I wish I could write this one with the baby's viewpoint instead of mine but thankfully my little one was spared the verbal onslaught the first six months! ( fetus can recognize and register the mother's voice and sounds only in the third trimester) So here is a gynaec "to- be- mom's" and Gynaec "to-be-grandmom" and their little baby's story with all their ups and downs.
It all started with a positive UPT. I mean duh..like all other pregnancies u know..but that's where the similarity ends. Our first argument was over when I should get my first scan with mom insisting I hurry and me wanting to wait so I could be absolutely sure as I was only 5 days overdue. Given that we were in different cities obviously helped my side and I got my first scan at around 7 weeks.
Unfortunately I had a small bleed inside the sac and for the very first time experienced the anxiety that any mother and a patient feels when she s broken those news. The first person I called was my mom and believe me I now consider myself lucky to have a gynaecologist as mom. Her sturdy experience with probably over a thousand cases like mine overcame my anxiety over all the losses I had seen with first trimester bleeds and she helped me calm down although i argued(again) about going home for the prescribed rest.
And then she did the next best thing..she took charge and the next day our car was waiting to ferry me home for some much needed bed rest. In the ensuing week i was home i got at least 3 ultrasounds courtesy a hyper mom and an indulging grandmom! Rest assured my album for my babys first months inside me was already full!
Even after being diagnosed with Graves hyperthyroidism and having conceived while I relapsed her reassurance on the cases she had handled though few but all with good outcomes was an immense help along with my rockstar of an endocrinologist who since day one had literally been holding my hand through it all.
Yes I underwent some investigations which for her seemed overdone and not at all routine like a fetal echo repeated twice, TDap vaccine etc.. It took some patient discussion, Google and her discussing my case with my attending gynaecologist in Mumbai for her to be convinced..not that she ever failed to remind me how they never had all that in their day and look how fine i turned out! And I obviously vehemently defended science and all its tests and their advantages (mostly to little avail!)
The best part about my pregnancy today is no matter what week I am in its the easiest thing to call her up to the day of the week crib about my symptoms and silently hope she ll say its normal.
Because no matter how many patients I counsel or deliver there is no greater teacher than going through the whole experience by self where everyday especially in the last trimester brings a new symptom most of them worrying because the due date is so close.
Having my mom as my gynaec is the next best thing to delivering at your moms place..as most of us do! Although she is doing the prudent thing by not actually delivering her grandchild, my pregnancy with all its hiccups could not have been this smooth a ride without her being a rock by my side!
Dr Asavari is a practicing Gynaecologist and obstetrician. She is expecting her first child mid January 2016 and is blogging her experiences at http://ravingsofapregnantgynaec.blogspot.in/, where she chronicles all the ups and downs of a 'pregnant gynaec'.
editors note: Thank you for the post Dr Asavari. As a doctor parent we are already analysing our own pregnancies, and later our parenting choices. Just like in the medical profession there are "two schools of thought" or a difference of opinion in managing a disease, parenting has it's very own 'camps' the 'attacment parenting' camp, the 'baby sleeps with me in our bed' camp to the 'baby sleeps in her own crib, in her own nursery' camp, to 'bottle feeding' / 'breast feeding' and tiger moms/ lazy parenting! There seems to be a lot of opinions out there on how to bring up your children, which I realised after having my baby and during my copious readings, as you will soon realise. I hope you will write again for doctor parents with your new insights as a new mom and how they might have changed.
It all started with a positive UPT. I mean duh..like all other pregnancies u know..but that's where the similarity ends. Our first argument was over when I should get my first scan with mom insisting I hurry and me wanting to wait so I could be absolutely sure as I was only 5 days overdue. Given that we were in different cities obviously helped my side and I got my first scan at around 7 weeks.
Unfortunately I had a small bleed inside the sac and for the very first time experienced the anxiety that any mother and a patient feels when she s broken those news. The first person I called was my mom and believe me I now consider myself lucky to have a gynaecologist as mom. Her sturdy experience with probably over a thousand cases like mine overcame my anxiety over all the losses I had seen with first trimester bleeds and she helped me calm down although i argued(again) about going home for the prescribed rest.
And then she did the next best thing..she took charge and the next day our car was waiting to ferry me home for some much needed bed rest. In the ensuing week i was home i got at least 3 ultrasounds courtesy a hyper mom and an indulging grandmom! Rest assured my album for my babys first months inside me was already full!
Even after being diagnosed with Graves hyperthyroidism and having conceived while I relapsed her reassurance on the cases she had handled though few but all with good outcomes was an immense help along with my rockstar of an endocrinologist who since day one had literally been holding my hand through it all.
Yes I underwent some investigations which for her seemed overdone and not at all routine like a fetal echo repeated twice, TDap vaccine etc.. It took some patient discussion, Google and her discussing my case with my attending gynaecologist in Mumbai for her to be convinced..not that she ever failed to remind me how they never had all that in their day and look how fine i turned out! And I obviously vehemently defended science and all its tests and their advantages (mostly to little avail!)
The best part about my pregnancy today is no matter what week I am in its the easiest thing to call her up to the day of the week crib about my symptoms and silently hope she ll say its normal.
Because no matter how many patients I counsel or deliver there is no greater teacher than going through the whole experience by self where everyday especially in the last trimester brings a new symptom most of them worrying because the due date is so close.
Having my mom as my gynaec is the next best thing to delivering at your moms place..as most of us do! Although she is doing the prudent thing by not actually delivering her grandchild, my pregnancy with all its hiccups could not have been this smooth a ride without her being a rock by my side!
Dr Asavari is a practicing Gynaecologist and obstetrician. She is expecting her first child mid January 2016 and is blogging her experiences at http://ravingsofapregnantgynaec.blogspot.in/, where she chronicles all the ups and downs of a 'pregnant gynaec'.
editors note: Thank you for the post Dr Asavari. As a doctor parent we are already analysing our own pregnancies, and later our parenting choices. Just like in the medical profession there are "two schools of thought" or a difference of opinion in managing a disease, parenting has it's very own 'camps' the 'attacment parenting' camp, the 'baby sleeps with me in our bed' camp to the 'baby sleeps in her own crib, in her own nursery' camp, to 'bottle feeding' / 'breast feeding' and tiger moms/ lazy parenting! There seems to be a lot of opinions out there on how to bring up your children, which I realised after having my baby and during my copious readings, as you will soon realise. I hope you will write again for doctor parents with your new insights as a new mom and how they might have changed.
Asavari all the best for "the birth". I am sure you, your mom the granny Gynaecologist and the Gynaecologist who is chosen to deliver the baby all want the best for the foetus who will soon be a much loved baby!
ReplyDeleteI am happy that you are realizing your mom's experienced based wisdom!
Most of "new" knowledge is excellent, tests should be accessed as they available now!
But medicine is one field where experience when applied without emotions coming into play is the ultimate choice!