**Disclaimer: This was for a routine check up, nothing else. Everything is going well and me and the baby are just fine.**
As many of you know we have moved to Changsha for better medical care. Well, we have been to the hospital twice now. It has been different. Good, but different. First, we have told you there is no HIPPA in China. Second, if foreigners are entertaining on the street, they are much more entertaining in a hospital :) Third, nothing reiterates that the Father is in complete control than a trip to the hospital, especially when you don't know what most of anyone is saying.
First visit was the dreaded glucose test. I didn't realize this until after, but they don't do a glucose screening test, they go for the full test. So no eating for 12 hours, then chugging 2 cups of sugar water, followed by serial blood draws for 2 hours. Good times. Also, our friend Rachel gave me a chinese name since I needed one to put on my medical chart. Wo jiao Yang Ai Li (My name is Yang Ai Li). Its nice cause it sounds like me actual name, and it means something like 'Love gift.' Sounds about right.
Then came the initial blood draw (no pictures of that), then the drinking of the glucose.
Right after this video, I looked like this:
Sometimes the 'chug it' method is not always the best. When I asked our nurse if there was a trashcan near by, you know, just in case, she said "You cannot throw up." It sounds so easy when she said it like that. Needless to say, no trashcan for me. It reminded me of all the VNGs I did when I would tell patients they didn't need to throw up.
While we waited, we went to get our 27 week ultrasound.
This was not the gentle 'this goo is a little bit cool' type of ultrasound, this guy slathered on some goop and started poking the little Youngster. I was not allowed to see the ultrasound. Chris could see it, that is until he told them he used to do a lot of ultrasound in the States, then conveniently, it was time for him to leave. We left the ultrasound with this uber creepy mudmonster picture of our little one, and if I am not mistaken, she's giving the tech the bird. She certainly has her mother's spunk :)
This is our wonderful nurse Lucia, she speaks english so she basically walks with us everywhere in the hospital and translates what is going on. She is wonderful. It was especially fun when she translated for the doctor during the physical exam, she said: "Very big baby, mom needs low fat diet." I felt like recreating the Youngster's ultrasound picture. Ah well, I guess I am larger than 85% of the women in there.
Round 2 at the hospital was just two weeks ago and much more routine. Although we did brave it without anyone who actually speaks Chinese. We did another ultrasound and a fetal heart rate monitor. But first, blood pressure. Chris says this cannot be accurate, but I say, what else is this sweet watch for and why would she be holding my hand so tight?!
Everyone seemed extremely interested in staring at the foreigner belly. Awesome.
We go back one more time to be cleared for flying. Hopefully that will be just as routine!
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