My blood pressure was 100% normal despite my worries about the heart racing and pounding I’ve experienced. We asked the doc about said heart pounding and were told it is completely normal for pregnant ladies due to increase in blood volume, just like we already read. Interestingly enough my diet modifications (spinach and generic ensure drinks) have decreased the frequency of the heart pounding. I told the doctor this.

I know many of you will be able to recall how peeved I was about my doctor being judgmental of my weight and body size back when we were trying to conceive. Well it seems I’ve found another doctor who insists on doing the same damn thing! What is it with these doctors and their judgments?

Today my OBGYN commented that I was going to be one of those “trim pregnant ladies with a huge basket ball sized bump on my tiny frame” while she was finding Tater Tot’s heartbeat. Innocent enough right?

Then she told me to eat a candy bar once in a while… Seriously she said it like 5 times today throughout the visit and it really started to piss me off. She obviously doesn’t know me because she thinks that I am afraid to eat chips and sweets, that is the complete opposite of the truth guys!

Honestly I am a big fan of anything that is filling and does not require cooking, that means plenty of refined sugars and carbs – too many! Those empty carbs and the sugars are a big factor in my inability to gain weight.

Anyway, I tried explaining this to her and also reminded her that my grandfather is diabetic and that I am working hard to improve my diet and nutrition right now, especially since my nutrition is affecting my baby’s growth. She said my nutritional focus was good but that I should really focus on eating to gain more weight, I totally disagree. To me eating a well balanced nutritious diet is better than eating candy bars and chips just to gain pounds of extra weight.

Oh and by the way I weighed in at 110 today despite having a nasty stomach bug last week that completely depleted everything (if you know what I mean). That is 2 pounds of gained weight from last month, not where I had expected to be but there is some major growth happening.

Be sure to check out tomorrows Weekly Winners post where I share my bare baby bump with you in comparison to the shot taken at 11 weeks, you’ll see the growth!

Oh, and while I am complaining about the doctor I might as well illustrate why the doctor is useless. The whole bedside manner and attitude of the staff working at the local woman’s center (where I see my OBGYN) just isn’t my idea of good care.

First off they act inconvenienced that N is along and interested in the prenatal visits, they ignore him and do not make any attempt to involve him in the visits at all. They block his view, refuse to talk to him and are really annoyed when he asks questions or participates in the conversation.

Second issue for me is I just feel like I am being rushed through this OBGYN assembly line. I sign in with the recptionist, then go to pee in a cup, next the nurse weighs me and takes us to the exam room, takes my pulse then we wait for the doctor. The doctor comes in, is not warm or friendly, finds the baby’s heartbeat, then she wants us to ask her questions, she gives us vague answers to those questions while acting awkward, inconvenienced and while avoiding making eye contact. Then the visit is over we go to billing and book our next appointment.

Literally the appointment took 10 minutes, the only benefit to us was hearing little Tater Tot’s heart beating… By the way Tater Tot’s heartbeat is super strong and so loud now! The heart beat is now found directly under my belly button as opposed to last month when the heart beat was real close to my right inner hip area.

Now back to my ranting: I am sorry I am not just a paycheck or an incubator and I am angry that our medical system thinks it is okay to treat us in this way! I am a person, specifically a first time mom to be who needs support, encouragement and guidance.

I’ve never done this before and I need a bit more than to be rushed through a medical assembly line. I know that the more people they can see the better for their bottom line but that is not better for the patients.

I just don’t want a cold, judgmental person providing me prenatal care much less getting me though the delivery of my baby!

Pregnancy and delivering a baby are very personal, intimate and emotional experiences. Having a good relationship with the practitioner is a big deal. *warning* graphic detail ahead! I mean that practitioner will be down between your legs viewing areas you normally wouldn’t show a stranger, pressing on your parts and guiding your child in to the world.

You are putting your life and the life of you child in this persons hands. Anything can happen during labor so wouldn’t you want someone you can trust, whom you are comfortable with and who has the same ideals as you about childbearing on your side?

How can OBGYNs hope to be a part of this very intimate experence when they can’t even look you in the eye while answeing your questions?

My mamma taught me that my private parts are only for those whom I have a trusting and loving relationship with… The doc is just not fitting the bill!

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Updated late the evening of 1/8/08

After a kind email from Donna B I got out my What to Expect When You’re Expecting book and looked up average weight gain. Here is what it said:

1st Trimester– It says “a good goal for the 1st trimester is between 1 and 4 pounds”.

I weighed 100 when I got the positive pregnancy test and put on 8 pounds by the end of the first trimester.

2nd Trimester- It says “your weight gain should pick up to an average rate of about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds per week during months 4 though 6 (totaling 12 to 14 pounds)”.

Well today is the first day of my 16th week of pregnancy which means I am now officially 4 months pregnant. I gained 2 pounds between week 15 & 16 so that seems normal to me, it is more than the 1 1/2 pounds per week recommended and I even lost weight due to sickness!

Granted I am still an under weight gal so gaining more than a pound or so per week is allowable in my opinion but according to the info in the book, I am gaining a bit more than it says is the norm, that is good right?

I would have liked to hear what the doctor thought my weight should have been, too bad she wouldn’t give me a number when I asked.

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