boo!

Like It's Taking a Village, we had our own "what happened to the symptoms?" scare this week. E had a big cramp on Wednesday...just one, but then she woke up early Thursday morning and didn't have her usual symptoms. No queasiness, not as tired, no sore boobs. She called the doctor's office as soon as they opened, and they said we should come in. They would listen for the heartbeat and maybe send us across town for an ultrasound.

Our regular doctor wasn't in, so we were sent to a nearby clinic to see the doctor on call. The doctor on call turned out to be a female Doogie Howser. I do not think much about which doctor sees me when I go in. I figure they've all been trained, and I take their word as truth. E, on the other hand, wants someone who looks more than 12 years old and is willing to run any test needed.

Doogie assured us that she was not worried at all that the pregnancy was anything but normal. She said sometimes the symptoms take a break, and worst case scenario there was still nothing they could do and we had done nothing wrong. (They must take an entire class on how to say "you've done nothing wrong.") E was not assured and I was forced to say the clinic sucked. E is not sure she can stay with that clinic. We'll see.

Anyway, later that day she started to feel pregnancy normal again. Within 24 hours she had every symptom to the same degree.

Here's what we learned...
1. Women frequently confuse intestinal, ovarian, and bladder changes and pain as uterine cramps.
2. If there is no bleeding, it's probably not a miscarriage.
3. If you've heard the heartbeat, it's unlikely it will stop and you will have a miscarriage.
4. Symptoms will wane...especially near the end of the first trimester.

So, we'll try not to freak out so much the next time things change...and we hope the next "Boo!" is a trick or treater at Halloween.

m