The first time ever I saw your face

May 31, 2011 by cafebebemama

On Friday we got the relief we were hoping for. What is it about that first scan that makes you hold your breath? Until that moment, at least in the UK, you have no actual confirmation that you are well and truly pregnant. Well, unless you count the lack of period, nausea, growing mid-section and heightened emotion. Still, you have no MEDICAL confirmation of your growing offspring until their image appears on the screen in front of you. “The first time, ever I saw your face” is generally the song that pops into one’s head. That and “Isn’t he/she lovely?” Sigh.

We took Little Miss to the scan which actually turned out to be a MEGA-mistake. The hospital x-ray/ultrasound department was actually working on time on Friday. We had to wait only about 5 minutes before we were called back by the sonographer who turned out to be the most unpleasant woman that ever scanned a fetus. Upon entering the room, she didn’t introduce herself but dove right into confirming my identity and then telling me to hop up on the table. This is where we lost Little Miss.

I had told Little Miss about the baby in Mummy’s tummy that morning. Thankfully, Peppa Pig cooperated by having a new episode where Miss Rabbit was pregnant with what turned out to be twins. A wonderful teaching moment. Oh would that human pregnancy, labour and delivery were so simple. Sigh…anyway, Little Miss was now aware that mummy had a baby in her tummy and we were going to the “doctor” to see a picture of the baby.

As soon as I hopped up on the table, Little Miss began to scream and cry hysterically. She was afraid that the lady was going to do SOMETHING to Mummy! She could not be consoled. She wouldn’t come to me, she wouldn’t let hubby comfort her and eventually, she hid under a chair. Bless her. In the meantime, I was craning to see the screen. You see, in this hospital there was no screen on the wall so I could easily see what was going on. I had to support my head and neck to peer at the sonographer’s screen. Comfortable? Not so much.

I was desperate to see the following:

• that there was indeed a baby there
• that there was ONE baby there
• that the baby moved and had a heartbeat

Thankfully, there was indeed a baby there, it was only ONE baby and it obliged by waving its little hand at me. Sigh of relief! Now, here’s where the general crankiness of the sonographer kicked in. I had to prompt ever single response/report from the sonographer. “Now, that’s the baby?” “Oh, is there just the one?” “Ooh, it’s moving, is that it’s heartbeat” “So is that good?” “Now what is that measurement for?” “The nuchal fold, is that good?” For God’s sake, the woman was atrocious! Had I not asked anything I don’t think she would have told me anything. There was no emotion in the woman’s face, no excitement, no smile, no explanation other than simple answers to what I asked. Cow!

I understand that she sees this every day. It’s not special to her. But guess what? It’s special to us! And I know that not every sonogram is a happy one and she sometimes has to convey bad news but when it all looks good, maybe, just maybe she could consider sharing in the joy with the couple. I didn’t really notice her behaviour at the time because I was totally focused on the screen and my baby (and my hysterical toddler) but upon reflection, I realised that she had really let us down. I’m not sure if I’ll be writing a letter of complaint but I’m considering it. Harumph!

Ultimately, the news we received about Bebe Numero Deux is all good. It seems I am a teeny bit further along than originally calculated by my inexact science of “I-think-that-was-the-first-day-of-my-last-period”. My new due date is 7 December (Pearl Harbour Day…a day which will live in infamy…Google American/WWII History) but if I get the elective caesarian that I feel I so heartily deserve, it will be earlier than that. Whenever I finally get my appointment with the consultant I will be camping out in his office until he agrees to schedule a caesarian! Seriously, I’m not movin’!

Little Miss is really excited about having a new baby sometime in the not too distant future. She’s convinced that it’s a girl! We’ll see if we find out the sex at the 20 week scan to either crush her or make her really happy. We’ve talked to her about how she can help to push the baby in the Stokke Xplory when the baby arrives so we practised over the weekend. We are indeed a very happy family!