It’s officially Team Zoll #3 and #3 only. Our ultrasound was this morning and we got to see our very healthy singleton. After building myself over twins for the last few weeks, it was actually a relief to find out we’re only having one baby.
Whoa. That looks weird and feels so weird to type. We’re having a baby.
*overwhelming responsibility of parenthood comes crashing down at once*
The ultrasound tech turned the screen to us and said, “Look, can you see the heartbeat?”
“There’s a heartbeat?” I said in disbelief. Today I’m exactly six weeks along and I know that the heartbeat may not appear until somewhere well into the sixth week. The tech pointed to the screen.
“Yup, right there,” she said, pointing in the middle of the grayness of my womb.
And there it was, this little flash of grey flickering in and out of the screen, pulsing the way I imagine a hummingbird’s heart would beat in flight. It was transfixing. A very healthy 114 beats per minute.
Our baby’s heart. Beating. Pulsing. Alive. Growing – inside of me.
I couldn’t help but laugh out of joy and amazement.
She measured the fetus, a stout 3.6mm from crown to rump. She printed us a copy of our first baby photo and I got dressed. After she left the room, the tears came as I hugged Larry tightly in that tiny ultrasound room. “I just can’t believe it,” I said into his shoulder through misty eyes.
We went into the counseling room and talked with one of the nurses. She gave me the obligatory “Congrats! You’re pregnant!” packet from the clinic. And then she asked me: “So where do you plan on delivering?”
Um, what?
I have some idea of where we’d like to deliver and I’ve been weighing the midwife versus OB debate. Since I was convinced I was carrying twins, I figured midwife was off the table but now that it’s just a singleton and by all accounts, I’m not high risk right now, I could still very well see a midwife for our prenatal care. We said we’d be interested in recommendations for either in the North Shore area (although, as Larry reminded me on the ride home, I was interested in Mount Auburn Hospital).
On our way out, the receptionist asked how it went. “Just one,” I said. I handed her the ultrasound photo and she smiled.
“Congrats! I was wondering if it would be one or two – your numbers were borderline,” she said. “It’s good you’ve got a very healthy one then.”
And then I darted out of there, grateful the walk from the receptionist area to the door was so short. It was a packed house in the waiting room and I know our words, despite being as quiet as I could, were heard by those waiting for their bloodwork, ultrasounds, and semen analyses this morning. I made zero eye contact on my fifteen second Walk of Shame out the door.
So here we are. Exactly six weeks with a healthy singleton with a strong heartbeat. Larry and I have decided, in lieu of posting ultrasound photos, we’re going to post “artist’s renditions” of them instead. Yanno, to keep it interesting. Here’s Larry’s first portrait.
Say hello to Team Zoll #3.
Yay yay yay! Sooo thrilled for you guys. The heartbeat moment is so cool. And I love the art too!
Congrats! So happy for you!
Babe I’m so glad things went well and you saw a heartbeat! I hope Larry takes you out tonight to celebrate – you deserve it, mama! Oh, and I love the ultrasound art 🙂
Yay! Congrats on a healthy singleton and how fun to see Larry’s interpretation of your first u/s pic! So happy for you, Larry and TZ3! xoxo
Congratulations!!!!! What a perfect ultrasound! Love the “picture”!!!! You really are PREGNANT!!!! My husband and I live about 45 minutes outside Boston. Many asked me why we did not go with one of the big Boston hospitals for my pregnancy and subsequent delivery of our daughter three months ago. (I still cannot believe that after 4 1/2 years of infertility I have a three month old baby girl!) Anyway, about the hospital choice, we felt proximity was important. Luckily, we ended up having a WONDERFUL experience at our hospital. It was a blessing in disguise that we went more locally because I did have some pregnancy issues arise that resulted in numerous extra trips both to the hospital and to the doctor. In fact, during the last seven weeks of the pregnancy, I had to go three or four times a week. So, proximity is something to consider if you have a more local hospital that is reputable. Most importantly, I am SO excited for you! Congrats again!!!!
