Call #1: I was told that I could only have one person accompany me and they had to be older than 18. The darling nurse who called to tell me said she would be sad not to see my daughter anymore.
Call #2: I was told that I could not have anyone accompany me to future appointments.
Call #3: I was told that the entire office was changing locations and I still had to come by myself.
Tuesday arrived and I was happy that the new office location was 10 minutes closer to my home. Shortly before I left, an AC repairman dropped by to check out our unit. The scent of cigarettes filled our home as he and his wife entered. I mentally made a note to remind my husband to open all the windows once they left.
This was my first drive up to the office completely by myself. I enjoyed the quiet solo 50 minutes in the car. The new location was very different than the old familiar, standalone office. I arrived at a three story medical pavilion with a rather empty parking lot. As I approached the building, there were large signs everywhere by the door. It was easy for me to find out I was not supposed to use the regular doors, but instead use the automatic rotating door. I got inside and was immediately stopped by two nurses. Behind them sat who I assume was security. (If I made a break for the elevators without talking to the nurses, would he have tackled me to the ground?) One of the nurses took my temperature while the other went through a list of around 20 question asking about my health and travel recently. (Good thing we canceled our trip to NYC last week.)
After I met with both nurses' approval, I was instructed to take the right elevator. The right elevator only went to the second floor (OB area) and the left elevator went to the third floor (people not at that pavilion for a well check).
I arrived on the second floor and found an empty waiting room with some familiar faces behind the check-in desk. We joked about the level of security to enter the building and I grabbed a paper about current hospital restrictions.
The previous day, I had read about these restrictions. My husband's response to everything was, "They'd better feed you well." The restrictions thankfully do not change much of what we had planned. I am bummed that once my husband leaves to go stay with our toddler, he cannot come back until I am discharged.
I was called back to meet with my midwife by the regular nurse. We chatted a bit and then she left for the midwife to come in for my regular appointment and for my group B strep test. My midwife seemed slightly frazzled with the new environment. Baby's heartbeat sounds great and I am measuring right on track. The midwife did say, while feeling my belly, that she might order an ultrasound next time. I was a little thrown by that comment that I forgot to ask why. The midwife did ask how large my daughter was when she was born and was happy when I told her 7lb 7oz. I did tell my midwife that at the beginning of the pregnancy, I was constantly measuring around 2 weeks ahead. The midwife responded that I was measuring just fine now.
Right before I left, the midwife mentioned that I looked like I was slightly opened when she did the test, but we both looked at each other and I said, "but that doesn't mean much." She nodded in agreement.
I am now officially on weekly appointments!
