The Hospital, My Second Home

Last week hubby and I went to the hospital for my 20-week scan. We know now the sex of the baby! Ha, but I'm not going to announce it on here, I'd much rather tell you all one-by-one. Needless to say, I am very chuffed. Some of you may be able to work out the sex from that since I definitely wanted one much more than the other. Lucky old me, my wish came true!

Yesterday, I had the delight of a return trip to the hopsital for an appointment with the consultant. Prior to seeing her, I had my blood pressure taken and it turned out to be 120/72 which is pretty much what is was right at the beginning of the pregnancy and is a normal reading. The midwife who took the reading was annoyed that the previous readings had been taken using the new-fangled electonic bp machines rather than the old-fashioned hand pump as she believes the electronic ones don't give accurate readings. Well, isn't that just great? That means I've had 5 weeks of worrying, a visit to the doctor and a visit to the nurse all for no reason. Not a good use of NHS resources, not to mention the fact that there was talk of putting me on medication to lower my bp - imagine if they'd done that and all along my bp was normal?! GRRRRR. Anyway, let's not get stressed and get raised bp (again.)

While I was at the hospital the clinic made an appointment for me to see the anaesthetist in a fortnight's time and also gave me instructions for having a glucose test to check for gestational diabetes at 28 weeks. The instructions include a very strict list from which I must eat five things EXACTLY two hours before having a blood test. Surely that is easier said than done - we all know what happens when you make an appointment at the surgery at 10am and then about 10.20 your name is called. Pretty difficult to get an exact appointment anywhere, surely? Anyway, it feels at the moment that I may as well camp out at either the hospital or the doctor's surgery since I now have the following appointments (bearing in mind I am now 21 weeks pregnant):
23 weeks: anaesthetist
25 weeks: check up with doctor
28 weeks: check up with midwife; glucose test following very strict breakfast!
31 weeks: check up with doc or mw
34 weeks: scan; check up with doc or mw
36 weeks: check up with doc or mw
38 weeks: check up with doc or mw
40 weeks: pop baby out or check up with doc or mw if baby not arrived
41 weeks: panic cos baby not arrived; check up with doc or mw

Oh, and I need to fit in going to work until the end of Feb, plus some lovely antenatal classes and all that shopping I'm going to have to do to make sure baby is kitted out in luxury...