The Half Time Show: 20 Week Ultrasound

I am 20 weeks pregnant today (20 weeks and 4 days to be exact). More than half way through!  Getting pregnant while nursing and still recovering from sleepless nights with our first wild women was quite the shock, but now we are anxiously counting the days until our next little treasure arrives. Today we got the "half time show" or the 20 week ultrasound.

It was an adventure from start to finish. I think that when we told our taxi driver that we wanted to go to the labor and delivery hospital, there was a communication error. Both times we have gone there, our drivers have driven crazy. I don't just mean typical asian cab driver crazy; I mean crazy. Today, we flew down the roads and sidewalks, went the wrong way on one-ways, and even cut off an ambulance to get to the hospital at top speed. Lesson learned: I need to figure out how to say 'this is not an emergency'.

The big question everyone was eagerly awaiting was weather our little baby two is a boy baby or girl baby.  Unfortunately, baby two was not quite ready to reveal him/her self in that way. He/she obviously values modesty and wanted to keep those private parts private even for our ultrasound. However, we were able to see that our precious baby is a growing, healthy one. And we got to see him/her calming sucking his/her thumb. A sweet picture to melt the mama and daddys' hearts.

I have to say that we were also thrilled at the prospect of a calm baby. People have asked if I can feel the baby kick yet. And yes, I do feel him/her moving around, but nothing like Bella. Bella was a ball of energy from the get go. I felt her jumping and climbing around in my belly constantly. We love our wild girl! And we love baby two wild or calm, but balance could be nice lol.

I have joked that the real reason we weren't able to find out the gender is because we weren't prepared. A couple days before our appointment, I got very concerned that even though we long ago decided a boys name, we have yet to decide on a girls name. Philip calmly reminded me that "on monday we were not having the baby, just finding out the gender." As someone who likes to be very prepared in advance, his answer hardly satisfied me. At 20 weeks with Bella, I had purchased all of my maternity clothes, finished the nursery, researched all the latest and best baby products, and of course compiled a list. But we got no closer to determining a girl name... This is what you get for not being prepared (kidding of course)  ;)

I'm not sure how much Bella understands about becoming a big sister at 14 months. But in my short time as a parent I have learned to never underestimate the capabilities of a young mind. So, we talk about it a lot. We read about babies. We talk about being a good helper and big sister.  Bella gladly gives mama's belly gentle pats, hugs, and kisses. Again, I have no idea how much she understands, but I love the sweetness of my loving girl regardless. (There is a sweet video of this, but my bare belly is not comfortable on the internet lol).

Prenatal care in East Asia has its major differences. We have found a very nice hospital and wonderful doctor locally. Our doctor even speaks English and has experience dealing with other 'crazy' foreigners.  Nevertheless, as I'm sure foreign medical care would seem to anyone from any country, it has been... different.

We make an appointment with our doctor by calling his cell phone a couple days before we'd like to come and tell him what time we want to see him. When we get there instead of telling us whats on the agenda for the appointment, he asks us if there are any labs, tests, or ultrasounds that we'd like to have done. I guess there isn't a set regiment, he will do whatever you ask because after all you are the one paying for it.  Also, before labor you chose a delivery package to pay for. There are different package choices based on your birth plan. The packages also have different choices for the type of room you'd like to recover in and the number of days that you'd like to stay. Types of rooms range from a standard hospital room to a hotel suite looking thing with a living room, couch, big screen TV, and a lazy boy rocker and extra bed for the father. The usual length of stay is 4 nights. Picking your birthing package is a little bit like planning a painful vacation with a priceless souvenir to bring home. However, another notable difference would be cost. I'm not sure how much the vacat... I mean birthing packages are, but our appointment and ultrasound today only cost $19 USD before insurance.

It is a lot less common for a woman to have a vaginal birth here, most have c-sections. I suppose because of this, there isn't a big rush or demand for the labor rooms. So, you can go to the labor room when you are dialated only 1 cm!  Of course, you wouldn't want to go too early because it would count against the time in your package. The hospital is modest, but nice and fairly clean. Some of the equipment isn't as modern as you would find in the States, but the price certainly reflects those differences. I think many would leave behind the bells and whistles for affordable health care in the States. Like most buildings here, it does not have central heat or air. All the pregnant women walk around the hospital in their coats. One floor of the hospital is dedicated to infant well care. Since in this culture they don't have routine doctors visits, only clinics or hospitals for the ill and injured. This floor will provide care for the newborn after delivery and also provides a place for well care check ups over the first year or two of life. The waiting room, has a giant wonderful play area and ball pit for little ones. I am sure that Bella will really enjoy this while visiting her little brother/sister.

 We will be returning in one month. And hopefully have exciting news on the gender after the next ultrasound.