Ultrasound & Amnio

Just got back from the doctor where I had an ultrasound and an amnio done this morning. The amnio really wasn't bad! There was kind of a quick, but mildly shocking pressure to get through some of the fat layers (I know you wanted to hear that), but the needle going in really didn't hurt. I didn't watch the needle going in, of course, though I did watch it on the TV screen (despite Sanja's advice not to:-), but that didn't bother me, it was fairly interesting. Mainly I just wanted to be watching in case they nicked the baby or something, then I would know right then and could voice my cries of hey! what the hell do you think you're you doing, you idiot?! Fortunately, I didn't have cause to say such a thing.

They were looking at the baby from the top of the head down and he/she kept putting out his/her hands and moving his/her head back and forth like, "no - get that needle away from me!" It was very cute, actually. We did the ultrasound first, though, and it was incredible fun. I'm so sorry Ross had to miss it - but we're doing another one in 4 weeks, so he should be able to be there for that, right in time for his birthday. If he had to miss one of them, I'd rather it be this first one.

Several people had told me I was going to have to drink a ton of water and lay there on the table, very uncomfortably, for about an hour while they did the ultrasound. I guess that's part of the joy of going to a specialist - better equipment - so I did not have to drink a gallon of water, and I was quite comfortable throughout. I was wondering how that was going to go - laying on my back with a full bladder and a needle stuck in my belly. I don't even like to think about it. When the doctor came in for the amnio, he asked me to put my hands behind my head - I asked him if that was so I wouldn't smack him. He laughed, but really it's so I wouldn't touch my stomach after he sterilized it.

Of course we tried to see if it's a boy or a girl - the baby is still a bit small and wasn't being very cooperative, but there was a point where the nurse got toward the baby's rear and the legs were open and the nurse said it wasn't conclusive, but it looks like a girl to her. From what I saw, I thought the same thing even before she said it. But she said not to go buying little pink dresses yet. The amnio will tell for sure and those results will be back in 14-16 days & they'll call me as soon as they're in (they put special emphasis on that - in fact, they call patients 6 days a week, so I believe them). At 16 weeks, there's still a lot more growing to do, so it's possible that the baby's just not grown enough to tell right now.

I really wish they would record the ultrasound for you - I don't see how it would be a big deal, it was just a regular TV up there, and it had those plug-ins in the front. Heck, I could've brought my own VCR and hooked it up if they'd have let me.

Looking at the baby was so great - there were lots of good shots - baby moving around, arms, legs, head, the beating heart. It was crazy and beautiful and completely surreal that that thing is in my stomach! (And that I've got to figure out a way to get it out!) I saw fingers, a spine, and a decent profile where you could make out the nose and lips. It was beyond words. They gave me 3 pictures. Two of them are ok, but the third one just looks like 2 circles to me, I'm not sure why she chose that one.

Now I have to lay around and drink a bunch of water - which is pretty much what I was going to do anyway. I'll try to get these pictures scanned to put up on the blog. I was going to do that at work, but since I got fired on Monday, that's not really an option now. :-( I'm going to call around to Office Depot and places like that to see if they can scan them for me.