find Googie a sitter, and head home to eat some lunch.

Why, why do doctors think that they don't need to tell you what they think is wrong? They don't want to worry you until they know for sure something's actually wrong. What better way to worry an expectant mother than to send her off for an emergency ultrasound because you listened to her babies heart?

Well it turns out that it's nothing to be concerned about. The baby is having premature atrial contractions. Which apparently is really common. It just means her heart is adding an extra half beat every now and then.

What it could have been (which is really serious and could have forced them to induce me right away to take care of the problem) is a condition where her heart is adding extra beats (whole beats not half beats like my baby) more and more frequently and could end up essentially putting her heart rate over 200 beats per minute and wearing her little heart out (I don't know the scientific name for it, but it's a serious condition in unborn children).

After learning what they thought might be wrong with the baby, I have two separate opinions about what the doctor should or shouldn't have told me. I'm glad he didn't tell me what a serious condition they thought she might have. I would have gone home and cried and made my husband come with my to the ultrasound, and just been a wreck. But on the other hand. I would have liked to be prepared for the possibility of the hospital stay and the birth. I would have left Googie with some pajamas and a change of clothes. I would have brought my camera's so I could have pictures. You know, basically just brought my little (okay it's a pretty big duffel) bag that I have all packed up.

Anyway, I'm just glad all that stuff wasn't necessary. And for the first time in the past 2 months, I actually woke up this morning happy to still be pregnant.