Zippy wasn’t in a sharing mood

By kate on August 17th, 2005

Today, we met with another potential care provider, a naturopathic doctor. This was another provider recommended by the birth center. She spent about an hour with us, just giving us information about the various types of prenatal/labor care available and answering our questions. In the end, though, we weren’t sure if the naturopathic route is right for us. Both of us prefer to walk the line between a natural/herbal/lifestyle approach and scientifically-based medical treatment. We want to have it both ways. No final decision yet – we have one more appointment on the 28th after which we hope to make a decision (and go in for a real appointment).

At the end of our time with the doctor, she suddenly asked if we were interested in trying to hear Zippy’s heartbeat. That was a surprise! I felt this weird sudden rush of emotion at the idea (thanks, pregnancy hormones). She took us into one of the examining rooms and had me lay on the table. She took the doppler ultrasound (a hand-held ultrasound device) and aimed it around on my uterus (which is currently just peeking out from behind my pubic bone). After a while, she located my heartbeat, which sounded oceanic compared to the usual thump-thump.

Sadly, however, she could never get Zippy’s heartbeat. He/she must have been sitting in the lower end of my uterus at the time, or at least that’s what she and our rational minds said. It’s hard not to have dark, unfounded worries, though. I’ll feel much better after having some tangible proof that there’s really another living person inside me. It may be a few more weeks.