The First Visit: Part 2 - The First Ultrasound

In addition to meeting Katheryn's OB/GYN for the first time, our first visit came with an unexpected surprise for me. It was the first time we were able to see tangible proof that something was happening; something beyond pregnancy tests and symptoms.

I say "unexpected" because I wasn't aware that Katheryn was going to have an ultrasound. I had assumed that the first visit would involve checking out the health of the mother-to-be, and basically confirming the she was, indeeed, pregnant.

I thought confirming the pregnancy would involve another pregnacy test... from the doctor. Not one of those tests you get in a box from the pharmacy, but a "doctor" version. Now, I don't even know if there is a "doctor" version, but in my mind, physicians have a super-test, a foolproof test, a test unvailable to us mortals (or non-doctors) that would answer the question once and for all and confirm that Katheryn was indeed pregnant and not suffering from a mild case of dyspepsia.

Alas, no such test was administered. (although after seeing the machine we were to encounter next, I'm sure it exists). Instead, after a few health questions, we were whisked off to the ultrasound room.

This was no ordinary room. It was like an HD theater for the unborn, with the latest and greatest in ultrasound technology. My mental picture of a paddle attached to a small black and white monitor with barely discernable imagery was shattered when we saw the EMP-1100 ultrasound machine, with not one but two large screen displays; one for the doctor, and one conveniently set on the wall across the room so the patient would not have to turn their head to see the image on the screen.

The machine has not one, but four paddles and probes for internal viewing, and a control panel that resembles an arcade console. There's even a trackball in the middle for zooming and panning (and for playing the arcade classic Centipede). This machine has USB connectivity, a video graphic printer with a laser print and foot switch; it can check your temperature, your heart rate, pan, scan, zoom, measure your baby, calulate the deduction for your new dependent and file your taxes.

Of course, the most amazing part of this visit was not the machine, but what it was able to show us. For the first time we were able to see tangible proof that something was happening; we were able to see the heartbeat of our little creation; the rapid, perfectly normal heartbeat of our little peanut.

Our doctor took us on a "tour" basically, showing us everything that was going on inside. She measured the baby to determine it's age (7 weeks, 5 days exactly), measured it's heart rate, and of course, provided us with the customary print-out of the ultrasound to share with our family and annoy our friends and co-workers with.

I must admit, I was pretty amazed by the whole experience. What I thought was going to be a routine checkup, had turned into the Fantastic Voyage, and that incredible, brief glimpse inside left us little doubt as to what was in store for us.

This week, we have not one, but two appointments. One of those involves a 3-D ultrasound at the hospital. I'm not sure what that entails, but I bet it's cool!