Our First Ultrasound

Baby, lying on their back

 Ok, it is a fact. There is a small human residing in my body. It's not a joke. Not some elaborate prank that my husband orchestrated involving medical professionals, home pregnancy test manufacturers and my family. It is real. I have a baby in my belly. My uterus IS magic, and I have the photos to prove it.

The ultrasound was on Monday, April 1st at 3:15. My pre-appointment instructions were to drink 16oz of water 45 minutes before the appointment and retain it. This means I need to drink a whole bottle of water at 2:30 and not pee for over an hour. This seemed like some kind of crazy torture idea. I'm pregnant. I've been peeing every half and hour for the last two months. I also sometimes can't get anything down, let along 16oz of that something. Even water. But I knew I would comply and I knew I would survive it.

We get to the appointment at 3:00, fifteen minutes early to check in as they asked. It takes two minutes to check in. Literally, two minutes. We sit down in the waiting area and I really, really have to take a leak. I feel like I could just pee right there, no big deal. My husband and I keep joking about everything and every time I start to laugh I have to stop so I do not wet myself.

The ultrasound tech call my name promptly at 3:15, right on time. The woman is quick and firm, but somehow friendly at the same time. We got into a room, she tells me to lay down on the table and she dims the lights so it's almost completely dark in the room. I somehow avoid falling onto the floor and I lay down onto the table as instructed. Pull up your shirt, squirt some jelly on there and here we go! Just like that. Right away there is a big white area. She says, "Wow, you got a full bladder girl". Yes, yes I do. She moves the wand down until there is another area, inside of that is a little bean. There it is. There he/she is. Really? Yes really!

The picture is fuzzy but it's still amazing. She tells me my uterus is retroverted. What? She said it tips back toward my spine instead of forward like most woman's do. About 1 in 3 to 5 women have it. It's no big deal, but it makes it harder to get a good picture of the baby in there. She's looking for specific measurements, so it's important to get a good look. She tells me she wants me to try and empty my bladder half way, and then come and try to get a better picture. I head for that bathroom not a moment too soon. Good think I've been practicing my kegels! I peed and stopped half way before returning.

Sure enough, my bladder blob was a bit smaller, but that just made it harder to see the elusive baby. She said we're going to have to get an internal picture. What? I never knew there was such a thing. My mind starts to wander. She told me to go the bathroom, I could finish peeing (phew) and then to get undressed, bottom half only. There was a robe I slipped into and went back into the room. It was dim, she put a sheet over my lap, I laid down. She handed me a long white object with a light on the end of it. It looked like it was wearing an over sized condom. Oh, internally. Shit. This is weird.

Baby, mid-wiggle

So dildo-cam in place, we proceed. As soon as the picture is on the screen I forget about the awkward robot sex going on under the sheet. There is our baby! Clearly, a baby! Not a blob in fuzzy grayness. Seemingly asleep, he/she lay on the bottom of my uterus. Suddenly, and without warning, it jumps! and wiggles! He/she float back down to the bottom, and go again! I jump! Oh, my! I had no idea there was so much movement inside of me. This is amazing. Completely amazing. Baby continued to put on quite the show. Jumping, wiggling and flipping around. He/she even turned their back to the camera for a second before shoving their feet out in front, showing they have five toes. At least on one foot anyway.

The experience of the ultrasound is more than I could have ever hoped for. I had no idea there would be this much movement this early on. Paul was thrilled as well. When I asked him if the image made him teary-eyed, he said "It was awesome but the sound of the heartbeat was what made me really choke up." I asked why and he said "What can I say, I'm a tape man.". And I love him.