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“We’re ready for you.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
I follow the assistant to a room where she takes my vitals.
“The doctor will be with you in just a moment,” she says, showing me to an examination room.
I nod and take a seat at the desk. The door opens a few minutes later.
“Hello, I’m Dr. Lee. I am pleased to meet you.”
“Hi. Emily.”
“I see congratulations are in order. How are you feeling, Emily? Is this your first pregnancy?”
“Yes, my first. I'm feeling okay. The nausea is killing me, though.”
“Oh, yes. There is that. Don’t be too concerned. It will pass soon enough.”
“I certainly hope so.”
“Do you know how far along you are?”
“Not really. I’m not generally regular when it comes to my menses.”
“Okay. That’s not a problem. Let’s do an ultrasound. That should tell us what we need to know. Won’t you get undressed for me, please? You can change into that gown over there.”
I do as she asks before I lie down on the examination bed. The doctor does a breast exam before she squirts cold jelly onto my abdomen.
“Sorry, it’s always a bit chilly,” she smiles. “Okay, let’s see what we have here.”
I watch the monitor while she moves the transducer around.
“Ah, there we go. Meet your baby, Emily.”
I know I should be ecstatic, but I’m stressed. A baby! Wow! There’s a tiny human inside of me. Lucas and I are having a baby.
All of a sudden, I’m struggling to breathe.
“Are you alright, Emily?” the doctor asks. “Here, let me help you.”
She helps me sit up so I can take a few deep breaths.
“I’ll be okay.”
“Do you have a support system, Emily? Having a baby can be very daunting if you’re trying to do it alone. I can put you in touch with a support network if you like.”
“No. That’s alright. Thank you, doctor.”
“Okay. Please feel free to be honest with me. Whatever we discuss stays between us.”
“I know. Thank you. How far along am I?”
“By the size of the embryonic sac, I’d say you’re about six weeks along. Give or take a few days.”
“When will I start showing?”
“That depends. All women are different. It all depends on your build and the size of the baby. Typically, most women start showing around four months, but that isn’t a hard and fast rule.”