12 weeks

I had my 12 week OB-GYN appointment this morning. It went really well! This was the first appointment with my actual doctor. Last time I saw the nurse practitioner, and she was fine, but I was not terribly excited about her or impressed.

In fact, after relaying to her my history of PIH, she actually said sarcastically, "and now you're pregnant again, great."

That was a turn-off.

But I digress.
My doctor was FANTASTIC. She is friendly, informative, helpful, etc. And her family lives in Austin, so we bonded over that! She was very encouraging, and she spoke to me like a person, not like an idiot, which is always nice. She had a satisfying answer to every question.

As expected, she wants to watch my BP and the baby's growth very, very closely, especially as we get to the end of the 2nd trimester and into the 3rd. If anything is amiss, I will immediately be put on bed rest.

However, she had lots of information to share on my previous condition, and she seems optimistic that even if I do have BP/growth restriction issues again, it is usually a later onset in 2nd pregnancies, and it is typically less severe than in the first pregnancy.

She also had lots of info on research that has just come to light in the last couple of years, so if you're interested, I'll tell you, but it's a lot to blog. And it would probably bore most people. :)

I also brought up the fact that my previous doctor did not think I would be able to deliver a baby over 5 lbs. I asked her what she thought she would want to do if/when the baby starts measuring over 6 lbs. She basically said it was up to me, that we could try a vaginal delivery and if the baby gets stuck or whatever we can always switch to a c-section if need be. She also said that if I really wanted to she would be willing to schedule a c-section, but I think I'll at least try to do it the "old-fashioned way" haha. We shall see; we have a while to think about it!

Anyway, I am feeling much more comfortable after talking to Dr. Powers. She is very, very astute and she has a great bedside manner. I feel great knowing she is in charge of my care!

Oh...and we also heard the baby's heartbeat today! 163 bpm.