First Hospital Trip

Tuesday 21st March 2006 was the date of our first hospital trip. Off we trundled to get there for 9am and I was knackered after only 8 hours of sleep (I need at least 9 or 10 hours these days). Parked the car in the hospital car park, nicely located next to one of the walls of Wormwood Scrubs Prison. Superb. Then found out that it was £1.80 per hour...they do rake the money in there seeing as there is no where close to park. Went into the antenatal dept where we sat for over half an hour and were eventually called over by a nice african midwife called Thelma who took us into a booking room to take all my details. Unfortunately, she had a very strong accent and both she and I had trouble understanding what the other was saying...I am slightly worried about what she may have misinterpreted and put on my forms! She also seemed very keen on convincing me to use the Birth Centre which has no pain relief and I can give birth naturally like she "did back home in Africa". Slightly scary thought seeing as I was already getting scared about having a blood test later that morning. Complete wimp that I am.

From there we went to the next part of the booking in process - the scan. After another half hour wait (don't you just love the NHS). Was poked very hard in the tummy with the scanner but was completely worth it to see the tiny little baby wiggling around fully equipped with heartbeat. And it's in me!!! Still can't get over the chock of that and I couldn't stop giggling which doesn't help when you're meant to be keeping still. Was one of the most amazing things ever. Paid £3.50 to get these pics and to be honest, I think I would have paid about £20.

After that it was over to "Parent Information" where we booked sessions 2 and 3 which are breathing and labour classes as well as session 4 - breastfeeding sessions. I have to call up to book session 1 which is a session just for the mums to relax and teach certain things too...didn't read the leaflet too closely as I was still too busy looking at the scan pics.

Then it was to the worst bit for me - the blood test. Another half hour or so later, my number was and I sat down very nervously. The doctor then tried to persuade me to take part in some medical research where they were planning to examine the blood of 50 pregnant women who were expected to have normal pregnancies and have normal medical histories. They wanted to locate a certain protein responsible for clotting the blood and find out why pregnant women's blood forms clots more than non-pregnant women and when this protein changes. I am all for medical research and although he assured me that no medication needed to be taken the following words set my mind in stone "The only difference will be that we will take 5 bottles of blood instead of 4". Er, hello - I wasn't planning on agreeing to them taking 4 bottles let alone have an extra one! Here's me thinking it would only be a normal blood test. He found a vein, stuck a needle with a pipe and tap on it in my arm and proceeded to take all my blood. Which admittedly wasn't as bad as I had feared.

Back to the reception where we booked the next appointment and then home to show the pics of our little Zebedee to anyone who would look at them.