We had our anatomy scan and check-up yesterday. It was 5 and a half weeks since our last check-up but I felt like it really flew by! I will say, the whole experience was less than satisfactory and left me really questioning if I chose a good practice. I do really like the Dr that I chose as my primary. But there are 7 Drs to cycle through during the pregnancy and whoever is on call does the delivery. The Dr I had yesterday was just… meh. Friendly enough, for sure, but wasted almost the entire appointment taking about how uncomfortable she is with the whole Lovenox thing. She was one of those who wants to question whether or not she thinks my clotting factors are “serious” enough to treat. And then she was questioning me if I was treated with my previous pregnancies, as if she was just confused about the whole situation. I am just 100% done with that conversation. I really am. It makes me so frustrated to have to continually defend my case. I am so happy that I can now just tell them that my Hematologist is adamant that we are not taking chances, seeing as how I have had abundant proof that I cannot stay pregnant without treatment. That is her department, after-all. And as long as my OB is trained to manage a pregnancy while the mother is taking blood thinner, then they really need to leave the finer details of which clotting disorders “deserve” to be treated, to the Drs who are specifically trained in that area.
*Sigh* You may be proud of me though for very firmly stating to this Dr that the birth record from Levi is absolutely wrong. My uterus did not “get tired and stop contracting”. Which would be fine if it had, I mean, no shame in that. Except it’s a lie. I described the hemorrhage experience to the Dr and I must give her full credit for listening and acknowledging that what I was telling her was completely consistent with a hemorrhage resulting from retained placenta. I really appreciated that. I wanted it in my notes so they won’t over-treat me, expecting that I am going to hemorrhage again. I felt pretty comfortable with her ideas on me trying to vbac again as well. So that was another positive.
About the anatomy ultrasound itself… this is the part that made me question this practice on a whole. It was less than 10 minutes from start to finish. The sonographer printed a picture at the beginning and the end and the time stamp on them is just 6 minutes apart. She didn’t check the baby’s heart rate at all. Nor did she check the stomach, bladder or do any measurements of the heart (which, maybe that is normal, but with the boys, their hearts were looked at and measured). Basically, we were just there to get a couple keepsake pictures of the baby – That was my impression. No measurement of fluid or really anything at all. I was not told whether baby measured ahead or behind or how long… nothing except he is around 9 ounces. It was just a weird ultrasound. I’ve never had one like it at all.
Then after seeing the Dr, I was sent to book my next appointment and even though my primary Dr said we would do monthly growth ultrasounds, following the schedule of my previous pregnancies, the girl booking the appointment seemed really confused. She repeated “Growth ultrasounds?” then she pulled out some chart and looked at it and said “We don’t do those until 28 weeks.” SO, I guess I’ll have to talk to my primary Dr and ask her to please give me a printed and signed list of what she wants me to do so I can pull it out and show whoever is seeing me at that visit. That would greatly reduce confusion.
I don’t know. I’m going here because I wanted a less managed birth experience and I wanted to just be normal(ish). But I guess that’s not really working for me because A) anxiety, B) is this really standard care? You just assume the baby is healthy and you don’t like, actually check? Not even a quick listen to the heart? I was under the impression that the *anatomy* was checked on *anatomy* ultrasounds. And C) I’m tired of being treated like a weirdo who is taking some kind of really scary, unknown drug. I feel like some Drs hear the word “anticoagulant” and they just freak out. I know it’s not every pregnant woman’s experience but it doesn’t make me some anomaly. I mean, enough women out there are taking Lovenox that it shouldn’t be that confusing or hard to manage….. I don’t know…. maybe I am just really good at picking the ones who don’t understand it. Thankfully, my primary OB is on board, but I have to cycle through the other Drs so I have to keep explaining the same basic stuff to every Dr. And they don’t all manage care the same way. So she tells me one thing and the next Dr is completely unaware of that plan. That’s why I need a printed and signed plan of care from her. To get everyone on board! Because I will seriously flip out on the next person who remotely suggests that I quit taking Lovenox. I will. Flip. Out.
I was going to combine this with my weekly update but it’s way too long. I’ll just leave this here and I do apologize for being so venty. I just need it off my chest I guess…. What do you think? Am I being too crazy?
