Heartbeat!

It’s the big day … our first REAL appointment at Andaluz!

I’ll be honest, I have had some major freak out moments leading up to this day. It is hard to believe that a pee stick can define the rest of your life. In and effort to question the validity of the pee stick you start to think about if it is real, and by that point you really want it to be real, but what if it isn’t? Then some crazy stranger quotes you miscarriage rates … and BAM! it’s Niagra Falls in my living room. That was my life between January 30th and today, March 15th … I was being tossed in the waves of Niagra Falls and sometimes it was peaceful (when I downstream … AKA, remembering that God has everything in control and He does not bring about a spirit of fear) and sometimes it was like I was drowning (when I was literally choking on sobs and trying to rationalize my way out of death by tears).

My advice to all expectant mothers … stay away from the Q&A sections on pregnancy websites. No soon-to-be mother (who is already traumatized) wants to hear about others’ experience not hearing the heartbeat when you went in for the first appointment. It makes us go crazy, just ask Dominic (who almost drowned himself in a salty puddle of my tear/mascara combo). I feel for these moms … no one wants to experience that, but these stories are not ok under the “When did you hear your baby’s heartbeat” Q&A.

Back to Andaluz … I was a somber soul that morning, trying to be excited, but not too hopeful. We drove to the Tualatin location and settled into the comfy waiting room. On the door leading into the office they have nametags of all the babies who have been born recently … it is so sweet and reassuring to have a visual of all the new life Andaluz has been a part of.

Lucina greeted us and led us to the purple room where we reviewed my medical history and completed my patient forms. She took my blood which she was a pro at and we visited about pregnancy nutrition. Then I settled onto the bed so she could check-out the heartbeat … and TADA! there it was, beating at a strong 155 beats/minute!!!

For all of you who are worried, Dominic is not playing a game on his phone … he is recording the sound of the heartbeat which we listen to regularly now :)

I left with two pieces of homework … a nutrition chart so I can monitor my eating habits and a “Getting to Know You” questionnaire so Lucina (and our secondarly midwife, Adele) can learn more about me. I LOVE that I am more than just a medical chart to my midwives, I am a real person with feelings who is going through a very new experience in life. And they get that. And that makes me feel really good. The type of goodness that gives me strength to swim out of Niagra Falls, because even though I am the only one who can birth this baby it’s calming to know I have an expert on my team who is going to coach me through the ups and downs.

Next appointment is on April 12th with Adele! CAN’T WAIT!