Pregnancy update

For those of you interested, I thought I'd give you an update on the pregnancy. I'm officially out of the first trimester and for the most part feeling better. My appetite hasn't fully returned and I still mostly feel like eating is a chore, but I rarely feel nauseated these days (today being an exception). My allergies have been driving me nuts and I get headaches from time to time (both increased due to the pregnancy), but I have more energy than I did for the first few months and I'm feeling more optimistic about getting things done ("things" being Releasing my Software, Folding the Laundry Pile, Updating this Blog).

I saw my OB on the 10th and he indicated that based on my first ultrasound, my due date is Oct 14th rather than the initial Oct 7 we had calculated. I knew the fetus looked smaller than whatever the LMP date was, but didn't realize we were adjusting the due date by a full week. I go for my next prenatal appointment with the nurse practitioner on May 4th and then on May 11th we have the detailed ultrasound that should reveal the sex. I can't wait.

Speaking of doctor's visits, I'd like to take a minute to vent about Pacificare, my insurance provider. I had Aetna from my previous employer when I was pregnant with Aaron, so this is my first pregnancy with the new insurance. The summary of benefits given to us by Thom's employer during open enrollment last year, when we were deciding if we should switch providers since we were planning to get pregnant said "Maternity: Prenatal Office Visits - $20 copay (first visit only)". Which we took to mean that we would pay $20 for the first visit and then prenatal care would be covered 100%. Wrong. At our first prenatal appointment, when I paid my copay, she told me it was $40 because my OB was considered a "specialist". She even called to confirm with my insurer that I would have to pay $40 each visit.

Both Thom and I called Pacificare separately and were told the same thing. Prenatal visits with my primary care physician would only be $20. I said that it didn't make sense to me to go to my PCP for maternity care. She explained that some PCPs specialize in obstetrics. I asked if I could make my OB my PCP and she said no. I found the whole thing misleading and infuriating. How is an OB/GYN considered a specialist for women? I guess this is the main difference between a PPO (my old Aetna plan) and an HMO. (Ironically, when we got the full statement of benefits that we requested from Pacificare, the plan title included the acronym POS in it. Yeah, no kidding.)

When I saw my OB last, I explained the copay issue and asked if instead of seeing the nurse practitioner on alternate visits (who also is considerd a $40 copay "specialist"), if I could see my PCP, who is part of the same medical group, although in a different building. I figured they just take a urine sample, take my blood pressure and listen to the fetal heartbeat. What's so hard? But he said the PCPs in the group won't even do prenatal. They don't know enough about it and don't have the equipment. Right now I'm going about once a month, so it's not outrageously expensive, but towards the end of the pregnancy, visits ramp up to twice a month then every week. He said he could space them out more, maybe do every 10 days instead of once a week, which is what he does for patients who travel longer distances to see him. I'll see how the pregnancy goes before I decide. But I won't be staying with Pacificare after the next open enrollment.

Although I'm not quite 4 months pregnant, if I wear a maternity top, I look about 6 months along. I saw a photo of a mommy blogger I read from time to time who showed a side view of her belly at 30 weeks and she doesn't look as pregnant as I do. I find it discouraging. Especially when someone asked me if I was carrying twins after finding out I was only half as far along as she had guessed. I know the second baby often "pops out" sooner than the first, but I saw a woman who was due two months sooner than me whose belly was about the size of mine. When she said she thought I was further along that I was, I embarrassingly said it was my second by way of explanation. Which was when she told me hers was her fifth.

Oh well. I'd better go eat something. Lunch was 2 hours ago and I'm hungry again.