Baby On Board

Chapter 7 - Complications & Relief

"Well according to your ultrasound photos, your baby measures well and you're all healthy. Have you planned another ultrasound yet?" The doctor didn't look up from the computer screen.

"Uhm no, not yet."

"Alright," He said, reaching for a small pink paper. "Here's one for the 13th. Same place, same rules. You'll also need to plan a Glucose Test for next month, probably about a week after your ultrasound." He handed me a white form with a ton of check mark boxes for different tests on it.

Nodding, I took the papers and headed out of the room to make my appointments.

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"Hey dad, can you pick up some lettuce and maybe a little lunch meat for me to make sandwiches with?"

I looked through the fridge, finding nothing much except some cheese and a couple jugs of milk.

"If you want fancy food then go buy your own groceries."

"It's not "fancy" food, it's normal, healthy, cheap food. I don't have the money to buy my own groceries." My anger flared. Was he serious? He wasn't going to buy anything for me to eat? "Besides, there's nothing to eat. I can't have much milk. It hurts my stomach."

"Well, I guess your boyfriend will just have to get a job to pay for your food then."

I glared at him, feeling like I was going to cry. I needed the nutrients for my baby! And I don't make enough each month to spend over $100 on good just for myself.

I slammed the fridge door shut then headed to my room, slamming that door shut.

I never threw the normal "I'm old enough to do this on my own!" Fit. I only said I wanted to keep my baby.

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By the 13th of July, I was ready for my next ultrasound. Worried about the baby's health since I was being denied nutrients that I needed, I anxiously waited in the familiar room.

Within 10 minutes of being there, a man called for me. My father I went Into his office and sat on the edge of the bed.

The man appeared to be in his 40's and was a different culture. I could hardly understand him.

"Alright so we'll be doing anatomy scan. Is that right?"

"Uhm yes I think so."

"Also we didn't get a 100% answer on the baby's gender." My dad piped up.

"Ah okay. So lay down."

I laid down and lifted my shirt to almost my bra, then lowered my sweats as far as I could down my hips without showing anything.

The tech stuffed a towel under my pant line and squirted some cold goo on me. I gasped when it touched my belly.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, usually the stuff is warm when I come in...this time it's cold."

"Ah."

The TV above the bed lit up and a small live view of my uterus filled the screen. There were white and black spaces all over and I hardly recognized any of the weird shapes.

I flinched when he moved the wand. He didn't do it as deep as they usually do, but it was still uncomfortable. Especially on a full bladder.

After about 30 minutes of silence, and laying looking st the ceiling (since he had moved so I couldn't see the screen) and trying to not cry out when the wand got pushed deeper, he cleared his throat.

"So now it's time for pictures."

I smiled. It was a relief to know that I was going to get photos this time.

The wand stopped on my belly and he stared intently at the screen. "So" He said finally. "You'd like to know the gender, yes?"

"Yes," I replied almost instantly.

"Well, you are for sure having a little girl."

A huge smile lit up my face and my hands automatically went to my belly, only retreating when they got all sticky. I laughed before turning to my father.

"I told you."

The screening continued then as he got the measurements for her feet, head and body and checked her heart rate.

After some time of more silence, the tech stopped. He breathed deeply and immediately my anxiety rose. Was the baby hurt? Was she growing wrong? What was the black stuff on the screen? Why is there so much fluid in me?

"You want pictures yet you no comment on what pictures you want so how can I take any? I am waiting for you to tell me what you like but you sit in silence."

Tears sprung in my eyes. Usually in screenings they don't want you to talk, so I didn't. And he was being unnecessarily harsh. Or was he?

"Do you see this? CAN YOU SEE THIS?"

"Yes," I mumbled quickly.

"Do you see this foot yes?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Now we're getting somewhere."

After another 5 minutes of constant badgering about if I seen what I was suppose to, he finally stopped.

"You can wipe yourself off now, I'll print these."

I took the towel from my pants and wiped the goo off my belly.

"A set of photos is $5. Is that okay?"

"Yes." I whispered, still feeling close to tears.

"And you want...how many?"

"Two."

"Okay two sets. You can pay now or you can wait till they are printed."

"I'll pay now."

I fished a $10 bill out of my wallet and went to hand it to the tech.

"You wanted 2 sets right? I'll only make you pay for one. You can have the other set free." He smiled a bit, obviously feeling bad for nearly making a pregnant woman cry.

"Okay, thank you." I put the ten back and grabbed a five then handed it to him.

"The bathroom is around the corner if you'd like to relieve yourself now."

I got up and left the room without speaking, and headed to the bathroom.

After finishing my business and washing up, I wandered back to the waiting room where my dad was already sitting with a small stack of photos.

"He handed me these almost as soon as you left the room, they printed fast. Anyway, you ready to go?"

I nodded and took the photos, only now seeing them. One was a photo of the baby's footprint, one was her profile and one was her face. I smiled and caressed my small bump as we walked out of the entrance.

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"Well that tech was rude as fuck, but I got you a set of photos of the baby."

"How was he rude?"

I replayed the situation for Alex through text.

"What an asshole. So what kind of pictures did you get?"

"Well one of her foot with her tiny toes, one of her profile and one of her face that shows her eyes and cheeks and chin and stuff."

"Awh that's so cute...you keep saying she, does that mean we're having a girl?"

I smiled.

"Yes, she's 100% girl, just like I knew from the beginning."

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