Heed my words, ´tis not something for the punctual, the prudish, or the presumptuous.
*You will be kept waiting. Also, everything regarding the time&place&purpose of your visit will be terribly vague. Remedy? CALL in advance: yesterday, I called my clinic to find out the details of today´s appointment. Whether I would be meeting with the matrona (midwife), or with the OBGYN, and whether I would need to go to the clinic or the hospital. Had I not called, I would not have discovered that the appointment-time on my digital record did not correspond with the time written down on my manilla envelope by the caregiver. So, 10:30 had turned into 11:03, and I would have never known, had I not decided to ask for details. On another note, calling doesn´t always clear things up. I asked whether my appointment would be for an ultrasound (as I guessed from where it had been written down on my envelope: in the column for OBGYN-check ups), or for a more basic check-up with the midwife. The answer I got from the desk-lady was, "it will not be for an ultrasound. You will meet with the matrona."
So, Ari and I headed to the clinic this morning, expecting a 2-minute mini-check up with miss matrona at 11:03, and getting quite the opposite. First, we had to wait for about half an hour (and I had stupidly rushed on my way over, because that´s my default pace...... so I arrived out of breath, annoyed, and warm). Then, I discovered that everything else I had been told was rubbish, too. (see next *)
*You will be exposed without warning: so, I stepped into the office to discover that, after all (and contrary to what I had been told), this was a more lengthy check-up with the OBGYN. For starters (and without any prior notice), they did a "cultivo" (strange word in this context) of my nether regions. "Regions", plural, that´s right. Without any explanation. I should have asked, of course, but I was completely taken by surprise. Nevertheless, it´s a matter of acting as nonchalant about it as they do. "Oh, you need to do some prying with that giant q-tip? Sure thing." A reminder to always be prepared & proper when heading to a Dr´s visit, by the way.
Oh, and, after some research, I discovered that these "cultivos" are now standard in the third trimester, and serve to detect a potential case of "Group B streptococcus".
*You will receive the least amount of information possible: and questions are neither expected nor appreciated. I insist, however. So, I always get a little annoying, asking "why" and "when" and "how". They must think I´m a smart-alec. When I shared my idea of presenting a Birth-Plan, they were like, "who do you think you are?? That is not the way we do things here!" Spanish medical caregivers expect their patients to just nod and get out of their office. This is why, 8 out of 10 times, I leave the check-ups with more questions than answers regarding my situation. I do ask a question or two, yes, but they are in such a hurry that you forget half of what you wanted to know more about. Most check-ups last a grand total of 2 minutes.
You usually end up feeling a little dazed by these check-ups. Usually, because you´ve just spent 2 hours getting there and walk away after a few minutes of nothing. Nothing, that´s right. Irrelevant questions, a look at the scale... and that´s that. But on other days (today, for instance), they check things you weren´t told would be checked. And then they do the longest ultrasound yet. At least I got that reward: I got to see Baby Zus´little face, and I made sure the OBGYN told me exactly how she was doing, and how she was floating in there. Finally, a confirmation that what I´ve been feeling on the left-middle section of my belly are indeed her feet, and that it is her bottom that is pressed against my ribs. And, more importantly, that she is not so tiny, after all. Yep, my belly may not be huge, but the baby is tall, just like her sister. As for my insignificant pouch: it´s just smaller because I´m "grandota". Thanks, M´am! Grandota, as in FAT, or tall???
Now, a nap is in order. Women, and mothers in particular, really are put through a LOT. I wonder how men would fare in similar predicaments.
Not that the medical staff would find it particularly nice, but have you ever tried writing down your questions beforehand? I know that each visit will leave you with many more unanswered ones, but if you at least write down the ones you have PRIOR to the birth, maybe you'll feel less confused. Or maybe, after asking the questions and getting vague and unhelpful answers, you'll just feel MORE confused. I'm sorry Eva. Take heart, it's almost over!!
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