Maybe it’s because all my pregnancies are automatically high-risk, and my anatomy scans are always done by the MFM, but mine was a few weeks ago and it took over an hour. They measured every little thing they could see, and my report listed like 5 key measurements they use to calculate gestational age and current weight. It was elaborate to say the least.
I’ve been very fortunate that all my OBs are on board with lovenox (I just switched to a new practice before this pregnancy) and I have a large practice to cycle through as well. I agree though, that’s not their specialty. I just tell them all right off the bat, my Hematologist manages my lovenox, I’ll keep you in the loop.
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I really miss my mfm group. I just don’t think this anatomy scan was normal for anywhere.
Maybe that’s what I’ll have to do. “The lovenox isn’t up for debate. I have a hematologist and that is that.” Thanks. 🙂
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Do you mind if i ask you, what factors make you high risk aside from the clotting issues?
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The clotting issues were the big ones, and they think they caused the multiple losses, which were technically another risk. Plus, my OB classifies most IVF pregnancies as higher risk, because I guess there’s a small correlation. With Gus I also had high blood pressure (managed with meds) and gestational diabetes. At some point I also had a minor abruption which wasn’t discovered until delivery AND he was borderline IUGR.
This time, I have the history of all those things, even though my BP is fine, and it wasn’t IVF. But now I have the pancreatitis issues from IVF/estrogen and triglycerides, which is something else they’re monitoring closely.
So, I’m a mess, but baby seems fine so far, and I’m never ever doing this again.
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Shew!! Lots going on there. I’m glad you and baby are doing well this time and i hope things go smoothly from here on out for you. 🙂
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I had excellent care with my OB. Never saw a MFM. I’m not terribly surprised by what you’ve been going through. Office staff are nice but get flustered when something is out of routine, I’ve noticed. It’s almost like they think they know s much as the doctor since they do all the scheduling and booking. (Big eye roll) My OB wanted me off Lovenox at my first visit but did research before the second visit, changing his stance. I was supposed to rotate with the other doctors but never did, so I can’t speak from experience about defending lovenox to everyone. I can tell you that I would’ve called my RE and had her give them a call or email to straighten them out if anyone had given me problems. I’m glad you have a hematologist backing you up now.
I’m glad you’re sticking it out with them so far. A friend of mine wanted a VBAC after two c-sections and when her doctor, who she raved about to me and is half the reason I go to that practice, told her that she wasn’t comfortable with a vbac in her situation, she jumped ship immediately instead of trying to work with her or even listen to her concerns. I’ll stop there because I could write a book about frustrations with my friend.
And the ultrasound being all of five minutes? What?? I’m pretty sure all of mine were five minutes, with the anatomy being the longest. But I can’t remember how long so I’m no help there.
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Sigh. Well, I emailed my primary Dr to tell her my concerns. I want to make this practice work but I also need to know they are on their game. After my experience with Tru going into distress, I want to know that this practice won’t ignore my concerns or try to put me in their little box. I’m glad your Dr worked out so well for you. If i do stay here, I think I’ll wait to rotate through the Drs until the end of pregnancy.
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Oh my gosh, I would have been so annoyed with that whole experience. But I’m so proud of you for sticking up with yourself on your previous delivery , and I’m happy she didn’t automatically defend the other dr and actually listen to you- so that’s awesome!! ☺️
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Our anatomy scan was with the twins so it took longer. Like almost an hour. It’s really unacceptable that the tech didn’t even check the heart rate for you or some of the organs. I wonder if you can demand a recheck.
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I emailed the Dr. (Just posted about it). Waiting for a reply. I agree. A rushed ultrasound, especially one of this importance, is unacceptable.
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I feel like you wrote about my last ob clinic. Wow. Sorry you had that last experience. 😦
I’m trying out a new one that comes recommended this week. I need an ob that is more sensitive to my infertility past should we decide to have another. Makes me mad it took me 2 pregnancies to decide I hate the old clinic.
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I’m sorry you are struggling to find a good practice. I liked my old clinic for prenatal care. It was just the delivery experience with Levi that scared me off, really. Now I’m afraid this practice will be so nonchalant that they won’t be keeping an eye out for potential problems. Tru would not have survived the end of pregnancy. He had to come then and there. Would this practice even have been paying enough attention to see that? I really wonder.
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