12 week OB workup - aka 12 week "waiting session"

Baby Length:  just over 2 inches

Baby Weight:  about 1/2 an ounce

Baby is the size of a:  Lime







On Tuesday, April 16th I went in to North Atlanta Women's Specialists to see Dr. Marcus for my 12 week work-up.  There wasn't really much to the appointment other than about 2 1/2 hrs of waiting for a few different services.  After waiting in the waiting room for 30 minutes, they took a urine sample, took my weight and blood pressure and then had me sit in the inside waiting room for another 30 minutes.

Then my nurse Joanne took me back to an exam room and tried to find the baby's heartbeat with the doppler which she couldn't do.  I have a Sonoline B fetal doppler that I bought off www.fetaldoppler.net for about $55 that I use frequently at home, so I knew everything was okay, but they seemed a little concerned about not finding one.  So Joanne fired up the fancy GE ultrasound machine and took me in to wait another 20 minutes for Dr. Marcus to come in and take a quick peek to confirm the heartbeat by ultrasound.  He saw the heart pumping and all was well.  (here is a pic of the doppler I use at home - I love it - and it has been a huge reassurance to me in between visits...)

                 

Then Joanne rushed me back to an exam room and they did what they basically do at an annual exam - a breast exam, pelvic exam and a pap.  After Dr. Marcus was done with that I went in to his office to chat, and he answered a few of my questions about some questions I had and what things that were safe during pregnancy.  Here are my findings:

• I could stop the progesterone that Sunday at 13 weeks!  Yippee!
• He didn't care that I was using a home fetal doppler and said it was perfectly safe.
• I could take Claritin/Zytec, Sudafed, and Mucinex for my sinus infection and chest cold.  (I didn't for another week because I was scared to hurt the baby - then gave in because the coughing was too miserable) 
• No acne treating products!  He said the big ones to stay away from are Retin-A and Salicylic Acid.
• Hair color okay after week 13 - they recommend only one time per trimester, but that will be tough for me considering the amount of new gray hairs that have "sprouted" since I became preggo.
• Anti-aging night cream is fine.  Dr. Marcus said his wife used the Obagi line while pregnant with no issues.  I use Creme de La Mer face and eye cream (on the nights when I have the energy to wash my face and apply night cream!) and he said that was perfectly acceptable.  Here is what I love to use:

                        

We discussed that the last real action item of the first trimester was to have my NT scan with Dr. Mann at Northside once I got back from my sister's wedding and cross that worry off the list.  Otherwise he didn't need to see me back until my 16 week visit - which I scheduled for May 15th.