31.5 week doctor's visit

i had my ob appointment today at 31.5 weeks -since i tend to go on wednesdays and i change weeks on sundays, it's always a .5 when i visit. my blood pressure was normal again at 122/78, and my urine test was normal, and i gained some weight. no, you may not know how much. my uterus is now at "between 30-31cm, which is good". baby k's heartbeat was loud and clear and in the 150's - "that's a happy baby!" according to the doctor. i got more information from this doctor than i have from others, and she was very nice.

I also got slightly frustrated after talking to her because after i once again mentioned my itchiness, she recommended i come in tomorrow morning for a fasted blood test to check my bile acid levels to rule out cholestasis of pregnancy. this wasn't a complete shock to me, as the lovely world of the internet brought up this potential issue when i googled my itchiness 3 WEEKS AGO. i am frustrated though, because i was at the dr's office four weeks ago AND AGAIN two weeks ago and mentioned the itching both times, to which they told me (both times) to use more lotion and take benadryl if i wanted. seriously people, why do i have to mention this problem 3 times before you think that it might be something other than dry skin??

the other thing that frustrated me a little more was that although i received the results of my glucose test at my visit 2 weeks ago as "normal", this doctor began my visit by mentioning that my hemoglobin was mildly low (anything below 11 is low, and mine was 10.9) on the test, and that i might be becoming anemic, to which i responded, "yeah i've been feeling light-headed sometimes" - ALSO information i told the doctor at the last visit, to which i was told to be sure i was eating breakfast - this time, the doctor told me that in that case she definitely wants me to add in an iron supplement to my prenatal vitamin regimen. again, i ask, why am i finding this out 3 weeks after symptoms start when i reported them at previous visits? what am i paying these people for if they only sort of do their job?

don't get me wrong, i'm sure they know what they're doing, and i'm sure there are plenty of hypochondriac-first-time-pregnant-ladies who freak out about everything and overreact, but I AM NOT ONE OF THEM! i didn't freak out when i broke my wrist and had it set without pain meds, i didn't freak out when getting tattoos on my feet, i didn't freak out when i broke my foot (though i did get angry when the hospital wouldn't believe me and tried to send me home on ibuprofen until the radiologist looked at my x-ray), i didn't freak out when i had an ovarian cyst which landed me in the er, completely bypassing the waiting room, and i haven't freaked out yet about my pregnancy issues, but dangit, i would appreciate it if people would listen to me when i calmly tell them there is something wrong! why must we be crazy, dramatic, crying, screaming women to get attention?!

i was feeling this frustration when the doctor today seemed done with our visit and, though she did listen to my other questions, was clearly ready to move on to her next appointment. i left and visited andrew to tell him what went on at the visit, but got all sad and emotional when he had to go back to work because again, i felt like everyone was too busy to talk to me about my concerns. i guess that's what happens when you have a day off in the middle of the week when other people are working. they just simply ARE too busy for you, even if they don't want to be.

i was bummed at all of this (and at the new weight number, which i will still not tell you), and just wanted to come home, but i had to pick up my iron supplements, so i also bought some healthier snack foods at the grocery store and came home to a snack of a nectarine, ants on a log (celery with peanut butter and raisins), and whole wheat pita with red pepper hummus, with water to wash it all down. it wasn't exactly an exciting meal, but it was healthy, and it did the job... i wouldn't say i'm feeling positively about all of this, but hey, i did get to sleep in this morning, and the sun was out all day, so who can really complain?