Today I went for a 3D Ultrasound at a place near my house. I wanted to get another look at the placenta situation before we left for the trip... I was hoping to see that it moved just a TINY bit. That would give me reassurance that it was headed in the right direction, at least.

So after we got a good, 10-minute look at Too, (who was just as adorable, active and healthy as ever, though shy, with hands up at its face the entire time), the sonographer turned off the DVD recorder and checked out my silly, directionally impaired placenta.

The conversation went something like this...

"Soooo they told you it was a complete previa?"
"Yes, though more to one side of the uterus than the other... still covering the cervix completely."
"How long ago was this?"
"About 3-1/2 weeks..?"
"Hrm... well, see, here's your cervix is down here..." (points to smudgy thing on screen that looks like all the other smudgy things on the screen) ... and here's the very edge of your placenta up here... (points to slightly less smudgy thing that is sort of sticking out a bit..." They are not touching at all... in fact, not even close. I do medical OB ultrasounds during the day as my full-time job, and IF I were looking at this for medical purposes, I'd say there is no sign of a previa at all."

Once I got a little more oriented with what I was looking at, I could clearly see what she was showing me. I could see the bottom end of the placenta... I could see the cervix... they were two completely separate things, one on the top of the screen and one on the bottom. It did NOT look that way three weeks ago! So it MOVED!! It moved! It moved! Wahoo!

At this point, the owner of the place, who had been in the room watching my ultrasound jumped in and said, "That was NOT a diagnosis she just gave you." (while smiling) She was covering herself because really they aren't supposed to tell you ANYTHING medical at ALL... the ultrasounds are just for "entertainment". But the sonographer (and then the owner again later as I was leaving) assured me several more times that there was NO PLACENTA PREVIA to be seen.

I left with a promise to only use the information ONLY to reassure myself and not wave it in my doctor's face. And of course, I'll get the actual medical ultrasound at 28 weeks, which I have full faith will show the same thing.

I left SO relieved. Seriously. I'm sure I was the only person they have ever had come in there more interested in seeing the placenta than the baby. (hey, I just saw Too three weeks ago AND I got better pictures then). But it was worth it... I'm still going to take it easy until I get the all-clear from my doctor and the perinatal center. But at least I can go away next week and not be worried the whole time.

I asked for a picture, but they weren't allowed to give me one because of the whole "no medical diagnosis" thing. Oh well..

YAY YAY YAY! :D

Too remains the same sex it started out, btw. I now have not one, not two, but THREE fairly clear between the legs shots for the baby book. I really think that's more than enough, thanks. The poor thing is going to be traumatized when it gets older and looks through the book. "And here's your blah blah at 18 weeks, and here it is at 19 weeks... 23 weeks..." ;)

Also to be noted, Too is breech. I have now been told this THREE times. My question is WHY do they bother telling you that this early? Ben was breech at his ultrasound too. Babies this little do gymnastics all day, every day. I'm sure at some point during every day, Too is breech. I'm also sure it lays sideways, upside down, backwards and swimging from my ribcage. And I'm sure, just as big brother did eventually, Too will behave and settle with its head toward the exit. Really, they just shouldn't tell you these things so early.