I think my doctor reads my blog

Last week baby and I had another check-up. This is how my appointments usually go:

• I check in - I noticed something different with this pregnancy than the last one, there's hardly anyone else in the waiting room when I come for my appointments. With Jack there were 3 or 4 nurse practitioners available to see, this time there are only two, and I rarely have to wait. Either the pregnant military population has significantly dropped this past year, or fall babies really are more popular than spring.


• The nurse checks my blood pressure - Something else I also noticed, my blood pressure has been totally normal this pregnancy. With Jack they always took it twice, after I had time to "rest" because it tended to be borderline high.


• I get weighed - I'm up 10 pounds so far. At this point with Jack I was up 12 pounds. I think this is a good thing since I gained well over the recommended amount with Jack. Or maybe it's because I was sick this past week. Either way, I feel smaller this time around, but comparing photos I look pretty much the same size.


• I sit in the waiting room and read - this particular trip it was "Rilla of Ingleside" and after waiting FOREVER at the pharmacy to pick up my pre-natals, I'm happy to say I've finally completed all 8 books in the Anne of Green Gable series!! Now on to the other 10 books on my nightstand ...


• The nurse calls me back to a room, I sit and wait


• The nurse practitioner comes in, measures my uterus, puts some jelly on my belly, and checks the baby's heartbeat, which has been very difficult to track down the past three visits. That kid MOVES!


• Then she asks me if I have any questions, I usually don't. Althought this particular visit I was prepared to discuss my due date with her.

So it's no secret that I think I'm due the week after April 14, it's what I've thought since the day we found out we were pregnant. And then the baby was measuring a few days behind at our 11-week ultrasound and was measuring a week behind at our 19-week ultrasound. My uterus was measuring a week behind at my last appointment, although it was only half a week behind at this one.

Anyway, I really wanted to sit down with Nurse Brown, explain this all to her, and possibly get my due date changed. My top priority is to avoid an induction. Despite Jack's 39 week birth, I still feel like I'm the kind of person who could carry late. I want to carry baby as long he is happy to be in there (this is easy to say when your 21 weeks pregnant and hardly feeling it.) And I know how the Navy is about sticking with their schedule and going by the book.

So Nurse Brown walks in, and immediately asks about the ultrasound I had two weeks ago. She says everything looks great, baby is doing fine, etc. And then she starts saying that my dates are EXACT, baby is RIGHT ON, my due date was April 14 and will remain April 14, it was based on my first ultrasound and all my measurements are within that timeline, that baby is transverse and that often causes your uterus to measure a little behind, and on and on and on. I was a little stunned because I hadn't had a chance to say anything. I just stared at her, nodding my head. So now I want to know, who told my doctor I think I think my dates are off? The last time I mentioned anything was at my first appointment. Jon thinks she's been reading my blog...

Anyway, the more I think about, perhaps I'm being just a tad hormonal. Pregnancies aren't exact, maybe I'm relying too much on numbers and data, just for the sake of 6 or 7 days. Chances are it won't even be an issue. Is it worth stressing out over? Probably not. Although I did make sure I mentioned to my doctor that the only reason I was worried about them being off was in case I went overdue. I hope she realizes she may be seeing me at 43 weeks pregnant...