11 weeks with Olivia: We heard a heartbeat

I was wondering how this ultrasound was going to go being that it was neither at my fertility clinic, nor my OB. (Did I do that neither/nor thing right?) Since the fertility clinic here where I was being satellite monitored for Houston kicked me out*, I was concerned about how I was going to do my last two ultrasounds. The care coordinator at my OB clinic actually told me last week to go to this nearby imaging center, since they are used to out of state orders and my clinic didn’t have a process in place to do the orders from out of state. I last was at this imaging center when I was having the blood pressure/headache issue two years ago when they wanted to do an MRI on me. I got the orders sent over without a hitch but was wondering how this was going to go being that it’s not an OB center. I wasn’t sure how often they did OB ultrasounds.

I just have to add here, symptom-wise, I haven’t been feeling all that bad in the last week since I started taking Unisom and B6 at night. Of course, now the nausea comes later in the evening when the medication is wearing off. We have been planting our garden and I have been participating by slowly digging holes for the plants and trying not to hurl into the grass, but it’s been going well and we are almost finished.

That being said, I was starting to get the fear back that something was wrong with the baby. I know, I know, I am a psycho, but I was feeling pretty much normal yesterday before the evening set in, and I was worried**.

However! Yesterday was the last day of my PIO shots!

Today went well. The woman that did my ultrasound at eleven weeks exactly was really nice, even though she said she was going to do the transabdominal ultrasound on me, and did you know how hard they push into your stomach? 1) it semi hurt and 2) it tickled because anything that touches my lower abdomen causes me to suck in and squeal.

11 weeks with Olivia: We heard a heartbeat

Baby is still there, measuring 4.14 cm (1.6 inches) at a day ahead and heart rate at the time was 167, although the baby wasn’t very active at the time. But oh the movements! Those arms and legs waving around like crazy and that tiny little body arching…be still my heart. There was even a moment when the tech showed us where her legs were crossed. I could watch that all day.

I asked her if we could video it, and she said she was going to make us a disc. I then asked if we could hear the heartbeat and she told us that the sound waves didn’t work well with their equipment. But she must have taken pity on us because as we were watching the baby move, she flipped a button and smiled at us and suddenly the room filled with that whump-whump-whump sound and of course then I burst into tears and she let us take a video on my phone of the heartbeat.

Listen to this. It’s a beautiful sound. The video makes it quieter, so you may have to turn the volume all the way up.

What a way to start the weekend.

*Ok, I didn’t get kicked out, but my doctor there told me that they could no longer see me since I’m further along than they usually even see patients, and they are too busy to accommodate my weekly ultrasounds as ordered by my doctor in Houston. And I am pregnant and emotional and wasn’t ready to fly the nest, even though I am still under the care of Houston. Thus: kicked out.

**In fact, look for my Mom.com post next week, in which my editor will probably appropriately title “In which Risa uses the word ‘worry’ 56 times in a 700-word article.”

15 Comments

  1. May 22, 2015 / 11:35 am

    Amazing!! I'm so happy you got to hear this little one and that things are continuing to progress so well. Thrills me beyond words! xoxo

  2. Anonymous
    May 22, 2015 / 11:38 am

    I have followed your blog since almost the beginning, and have prayed for you your husband countless times over the years. I am so happy that your little miracle rainbow baby is finally here. Don't worry about overthinking symptoms, I totally did the same thing and drove my husband crazy. It's just a mom thing, so know you are not alone. I have some major health issues that made losing my pregnancy's very real ( I too was on Lovenox. Aren't those bruises great?) , so when I felt "good" I thought it was over. I am happy to say that I just had my second little miracle which I thought wasn't even possible, but here she is. I pray for a continued happy and healthy pregnancy. I am so looking forward to seeing that first baby picture in December!

  3. May 22, 2015 / 11:58 am

    YAY! I'm so glad you figured out a place to get an ultrasound! And little bitty baby wiggles are the CUTEST! So excited for you, RIsa!

  4. May 22, 2015 / 12:16 pm

    This is great news!!! So glad everything is still going well for you! Im still worried constantly..ugh.

  5. May 22, 2015 / 1:06 pm

    You nailed the neither/nor situation. 🙂 And what an adorable baby!! Yay for that heartbeat!!

  6. May 22, 2015 / 3:28 pm

    It's impossible not to worry every step of the way after all you've been through to get to this point! What a cute little Baby Seaweed with a strong little heartbeat!

  7. May 23, 2015 / 9:20 am

    Music to my ears!! What a wonderful experience to see Baby Seaweed too!

  8. May 23, 2015 / 2:54 pm

    Gah, I'm getting all teary reading how hearing the HB made you burst into tears! I so remember the feeling and also bursting into tears for sooo many USs! Almost in the 2nd trimester!!! I'm so unbelievably excitd and happy for you!

  9. Anonymous
    May 23, 2015 / 3:57 pm

    Love following this! You write so well and so do deserve this 🙂

  10. May 24, 2015 / 8:51 pm

    The most beautiful sound in the entire world! So so happy for you Risa!!!

  11. May 25, 2015 / 2:31 pm

    I worried throughout my pregnancy.

  12. May 25, 2015 / 4:57 pm

    Love it!! 11 weeks seemed so big time to me. Sweet baby beats….

  13. May 27, 2015 / 6:40 am

    Hi, it’s amazing and so happy to see this. This is the most beautiful sound in the whole world! This is great news!!! Thanks for share with us..!!

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