Evasive Maneuvers
Nov. 30th, 2010 06:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
porphyryI had an interesting first-time experience at the doctor's office yesterday. This never happened with either Andrew or Madeline.
Now that I am 28 weeks along, I had to drink a glucose solution and have my blood drawn to see if I have gestational diabetes. I've never had it before, so I don't expect it now, but it's a routine test. One of its side effects is that it tends to make a baby very active because of the high sugar content consumed.
When it came time for me to actually see the doctor, the main thing done is to use a hand-held Doppler device to listen to the baby's heart tones and measure the heart rate. When the device was placed on my abdomen, we both heard a distinct thud--a little foot kicking--and I felt the baby move away, and his heartbeat was not caught. He has to remain still for a few seconds for the Doppler to get a read.
So Dr. Dalla Riva moved the Doppler--again, another kick and move away. This happened four times before the doctor basically held the baby still with one hand and finally got a heart rate.
"147," he laughed. "The kid's fighting back. It must be all the glucose."
I agreed, but inside I had my doubts. I thought about Andrew and Madeline, who both think it's funny when they watch him kick to talk to him, but instead of talking, they both shout. I rather thought the poor thing was practicing his evasive maneuvers, which will be rather handy later when he actually has to deal with his two elder siblings.
Now that I am 28 weeks along, I had to drink a glucose solution and have my blood drawn to see if I have gestational diabetes. I've never had it before, so I don't expect it now, but it's a routine test. One of its side effects is that it tends to make a baby very active because of the high sugar content consumed.
When it came time for me to actually see the doctor, the main thing done is to use a hand-held Doppler device to listen to the baby's heart tones and measure the heart rate. When the device was placed on my abdomen, we both heard a distinct thud--a little foot kicking--and I felt the baby move away, and his heartbeat was not caught. He has to remain still for a few seconds for the Doppler to get a read.
So Dr. Dalla Riva moved the Doppler--again, another kick and move away. This happened four times before the doctor basically held the baby still with one hand and finally got a heart rate.
"147," he laughed. "The kid's fighting back. It must be all the glucose."
I agreed, but inside I had my doubts. I thought about Andrew and Madeline, who both think it's funny when they watch him kick to talk to him, but instead of talking, they both shout. I rather thought the poor thing was practicing his evasive maneuvers, which will be rather handy later when he actually has to deal with his two elder siblings.
