I am now 8 weeks pregnant and just had my first OB appointment today. Everything went smoothly. Pap smear… check! Breast exam… check! Consult with my OB… check! Five vials of blood taken for all the tests… check!
I learned today that I am officially high risk, or, as all of the doctors and nurses like to say, at an “advanced maternal age”. I’m going to get out my walker now.
All of that really means that I need to have roughly 523 more appointments and tests before the end of my first trimester.
Genetic screening
Because of my “high risk” status, genetic screening is medically necessary, to test for things like Downs Syndrome and Trisomy 18. There are 2 different tests that I can take: one at 10 weeks that tests for those conditions plus a host of other things and one at 12-14 weeks that tests for those conditions plus looks at an ultrasound of the kiddo.
Fortunately, both are covered by my insurance because of my “advanced maternal age.” Age has its perks, kids!
Heart screening
I also need to have an EKG because of (you guessed it) my “advanced maternal age.” This I need schedule as soon as possible, so the doctors know if I have any heart conditions that might come into play during delivery. I am a runner (and yes, I am still running, with the doctor’s OK for now), so hopefully all will be well here.
The rest of the kitchen sink
I also need a glucose test and something called a “24 hour urine test”, which I am really hoping does not involve me peeing for 24 hours straight. (Spoiler: It probably does not.) But those tests don’t happen for a while.
Tagged: first trimester