For some reason, we had a different tech and she had a trainee. They seemed more concerned with doing the job than with giving us a nice experience seeing our baby. I've been so excited for this appointment, since I always need the affirmation that Jude is healthy and I crave seeing him. But this appointment didn't leave me with that bliss that I usually get.
The other tech at this place (and both techs at the 4D place as well) always let Daniel capture a couple videos with my iPhone. The second he took it out, the trainee scolded Daniel, treating him like he was a little kid, telling him he couldn't do that because it was against HIPAA law. He told her that they have always let us before and she still continued to make him feel stupid by telling him it was illegal. Like they own our son and we have no right to him. Isn't HIPAA supposed to protect us from other people? How does us having a video of our own son invade our own privacy? And okay, if it is against the law to tape it, fine. But be nice about it and don't make my grown husband feel like a scolded child. Geez.
So that was a welcoming start to our appointment. The tech asked me why we were having so many growth ultrasounds so I told her that we lost our last baby at 25 weeks. She didn't really seem too concerned about hearing such an awful thing. I usually get a more caring reply, but that's alright. I mentioned that I worry about our son a lot, even when he's doing well, so you would think she'd be nice and make sure she really let us see him and did her best to give us a nice appointment.
She did all the boring things first. We got our fourth confirmation that Jude is a boy. His parts are very visible and distinguishable now! But the part that really bothered me was when she checked for his heartbeat. She didn't play it out loud, so the screen beneath his image was a flatline going across the screen. Thank God I had already seen him move on the screen and felt him move this morning or I would've thought he was dead. The trainee asked her why she didn't play it out loud and she goes, "Oh, I just do it that way. You can do it either way, it still works without it." Wow, who doesn't let their patient hear their baby's heart beating? That's one of the best parts of it all. Thank you for letting me see the same kind of flatline I saw for my daughter because she was dead. Thank you for bringing back that image for me to experience with my son. It really made me feel upset.
The tech went on to measure his parts for size. We got to find out that Jude now weighs 2lbs 8oz! That's a whole 2lbs bigger than Avery at just three weeks older than her. His size also put him a whole week and a day ahead of his age. That made me very happy. Four weeks ago, he was just five days ahead. I love that he is doing so well.
Then came the fun stuff, or so I thought. The tech didn't try too hard to get a better view of his face or really give us any kind of enjoyable show of our baby. She snapped very few pictures of him and the ones that she got weren't too great. At the every end, she finally got an open view of his face and then didn't even take a picture! We were kind of surprised at how she worked. They sent us out to wait for our print outs. They only gave us two (the other tech gave us SIX last time) and they weren't even the best of the very few that she did take. Wow, thanks for caring about your patient! I'd really been looking forward to getting some new beautiful images of Jude since he's so much bigger now. Oh well.
I don't like complaining. I am very grateful that Jude is still here to have an ultrasound of. I am so grateful and thrilled that he is growing and he's healthy. But because of what we have been through, appointments like these and the way people treat us are that much more sacred to me. I don't think it's too much to ask to capture some decent images and allow your patient to get a good look at their baby, regardless of whether or not they've had a previous loss that makes them extra sentimental. Let's just say, I really hope the old tech still works there and that this just happened to be her day off.
I really love our sweet baby boy. I am so thrilled that he's so healthy and that the countdown until his arrival is getting smaller. I am now in the third trimester! Such a huge milestone! We are so blessed by this precious gift. Just 11 more weeks!!
4 comments:
so glad jude is doing so well. can you request the other tech for your future appointments? i think you should write a letter to whomever's in charge about the experience. the tech is never going to be more sensitive to future BLM patients if it's not drawn to her attention that she behaved inappropriately.
I'm glad Jude's ok.
I agree with Julie. Either call the place you had your u/s done and demand to speak to the highest person in the food chain you can or write a letter (and keep a copy for yourself). Tell them of your experience and your tech's horrible bedside manner. Tell them how this experience made you feel and that you expect to be treated better.
I can't believe this! I am in agreement, with Julie. You definitely should go there and make a complaint with Human Resources.
It sounds like we both had the blah techs this week. Cameron was very uncooperative at our appt so we didn't get any pictures...AT ALL. I was grumpy about that but I also watched Cameron bury her face in my placenta so there wasnt much choice.
You would think there would be some kind of u/s tech etiquette to go by or something. Especially if your patient has experienced the worst like we have.
I am glad Jude is doing so well! If Cameron keeps going at the rate she is, I am going to have a little chunky monkey on my hands! :). But I'm okay with every bit of it...it just means she is growing good!
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