Mount Auburn is a beautiful hospital, and as you may already know, they recently redid their whole L&D/maternity floor. Also, the Midwives at Mount Auburn have their own website (not sure if you knew already, though you have probably outresearched me already! lol). http://www.mamah.org/
Wishing you a happy and healthy pregnacy Keiko; you absolutely deserve to walk with your head held high, not bowed in shame. As many other commenters have said, you earned that walk. 🙂
Congratulations on a perfect first ultrasound! I like your artist’s rendition; very creative.
The only problem with posting these here is I won’t absolutely get them in my reader. ::poutyface:: Congrats on a healthy heartbeat! Amazing news!
Yay!! What a life changing moment to hear your babies heart beat 😀 Congratulations!
I am so incredibly excited and happy for you! Congratulations!
Congrats!!!
I think if the nurse was talking delivery to me so soon I would smack her. No jinxing the newly pregnant lady!!!
I just knocked on wood about a thousand times.
Congratulations on seeing your beautiful baby for the first time!!! And, a heartbeat, too!! SO awesome!! Such an absolutely incredible feeling.
I absolutely love the drawing! That’s the coolest “ultrasound” I’ve ever seen!
Congratulations! I love the first ultrasound news 🙂 Glad your numbers are excellent for a single and wishing you the best pregnancy
*love* … so glad that you have such a healthy one, too! I may think of your little life as “Moon,” though, now. I hope you don’t mind. 😉
A heart beat this early is great!!
My 1st u/s was at 8w and I still cry just thinking about it. When they turned on the sound for the heart beat my husband broke down sobbing….it was so emotional.
I love it!! Congrats!! I was selfishly hoping for twins. LOL Healthy singleton!!! Tiny bean! Yeah!
“walk of shame” ??! Hell no, girl- more like “walk of JOY!!”…. (I know- I get the whole guilt thing of walking through that waiting room where you can cut the “hope” with a knife) NO Jewish guilt! No previously infertile now pregnant guilt! I’ll have none of it! As your long distance Doula, I am suggesting you drop that shit right now. 🙂
Woo hoo! That’s awesome. I had a terrific experience drug-free with my midwife, I highly recommend. And also laboring in a jet tub;)
Oh congrats! And Keiko, please don’t view it as a walk of shame. It’s a walk well-earned!
I love the artist photo! Beautiful and congratulations on the great Ultrasound!
Congrats! I love the artist’s rendering – I always complain that all ultrasound photos look the same so I don’t really need to see them, but you’ve found an entertaining work-around 😉
Oooooo, I love the artisty take on it! As for birth plans… ahem… I can recommend a really AWESOME book to help you prepare for that. 😉 (And for the record, you can have a midwife with twins… you just may or may not be able to have a home birth with twins… but midwives do handle multiple pregnancies, with a doctor on back-up, assuming the only “complication” is the presence of two babies)
…You wrote a book on birth plans?! How did I not know this?! Link s’il vous plait?
Also: no home births for us. My tub is too small and while I know this 200+ year old house has seen plenty of babies born here many years ago, it ain’t happening while I live here! 🙂
Yes! The book is for ALL kind of births, very accepting and inclusive, with the idea that you should have the kind of birth you feel comfortable with.
http://www.amazon.com/Birth-Plans-Dummies-Health-Fitness/dp/1118317378/
It is out on Kindle but not yet in print… you can preorder for print though… it’s available Nov 6th (I think.)
That is a very cool way of doing it! And it will look awesome if you do a baby book!
So excited for you, Keiko. I am looking forward to going along this journey with you.
Thanks so much! Yeah, we know how annoying the ultrasound photos can be and well… we’re artists at heart, so we felt this was a nice compromise 🙂
Congrats friend!!!
Thank you 🙂