Page 40 of Mia Amata

“Nice to meet you. I’m Dr.Amanda Lee.” I shook her hand. She sat down at the desk next to me. “I understand you had a positive pregnancy test.”

“Yes,” I replied. “By my calculations, I think I am about seven weeks along.”

“You haven’t seen any doctor yet?” she asked.

“No, I was in the process of moving here, didn’t have a chance to. I figured I would establish care here once I moved.”

Dr.Lee nodded. “Makes sense. So what I would like to do is get some history from you first, then we will do an examination, obtain an ultrasound to check dates.” She stood up and listened to my heart and lungs. She then asked me to lay back. She asked me to pull up my top to do an abdominal exam. She hesitated momentarily, then asked, “How did you get the scars and bruises?”

I told her about the minor car accident, the story that I came up with. “Did you see a doctor for that? Go to the emergency room?”

“No, I didn’t. I didn’t have insurance at the time. I really felt fine overall. A few aches and pains from the accident, but otherwise I felt fine.”

“You should have been checked out. You could have had some internal injuries.”

“I know, but I couldn’t afford to pay out of pocket for the medical bills.”

Dr.Lee did her exam and then had me sit up. “I think you are pretty spot on regarding how far along you are, but I’ll go get the ultrasound machine to do a check to make sure. I’ll be right back.”

Leaving the room and returning shortly with the ultrasound. She explained what would take place to me. I acted like I didn’t know anything about it. Once the ultrasound was completed, the doctor told me my estimate was pretty spot on, I was about seven weeks along.

She printed some pictures of the baby for me and then had me get down from the examination table and taken a seat in a chair. We reviewed the normal pregnancy course, discussing my approximate delivery date. The doctor answered all of my questions, saying she would be happy to take on my care.

I told her I would like for her to be my new OB/GYN, asking her if she could recommend a pediatrician and family practice doctor. “I certainly can,” she replied. She gave me a list of names. One of them was Dr.James Lee, who was a primary care physician. I looked at her questioningly.

She smiled, “Yes, he is my husband. I can’t recommend him over the others for the sake of ethics. You will have to make that decision for yourself. Make an appointment with him and a couple of the others and decide for yourself. I feel that any of those would be good choices for your care.”

I thanked her for the recommendations but knew that I would probably go to her husband to care for my baby and myself. I was impressed with Dr.Lee. She put me completely at ease, didn’t pry too much into the past and concentrated more on the baby and the future. We chatted a little longer about what I could expect and what her protocol was for future appointments. Dr.Lee walked me out, taking me up to the appointment desk, letting them know she wanted to see me back in one month with lab work prior.

I made the appointment and then walked out to the waiting area where Randy sat waiting for me. She got up as I walked out. We walked out to her car. “How was the appointment?” she asked as we climbed into her car. I told her about Dr.Lee and the appointment and what would happen going forward. We chatted about the list of doctors she had given me as recommendations.

Randy said, “Her husband is my doctor. He is awesome. He would actually take care of both you and the baby if you felt comfortable with not having a pediatrician.”

“I would be fine with that. It would be nice having the same doctor taking care of both of us, like his wife is doing right now.”

We chatted about things as Randy drove us to the city an hour away. Our first stop was a clothing store that had maternity clothes. I tried on a few things and picked out a few cute outfits that I thought would tide me over the next couple of months. Randy and I decided that we would make another trip later on during my pregnancy if I needed additional clothing. I also picked out some warmer clothes, including a coat as there would be snow on the ground before I gave birth.

We then went to a baby store where we had a lot of fun picking out a few outfits. I also picked up some crib sheets, a blanket, and some other odds and ends that I would need. I also purchased a car seat and stroller that all worked together, knowing that the car seat would be an immediate need when the baby was born. I looked at baby monitors and decided to do some more research on those before I purchased one.

After the baby store, we stopped for lunch in the food court at the mall we were shopping in. I went for a piece of pizza while Randy went for Chinese. We met in the middle, talking about our finds, the things that I would need eventually. There were a lot of things out there that were supposed to make things easier for a parent, but some of them didn’t seem necessary to me. We discussed the need for a bassinet, but I wasn’t sure that one was needed.

The nursery was close to my bedroom, and I felt that the baby needed to sleep in her own room. Also, with the right baby monitor, there should be no issues with having the baby in the crib from the beginning. I decided I would think about it, as I could see the benefits of one, especially if it could be moved from room to room, but I felt the baby would outgrow it pretty quickly, so I didn’t feel it was a wise use of money.

When we finished lunch, we browsed some other stores, including a bridal store where Randy picked up some brochures and looked at a few dresses. We were told the best thing would be to make an appointment when she was ready to seriously shop for a dress, they would be better able to help her find the perfect dress. Randy agreed to do so.

Our next stop was a home store. We browsed around, discussing all the different decor for my home. I picked out some wall decor that I really liked. I found some nursery wall decor that I thought would be perfect for the nursery.

We walked around the mall, making small purchases here and there. I bought a new pair of shoes, some slip-on tennis shoes. After all, I only had one pair of shoes at this point. I also purchased a pair of black flats that would look cute with some of the new outfits I bought, but yet would be comfortable should my feet swell with pregnancy. We finally left the mall and started driving home.

“That was fun,” Randy stated, “but I am worn out.”

I laughed, “I am too. I was able to check a lot of things off my list today, and for those I didn’t I have some ideas of what I do want. We will probably have to make another trip in a month or so.”

“I’m game!” Randy said, “Maybe, on that trip, I will have an appointment to look for a wedding dress too.”

“That would be fun,” I said.

We talked about the purchases we made today, most of them mine, and how the nursery was going to look cute with the decor I bought for it today.

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