First prenatal visit
Dec. 6th, 2007 03:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sethrakI hate most medical exams. I hate blood tests. I particularly hate blood tests when I have neither my husband nor a plushie to distract me. Now I can add 'blood tests done with squalling toddler in the room' to the list of tests I hate. :p
The lab tech did try to distract Mark with stickers, and was very efficient in her work, which helped. But Mark wanted Mommy-cuddles, and only Mommy-cuddles would do. Sigh.
On the upside, I think I only had to give blood that one time when I was pregnant with him, so we won't be going through this again.
The visit was shorter and less involved than I'd expected. Filled out a ton of paperwork in the waiting room; all of which looked like stuff we'd filled out en masse as part of my group prenatal visit for Mark. (DOD was trying to institute alternating group visits with individual visits; they appear to have changed their minds.) Handed it all in; ate lunch while waiting for the nurse. Mark nibbled on fries until he got bored and started dropping them on the floor. The nurse who called my name looked familiar. I think she was the nurse I saw several times with Mark; first time I saw her with Tom along, she was wearing scrubs decorated with pandas. We took this as a good sign. ^_^
Got weighed; did not get my blood pressure or heartbeat checked.Was told that'd be done at my first medical appt; apparently this appt. was a non-medical one. Went over the paperwork with the nurse; discussed the paperwork she was sending home with me - all the same stuff from last time - and made my next appt. I asked the nurse about the group sessions; she said they'd greatly streamlined the prenatal visits, largely at her suggestions, and have gotten great responses from patients about the new system. I kinda liked the feeling of cameraderie and shared knowledge from the group sessions, but I admit they dragged on forever. Dav and the other husband who tagged along at my first group visit both ended up reading books or playing handheld games. (Despite the WHC's repeated claims of wishing to include the husbands, the ones who showed up weren't paid much attention to at any group session *I* ever attended.)
Mark was not a very good boy during this process. Not outrageously bad, but very very grumpy and annoying. I pointed out to him it would only get worse when Mommy was paying attention to another baby, instead of just a nice nurse. He was unamused.
Then I stopped by the lab for blood and urine tests. Mark was not at all a good boy. He was grumpy at the lab's desk clerk who watched him while I went into the restroom. He was grumpy when I cuddled him as I waited my turn for the blood test. He was grumpy in the lab room as I waited for the lab tech to get her things ready. He was unimpressed by the Go Diego, Go! stickers she attempted to distract him with. He was only slightly mollified by me singing to him. In short, cranky panda cub in snow. -_-;;
I was supposed to stop by the hospital pharmacy to get my free prenatal vitamins, but when I got there, the sign-in kiosks had signs taped over them stating the system was down, and please select a numbered button from the temporary sign in thingy on the other desk. Sign-in thingy, upon inspection, only had options for active duty and retired personnel. A printed-out sign said all civilian prescrips had to be taken to the satellite pharmacy in the BX building.
Yeaaahh... Take Mr. Cranky Panda Cub to yet another building, one with a lot less room to wheel his stroller about as we waited. Not today, thanks. I can get the prenatals another day.
He fell asleep on the ride home. Unfortunately he didn't stay that way as I carried him upstairs. So far today, he has had only a twenty minute nap, shortly before we had to leave for the appt. Sigh. At this point, I'd almost prefer he not take a nap at all, and just stay awake til bedtime, no matter how unpleasant he gets. If he naps now, he'll be a beast when bedtime comes.
In summation, I'm healthy, and everything's proceeding normally, as far as can be told until I see Captain Norcross on the 28th. I hope to bring![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
davner along, both to wrangle Zodlings and so he can hear the baby's heartbeat. :D
The lab tech did try to distract Mark with stickers, and was very efficient in her work, which helped. But Mark wanted Mommy-cuddles, and only Mommy-cuddles would do. Sigh.
On the upside, I think I only had to give blood that one time when I was pregnant with him, so we won't be going through this again.
The visit was shorter and less involved than I'd expected. Filled out a ton of paperwork in the waiting room; all of which looked like stuff we'd filled out en masse as part of my group prenatal visit for Mark. (DOD was trying to institute alternating group visits with individual visits; they appear to have changed their minds.) Handed it all in; ate lunch while waiting for the nurse. Mark nibbled on fries until he got bored and started dropping them on the floor. The nurse who called my name looked familiar. I think she was the nurse I saw several times with Mark; first time I saw her with Tom along, she was wearing scrubs decorated with pandas. We took this as a good sign. ^_^
Got weighed; did not get my blood pressure or heartbeat checked.Was told that'd be done at my first medical appt; apparently this appt. was a non-medical one. Went over the paperwork with the nurse; discussed the paperwork she was sending home with me - all the same stuff from last time - and made my next appt. I asked the nurse about the group sessions; she said they'd greatly streamlined the prenatal visits, largely at her suggestions, and have gotten great responses from patients about the new system. I kinda liked the feeling of cameraderie and shared knowledge from the group sessions, but I admit they dragged on forever. Dav and the other husband who tagged along at my first group visit both ended up reading books or playing handheld games. (Despite the WHC's repeated claims of wishing to include the husbands, the ones who showed up weren't paid much attention to at any group session *I* ever attended.)
Mark was not a very good boy during this process. Not outrageously bad, but very very grumpy and annoying. I pointed out to him it would only get worse when Mommy was paying attention to another baby, instead of just a nice nurse. He was unamused.
Then I stopped by the lab for blood and urine tests. Mark was not at all a good boy. He was grumpy at the lab's desk clerk who watched him while I went into the restroom. He was grumpy when I cuddled him as I waited my turn for the blood test. He was grumpy in the lab room as I waited for the lab tech to get her things ready. He was unimpressed by the Go Diego, Go! stickers she attempted to distract him with. He was only slightly mollified by me singing to him. In short, cranky panda cub in snow. -_-;;
I was supposed to stop by the hospital pharmacy to get my free prenatal vitamins, but when I got there, the sign-in kiosks had signs taped over them stating the system was down, and please select a numbered button from the temporary sign in thingy on the other desk. Sign-in thingy, upon inspection, only had options for active duty and retired personnel. A printed-out sign said all civilian prescrips had to be taken to the satellite pharmacy in the BX building.
Yeaaahh... Take Mr. Cranky Panda Cub to yet another building, one with a lot less room to wheel his stroller about as we waited. Not today, thanks. I can get the prenatals another day.
He fell asleep on the ride home. Unfortunately he didn't stay that way as I carried him upstairs. So far today, he has had only a twenty minute nap, shortly before we had to leave for the appt. Sigh. At this point, I'd almost prefer he not take a nap at all, and just stay awake til bedtime, no matter how unpleasant he gets. If he naps now, he'll be a beast when bedtime comes.
In summation, I'm healthy, and everything's proceeding normally, as far as can be told until I see Captain Norcross on the 28th. I hope to bring
davner along, both to wrangle Zodlings and so he can hear the baby's heartbeat. :D
