Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 39971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 200(@200wpm)___ 160(@250wpm)___ 133(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 200(@200wpm)___ 160(@250wpm)___ 133(@300wpm)
She walks over and looks at my chart.
"Okay, so your name is Bella and this is your first pregnancy?" she asks, after scanning the paperwork.
"Yes, it is," I reply.
“Okay. That’s simple enough. It’s nice to meet you, Bella. Let’s get started. You can lie back.”
“Nice to meet you, too,” I tell her gratefully.
I lie on the table as the doctor pushes on my belly and takes some measurements.
“Everything looks great,” she tells me. “I didn’t use the Doppler like you’re probably used to at your normal pre-natal appointments up until now, because you’re going to be given an ultrasound and they’ll be able to hear the baby’s heart rate that way. It will all go into your records from there. Okay?”
“Okay,” I nod, and she gives me a hand up.
I’m glad she explained why I haven’t gotten to hear the baby’s heartbeat yet. That’s always my favorite part of these visits. It’s so exciting to listen to what sounds like horse hooves galloping around inside me.
After I sit up, she gives me a quick checkup, looking at my eyes, nose, throat, vitals, and all the usual stuff that goes on with a normal doctor’s appointment.
"Have you experienced any unusual symptoms with your pregnancy?" she asks, being thorough.
"No, everything seems pretty normal. I mean this is my first time being pregnant, but I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary compared to what I've read online, so I think I'm doing pretty good," I answer.
"Well, that's wonderful news! It's always good when Mom and baby are doing well," she answers.
She's just concluded our small exam.
"Okay, you can get dressed and go to the next room for your ultrasound and I'll see you again in a few weeks. Everything looks good," she says.
“Great. Thanks, Dr. Shirley.”
She writes a few more notes in my chart and then closes it up. She leaves it in a small container hanging outside the door. Once again, she closes the door behind her as she leaves.
I smile as I get dressed. I can’t wait to share the good news with Janice. I'm so happy that everything seems to be going well with the pregnancy.
Once I'm dressed, I leave the examination room and walk over to the ultrasound room. A nurse is already waiting inside.
"Hi, are you Bella?" she asks me.
"Yes, I am," I reply.
"Okay, great! Go ahead and get up on the table and lift your shirt up to expose your stomach," she instructs.
I get up on the table and lay back and do as she’s instructed. She grabs the bottle of gel and begins to rub it all over my stomach.
"Okay, this is a very simple procedure. The gel's on your stomach, making it easier for us to do this. I'm going to put the camera on your stomach. It might be a little bit cold at first and then we'll move it around and you can watch the screen and you will be able to see your baby," she explains.
“Awesome,” I tell her, a bit nervously.
Everyone here in this Clinic is so nice and friendly. I really like it here and I decide I'm coming back here for all of my checkups.
She puts the camera on my stomach, and I stare at the small screen in front of her. I can hear the loud whooshing sound and the heartbeat of my child. That makes me emotional, so I cover my mouth.
"It's okay to cry," she says. "You're looking at your baby for the first time."
A few tears escape my eyes and whisper, “Wow.”
She moves the camera around a little bit more and then finally finds a new spot. She turns the screen towards me.
"Okay, here is your daughter," she announces.
I stare at the screen.
"You mean I'm having a girl?" I ask her.
"Yes, you can see her right there," the nurse says, smiling.
I cry a little bit more, feeling so glad that I’m having a baby girl and that I’m able to see her cute little face and tiny body. She’s kicking her legs and flailing her arms around like she’s waving at me.
I wish I wasn't alone in the room right now. I wish I could share this with Steve and tell him. I know that I can't, though.
I remind myself that I haven't heard from him, and he hasn't contacted me in any way— not even through Derek, just to say that he hopes college is going well for me or anything like that, or to pass along some news of his games— so I figure he's probably not interested in me anymore.
And if that's the case, then he definitely wouldn't be interested in our child. But that’s okay, because all she needs is me, her mom.
The nurse prints out several photographs of the ultrasound and hands them to me.
“Thanks,” I tell her, glad I have this memento to take back with me and show Janice whenever she next comes to visit me at school.