We found these toys randomly at a little local shop here in Japan before
I was even pregnant. We bought them for Elodie and thought they might
foreshadow the future. Turns out it's true... we're having a BOY! :)
Friday officially marked the half way point of pregnancy #2! I had my 20-week doctor appointment that afternoon.
They did the usual checks: weight, blood pressure, and pulse.
Then I had my blood drawn to test for anemia, white blood cells, etc.
I had a visit with my doctor, who told me the results from my blood tests taken 10-minutes prior.
This was followed by an ultrasound.
And finished with a 3-D ultrasound.
Oh, and I have a DVD of both the ultrasound and 3-D ultrasound. You can watch it below.
My entire appointment was free.
Yep, you read that correctly. I paid nothing. Got to love the Japanese health care system!
Baby 2 is checking in healthy and about average in size (according to Japanese standards of course). The only issue my doctor had was my weight gain - he said I'm gaining too much weight. I told him that's what happens when you spend 5 weeks in the U.S. indulging in all of your favorite unhealthy foods. He laughed. Whew!
So I bet you're wondering why I didn't have to pay for my appointment...?
Basically, once your doctor confirms that you are indeed pregnant he fills out a certificate of pregnancy. I then had to take this form to the ward office health center to register my pregnancy. Once I handed over the certificate, they gave me a huge envelope full of information, booklets, pamphlets, brochures, etc. --- all of which were in Japanese and pointless to give me. But I graciously accepted them and thanked them for all of the information.
The important booklet they gave me is the "Mother's Book," which contains "coupons" to give your doctor. These coupons cover the cost of certain tests and appointments because apparently the Japanese government pays for them. I don't quite understand why I get these perks as a foreigner, but I'm certainly not complaining about it! I would say that a good 25% of my appointments are free here. Substantially different from going to the doctor in the U.S. - where just stepping into an OB office costs you hundreds of dollars. Plus, the Mother's book keeps track of my records, and I get to keep it.
Oh, and they also give you this key chain and sticker. Basically you're supposed to carry it around with you on your purse or bag, and this gives you priority seating on trains, subways, etc. It's supposed to be a signal to others to give up their seat or help you if you need it - but unfortunately people aren't always that considerate. Women generally give up their seat right away, but men often pretend they are sleeping so they don't have to move.
I had such a great pregnancy experience with my doctor the first time around, so I'm excited to be able to experience it all again here. I love my doctor, I love the clinic I go to, I love that I get an ultrasound every time I go in, I love the overall care here... and is it weird that I'm actually looking forward to giving birth here again?
Also, we found out the gender at my appointment, but I'll save that for my next post. ;) Although if you watch the ultrasound video above, you might be able to figure it out yourself.
Baby Schreurs #2 is the size of a lemon this week. I'm one of the lucky ones who never had any symptoms during my entire first trimester... well except for being tired. But I'm glad to be headed into my second trimester - hoping to regain some energy, and of course find out the gender. :)
My first pregnancy went extremely smooth, and this one seems to be headed in the same direction. YAY!
