The Love We Choose

Chapter 14

"Alright you two, ready to hear your baby's heartbeat?" Dr. Ulias asked them. She paused for a moment before turning on the volume on the machine. After a few tense minutes of silence, where Lynne and Huan held their collective breaths, the room was filled with a rapid whoosh-whoosh-whoosh sound. "Mom, dad, I would like to inform you that your baby's heartbeat is strong and right on track with the 8 to 9 week development."

As goosebumps appeared on her skin, Lynne felt a wave of positive emotion crash over her. True, she already knew she was pregnant. She had peed on the sticks, had the bloodwork done, and seen the initial ultrasound picture from the clinic all that confirmed her pregnancy. Being that it was so early in her pregnancy, the previous doctor hadn't been able to pick up a heartbeat with the abdominal ultrasound. But she would never forget the first time she heard her child's heartbeat, cementing the reality of her situation. "It's got its own rhythm already," she whispered to Huan. When she looked up at him, the pure joy that resonated from his face turned her insides into goo.

He had closed his eyes and was focusing on the sound of their child's heartbeat. A smile as bright as the sun was spread wide across his face, causing his eyes to crinkle. When Lynne saw the tears escape the corners of his eyes, her heart felt like it would explode in her chest. This was all real. Even though this moment stems from the grandest misstep in their shared lives, Huan was as excited as she was at the prospect of the little life they had created. Sure, he had told her that they would get through everything together, but seeing this reaction on his face solidified it in her soul. They were really going to do this together.

Opening his eyes, Huan caught Lynne beaming up at him. Bending down, he brushed his lips across her forehead in a light kiss. Smiling, she caught his face in her hands and wiped the tears off his cheeks with her thumbs. Clearing his throat he turned his attention to Dr. Ulias. "Is it alright if I record this?"

"Sure. Lots of parents do that." She turned the volume up a bit more so he could get a clearer recording on his phone.

When they were shown the ultrasound screen, Lynne couldn't make out anything other than a small black and white blob that appeared slightly bigger than the one from her initial ultrasound. When Dr. Ulias threw out words like "fetal pole" and "gestational sac" while pointing at the screen, Lynne was at a loss. Huan was listening attentively and asking pertinent questions peppered with medical jargon. She knew he would fill her in later when they went over the notes he was taking.

Eventually, Dr. Ulias finished the ultrasound and instructed Lynne to get dressed so they could finish talking in her office. They were momentarily held up when Lynne was hit with a wave of nausea causing her to run into the bathroom to vomit. When Huan and Lynne finally walked into Dr. Ulias's office, she was sitting behind her desk with her glasses perched on the end of her nose looking over Lynne's paperwork. "Come on in and sit." She pointed to the two burgundy cushioned chairs in front of her black and chrome desk. Huan held Lynne's chair while she woozily sat down in it. "Oh, Lynne, you look several shades paler than you were a couple of minutes ago? Are you ok?" The doctor asked, pushing her glasses up on her nose.

Managing a slight smile, Lynne responded "I'm fine. I think the adrenaline from hearing the heartbeat has worn off and my body is back to its normal programming. Morning sickness is no joke." Taking a peppermint candy out of her purse, she started to suck on it in an attempt to soothe her stomach.

"Don't I know it; I've had five kids myself. I wish I could say it will get better, but every pregnancy is unique. I will urge you to make sure you stay properly hydrated and to start keeping track of your weight. We'll circle back to your nutrition in a second. Let's talk due dates. Since you are sure of your date of conception being August 29 and Lynne you wrote down that your cycle is usually 33 days long, your expected due date is June 10 of next year. I'll let you know that only about 5% of babies actually are born on their due date. Pregnancies range from 38 to 42 weeks. Being that this is your first pregnancy you don't have anything to relate to, but we recommend you be ready for a possible delivery once you hit your 36 week mark. Babies make their own decisions when they want to come. Some want out early and others enjoy their cushy-amniotic condos so much that they need to be manually evicted. All we can do is monitor you and make sure everything remains in safe range.