I know that my week 9 update was just a couple of days ago, but I went and had an ultrasound yesterday and found out that I am slightly further along than I thought, so we are already into week 10.
The good news is that the baby looks great. It's a healthy, pulsating blob surrounded by a good-sized sack.
The bad news is that I can't stand the witch that does the ultrasounds at my new Dr's office. Seriously. She is just unpleasant. When I first stepped into the doorway of the smallest room I've ever seen in my life, she told me to remove my clothes from the waist down. I'm not sure such an action would even be possible in so small a space, but to make things even more fun, there was no sheet or anything else, so I'd have just been hanging out in the free and breezy air while she jammed an ultrasound wand up my hoo-ha. No thanks!
So, I asked nicely if we could do an external ultrasound because I had never had an internal one before I would rather avoid that experience if possible. Then, she got all snippy (perhaps someone gets jollies out of doing that to pregnant women?) and told me it's not that invasive. Besides, she said, I'm not far enough along for an external. I told her I was about 9 weeks and she said the paperwork had 8 weeks.
In case you're unfamiliar with an internal (or transvaginal) ultrasound, it's a wand that they put a condom over and insert INTO YOUR VAGINA while wiggling it around to point it in various directions. How the hell is that "not that invasive"?! If she thinks that isn't invasive, I'd really hate to see what she DOES think is invasive! Freak!
So then, she gave me some lip about how she won't be able to see anything and I'd just have to strip down anyway, etc. etc., but I held my ground and we tried it my way. Low and behold, we could see just fine. Also, we found out I'm 10 weeks, which is obviously far enough for an external.
What's the point of this story? Well, if you're a medical professional, I encourage you to remember that although you go through the motions every day of your life, your patients don't. Your patients are probably nervous and I can guarantee that nobody wants anything entering any orifice on their body unless absolutely necessary. Also, just because you're a nurse or doctor or technician of some sort, most women don't like displaying their lady bits to you or flashing some boob. We are told since the time that we're little that showing strangers our bodies is an immoral thing to do, so don't expect it to be easy. Yes, you may be elbow-deep in vagina all day, every day, but it's not MY vagina. You have chosen that to be your profession, and you're used to it, but I have not chosen to be a hooker, so I'm not used to showing strangers intimate parts of my body. Have a little compassion.
Also, whoever controls the medical industry really should come up with less invasive ways for women to get the healthcare that we need because having fingers, lights and tools shoved up our hoo-ha's on a yearly basis (or more often if you're pregnant) is really unpleasant. It's embarrassing and it's demeaning. There must be a better way.
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