Welcome to Andaluz

Well, appointment #1 is in the books! I met my first midwife and her apprentice both of whom I liked very much. I feel very good about my decision to have my baby there. They were very informative, personable, and very clear about the fact that they are there to educate me and help me make my own decisions. I was really happy with how I was treated and the overall atmosphere. They took time to get to know me, they asked me how I met my husband, what sorts of things I do, where I'm from, that sort of stuff. My appointment was held in one of their delivery rooms. It's basically a large bedroom with a big jacuzzi tub and a bathroom. I answered all their questions sitting on a couch or on the queen bed in the room. I like the homey feeling rather than a sterile clinic atmosphere.

I had many questions answered which was great. I learned that I should wait until the month before I'm due to take the Evening Primrose Oil that I've been taking (good to know!), I learned that my vitamins are great, and I learned that I need to eat tons of protein (20 grams a meal!). They told me they'd like to see me gain about 40 pounds, so about a pound a week, maybe a bit more. I think I may just have them weigh me and tell me if I'm gaining enough or too much without a number. I don't think I can deal with knowing that I weight 200+ pounds. They answered questions about foods I should avoid and ones I should eat lots of, about hair loss (I've been losing so much hair!) and about how to best take care of myself for my baby's sake.

They took blood tests and a urine sample, and they tried to find the baby's heartbeat on a doppler radar. They couldn't find one, but they said that it was normal at this point and that I can come back next week to see if we can find it then.

It's a bit surreal knowing that there is a whole real person growing inside me. I imagine it's sort of like how you picture your wedding your whole life and then when it's just months and weeks before it actually happens you really just can't believe that it's real. I'm happy and excited that this is real, it's just hard to really wrap my head around it!