Our First Doctor's Visit

So after our initial verification of my pregnancy via peeing on a stick, I was advised by Jackie and Liz to promptly make an appointment to see a doctor. I haven't been to a doctor since 2009 if I remember correctly. And it hasn't been because I dislike doctor visits but because I have not had an official full-time job with benefits since then. I was lucky enough to get free flu shots though employers at the time but that's about it.


I decided to call my general practioner, Dr. Knafo, since I'd been going to her as long as I've been taking care of my own health. They were able to fit me in the following Tuesday and understood I currently did not have insurance. Johnny was adamant about going with me which was nice. For some reason, the thought never occurred to me that he might want to be there.


So we show up, I sign in and paid up front... $139 for being uninsured. We were called in quickly and I was asked to pee in a cup. This time I did not pee on my hand but rather all over the toilet seat. How embarrassing! The doctor saw us almost immediately (She's always been very prompt!) and confirmed what we already knew. She reassured me that my blood pressure was under control and that I've been maintaining my weight so there was no need for concern. She also put my due date at April 4th, 2012! (Although I'm secretly hoping for an April Fool's baby!)


My main concern was that I wouldn't be insured until Mid-October at the earliest  Dr. Knafo was very confident in telling us there was no need to go to an OB/GYN this early. She said everything seems to be fine and that if I can wait until then, I should. She also offered that if anything came up to call her directly that way I wouldn't have to worry about out-of-pocket costs. That was very nice of her. Along with her prescription of prenatal vitamins slash suggestion of which OTC prenatals she approves of, she also gave us a list of OBs she normally refers her patients to. 


Basically, I paid $139 to pee in cup and find out what I already knew. Oh well. You live and you learn.


On the topic of being uninsured... it's so sad to know that there are so many Americans struggling to make ends meet and still not be able to afford basic health care for their families. It's something that should be a priority and not a privilege. Unfortunately, that also something that is left up to our government to change... 

As soon as we have an official OB visit, I'll blog about that experience! :)

Next post... Baby's first gifts!