The 16 Week Midwife Appointment

The 16 week midwife appointment was the day before we turned 17 weeks. It felt like time had flown since the initial booking appointment and yet the week leading up to this appointment I was really nervous about it. 

I even turned to google to find out what to expect, but was met with lots of differing responses about what the midwife might do and some complaints from some expectant mothers (mostly with their second or third babies) that the midwife didn't bother to listen to the heartbeat. Which is what I desperately needed to hear. I needed to hear the heartbeat again and be reassured it was still in there. 

S came in with me this time and the midwife asked how I was, took my blood pressure, did some dipstick test with the urine sample I took in and then asked me to hop on the bed.

She warned me that the baby's heartbeat might not be heard, that this isn't a concern (erm, I would be terribly concerned) and that they don't want us to hear them. Sure enough, after she wiggled the doppler around a little and found it's heartbeat- which came out loud and clear- it kicked the spot where the doppler was and moved away. 

But it was all I needed. 

The appointment can't have been 10 minutes in length. After the heartbeat she booked me in for the next midwife appointment at 24 weeks, which again seems like such a long time to wait but I know it will fly by.