The ultrasound yesterday went well. There were no super obvious signs of trisomy or down’s or any of the other conditions which automatically preclude me from delivering at the birth center. A radiologist is going to look over the nine hundred ultrasound images taken to more carefully assess the chambers of the baby’s heart, the lobes of their brain, and so on and so forth, but Donald and I are already breathing a sigh of relief.
We never had an ultrasound done at this point in our pregnancy with Charlotte. I found it very…surreal…to look at the kicking, bouncing baby on the screen and know that it was my own. It wasn’t nearly as emotional an experience as I expected it to be. You always see these profile images from second-trimester ultrasounds; nobody ever mentions that the kid looks like an alien!
But it’s my little alien, of course, and I love it.
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Congrats on the little alien! I’m so excited you guys are waiting to find out the gender. It really makes the birth experience SO much more fun!!!
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Desiree - I *am* delivering at a birth center. The ultrasound is to ensure that there are no conditions that mean we need to have a hospital birth instead - either on the baby’s end or mine. I would love to home birth, but I don’t feel it’s really safe in our location because we are not hospital close in the event of an emergency need and our road is not conducive to ambulance transport because it is only one-lane with no good turn spots. The birth center, on the other hand, is five minutes from my in-laws house and very near a hospital with a NICU and a fully-equiped L&D ward. The hospital is familiar with the birth center and it’s easily accessed by emergency vehicles. Assuming that all the results from the ultrasound come back clear, I’ll probably go to my in-laws as soon as I start labor and move to the birth center shortly thereafter. Hard labor with Charlotte only lasted four hours, so I’m expecting that this one will go quickly too and I’d like to be at the birth center before I get there. Last time I spent an hour in the car with one-minute contractions 90 seconds apart because we underestimated how quickly I’d go once I hit transition and our nearest freeway onramps were closed for construction.
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Yaaaaaaaaay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Congrats!!
We just had our 20-week, and the print-out ended up being a bit frightening/adorable! http://www.flickr.com/photos/emilyruthdotca/7304864802/in/photostream
I hope your results are fine! We just found out we have to get another ultrasound to investigate a brain cyst, but the midwife said not to worry. Shouldn’t rule out the homebirth, which is good. I just wish we did have birth centres here!
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I *almost* transfered my care to the birth center…but then all the stuff with the boys happened, and I kept having contractions/spotting when I shouldn’t, so i didn’t. But I WISH I had. IF I have another, I will do it there! I’m glad everything looks good! So happy for you!
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YAY!! So happy for the four of you and am loving reading about this journey. Although I will point out you’re posting far less this time than with Charlotte! :)
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Dianna - I KNOW! I keep marveling at how much more energy I had when I was pregnant with Charlotte. I took pictures twice a week! TWICE A WEEK! With this pregnancy, I’ve taken pictures once. Total. It’s pathetic.
But also, I just don’t have as much to say. Because I’m still a little sick and a lot tired, we’re spending alot of time in the backyard just picking berries and enjoying the tree-swing. It’s relaxing, but not exactly stimulating and blog-material-generating lol.
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I do want to write about breastfeeding while pregnant sometime too, but I had a post ready and then the Time magazine cover happened and I thought maybe I should wait until people were feeling a little more neutral lol.
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Hi! Congrats! I love your blog!
And I was wondering if you were still breastfeeding. It’s funny that you mentioned it w/ the time article. I’d love to hear more about it when you want to share. (Ok, now I feel a little creepy. Sorry.)
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woohoo! beautiful little baby! that is def. a human profile, how exciting!
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I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again—so happy for you and your family, Sarah! Your readers have been there with you as you hoped and waited for another baby, and here he or she is :) Congratulations, Mama!
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Yes, definitely an alien. I thought the same thing, but my mom avidly denied it.
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Not the least bit like an alien! I can’t wait to be a little further along so we can see our babe too.
By on June 12, 2012
I love ultrasounds! Question: If you are not delivering at a birth center, where are you delivering? Are you planning a home birth?
Thanks for sharing!