The one about the gut masher
WARNING: This is a post about an ultrasound.
Yesterday morning was the Snork’s 12 week nuchal screening exam. I had been crazy excited and counting down to the day and weirdly enough the actual experience totally paled in comparison to Thursday’s bonus quickie scan.
And this isn’t me being an ungrateful gal, not at all. The headline that I won’t make you hunt for is that everything on the scan yesterday registered as normal. That is hugely wonderful and magnificent and I am grateful to the Universe with every fiber of my being.
But there was no way that the nuchal scan could compete with the utterly breathtaking relief that I was gifted on thursday. I mean to go from, “Don’t seem to be able to find the heartbeat today” to “Look at your baby moving around!” was like being told you might be fired and then immediately promoted.
So to stick with the explanation of how Friday’s scan was so not Thursday’s scan let me ‘splain better: Thursday was fun and lively and I felt comfortable with the tech and everything was so vivid and clear. It was a high definition moment with surround sound in a gourmet world. Friday’s scan was a fuzzy black and white television behind a dirty store front window.
The brilliant thing about Friday was that I actually returned to the place that I had really tried to get to do my one precycle ultrasound for the July cycle. This was the place that I brought wonderful muffins to and everyone was so sweet and kind. And then we found out that the tech had no idea what an antral follicle was or if she really felt comfortable measuring my ovaries. And then I had to go to Rip Off Clinic (^$&%#^%#!!!!!!!)
So once again I was back into the world of teenage pregnancy with tight old navy t-shirts riding up on perfectly taught bellies. But it was genuinely nice to be remembered by the front desk staff (I guess an amazon woman in her 30′s weeping in the lobby is something memorable?).
The scan tech was nice but a bit odd. She was convinced that I was from Maine. Totally certain of it. Her “proof” was the first digit of my social security which she thought clearly indicated that I was from lobsterville. Not quite.
The most interesting thing about the scan was that it was my first gut scan. And let me tell you- it HURT. I was mashed swiftly and deeply and jostled with the wide probe to wake the Snork up. It was nap time in my belly but eventually we got some funky Hammer moves and some waving your hands in the air like you just don’t care. It made me smile to think that the Snork was already showing me how kick ass s/he would be on So You Think You Can Dance a few decades from now.
The only problem was that the Snork just wanted to face out. No matter where the probe (is that what that thing is called?) went Snork just turned towards it and waved. It wasn’t very exciting for my Mother/Grandmother posse either. Every time something interesting would pop up on the screen the tech would zoom away.
Granted I know it wasn’t a floor show but a screening to get measurements. And after much work (& ultimately switching over to a transvag wand) we were able to get the much desired profile shot that allowed the tech to measure the neck stuff (“looks fine” was what we got). All other measurements were also good. And hurrah for that. Serious hurrah.
A quick visit to the blood lab where I was happily informed that they were out of finger pricks and would I mind if they just took a vial of blood? I am a total wuss when it comes to finger pricks. I have so much admiration for anyone that has to prick their fingers for testing often. I mean how do you guys do it? If I prick my finger I feel it throbbing for hours afterwards and it is terribly sensitive. A vial of blood is cake for me.
And there you have it- the kind of dull, with great news, nuchal scan post. My gut is still sore.
YAY for kind of dull AWESOME news!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hate finger pricks too!!
So terribly happy for you hun!!!
That’s great news! You had me worried over the delay in posting, but it turned out OK in the end. Phew! And yay for Snork and his/her fabulous neck thickness. Or whatever.
Sorry the experience wasn’t stellar, but so glad that snork is doing well!
You come down here for your next ultrasound. My ultrasound lady is much better and they have a giant TV screen to watch it on.
I am so glad that everything looked good! I am quite attached to the Snork.
Dude. Next time they want to do a finger poke, have them do it on the SIDE of your finger. Sounds painful, but there aren’t any nerves there. Unlike your fingertips, which are covered in nerves.
And hooray for US!
Awesome.
Flipper was the same way at the nuchal. That’s actually how he got the name Flipper — he was doing somersaults, flipping all over the place, but he *did not* want to show his neck. Co had to get wanded and we were worried we’d have to go back!! But finally he cooperated…
As Lo already said, our Nuchal was so not fun. Four different u/s’s with two diff. tech’s and finally, they resorted to the trans-vag and then back to the gut wand. They kept jabbing my stomach to get Flipper to move and show us the back of his neck. He was awake — moving around, “walking” with his feet, flipping and doing somersaults — but he was unwilling to show us that neck. Fractious even in utero, I decided. (My friend’s fetus was totally obedient and laid right down to show off his neck.)
But hey, your little one has personality!
I remember they had me on all fours like a dog trying to get the then-named Snug to cooperate (his in utero moniker was from his apparent delight in snuggling up against the side of my uterus) … then the transvag.
Sorry you’re sore, but so glad it went well!
It’s ok though — it gives you longer to look at the little one, right?
Being from the great state of Maine (aka part of Canada), it is more like the first TWO digits of the social that give it away
Yay! Happy happy happy tests!
Yeah for appropriately redneck snorks!
And yes, the side of the finger is crucial.
Great news
APart from the gut-mashing, that is!
J
Great news! I’m glad everything was normal.
I’m from Maine and I had no idea about the social security number. People usually guess my origins because i “talk funny.”
hooray, nothing wrong with boring! in fact, there’s nothing i want more than a boring pregnancy when we have them and so far we’ve had 1.5 boring pregnancies which is just fine with me!
Glad everything looks a-ok with snork.
And you’re memorable, whether you’re weeping or not.
Before you know it, Snork will be sticking out all over the place and no gut smashing will be required!
Glad all is looking good!
We had to have an emergency ultra sound at 10 weeks and it was so, so emotional and relieving. Then our 12 week scan was just not that intense and exciting. I mean, it is ALWAYS good to see the babe moving around in there, but it just couldn’t compare. So I totally get that.
GREAT news
That’s excellent news!!!