Thursday, March 03, 2005

Doctors and Vampires and Genetics. All in one post.

I have a new obstetritian. Well, I've seen her for two prenatal appointments. I had one before, but I think I've mentioned he was for high risk/infertility people. And since I don't qualify as infertile anymore (yay!) and have gotten past the 10 week mark I am no longer high risk, either. (Another yay!). So, he referred me to a regular OB in his practice. I went from an older, "Just the facts, ma'am, just the facts" type to a perky, thirtysomething woman. I like her, I'm just not used to the perky. I've always had old men for doctors. Never even a perky man, much less a perky lady. But, in between the smiles and "goo goo" she seems to know her stuff.

Anyway, I went down to Houston and saw her yesterday. She informed me my blood type is O negative. Why did I not know this? I gave blood once before. Only once, because I have a nasty habit of fainting when giving blood, and they don't like that. I'm getting over it, though. You kind of have to when you are having infertility issues and they are taking every body fluid you could think of on a monthly basis from both you and your husband.

So, back to the O negative blood type. That's the universal donor type. The I-have-no-antigens-type. The people at the blood banks like you if you have that type. It's the coveted type. If someone was lying in the middle of the street bleeding, no matter who they are, I can step up and give them my blood and save their life!

I mean, all of these years, I could have been popular. I could have been the Norm Peterson of the blood bank. When I came in, they would be so happy to see me, they would yell "Carol!" and have the needle ready in my very own chair and my special kind of orange juice and cookies. And if the blood bank had a rivalry with Gary's Old Town Plasma Bank I would participate in the pranks. And my best friend would be a mailman who also has O type blood, but his is O positive. So, he's not nearly as popular as me, but they tollerate him.

But, alas, I didn't know. So, here I sit. And the BAD thing is my husband is A positive (the poor sap), so we have that Rh factor incompatability to worry about. Apparently it won't be a problem with THIS child, but could prove to be a problem with the future children and miscarriage, because if this child has HIS genes for blood type and is a positive Rh factor, I will start producing antibodies that sees this as foreign. I won't start producing them until late into this pregnancy, which won't be a problem, but they'll already be there for the next pregnancy. But, I once again thank GOD for modern medicine, because they have fixes for this. AND, like my husband said, we didn't think we'd ever have THIS baby, so rejoice in it, and worry about the next one later.

Oh, and I go on March 30th to have an ultrasound and find out the SEX! I can't wait!

Question: If you have had, or plan to have a child...did you find out the sex before? If you had one and didn't have the opportunity, would you do it if you could?

16 comments:

True Jersey Girl said...

I just came upon your site, its good! To answer your question, my daughter is now 15 months old. I couldn't wait to find out the sex when I was pg with her. I wanted a girl SO BAD that I figured if I was having a boy, it would give me a few months to come to terms with it. Rather than going through labor and then, congratulations, its a boy! and I start bawling. Plus, really, who wants to get all yellow and green clothes at your baby shower????

Angela said...

i was scrolling through you blogs, and discovered that you were a chem major. i am at the university of oregon- in the midst of organic chemistry. i too have choosen chemistry and am wondering what the hell for... i have enjoyed your blog thus far. please keep it up. it gives me a break when i need to get out from under carbonyl carbons and benzene reactions.

Frances said...

Blood types... I never knew that stuff. I'm A positive, have no idea what my husband is.

Anyway, for my first baby, I didn't want to know, I REALLY REALLY wanted that moment just after you've given birth for someone to announce "Congratulations Mrs Smith, you've got a son" (but it was actually, "yippee! You did it! And it's a boy!!").

For my second, I was DYING to have a daughter this time around, and had such strong "girl feelings" that I thought I should find out the sex in case I was "disappointed" at the birth if it was a boy. But then I changed my mind at the last minute and kept it a surprise again. I got myself all worked up on the positives of having two boys in a row, and had a really lovely boy's name ready, just in case. But it was a girl!

So, Carol, I had really strong feelings during both pregnancies, I "knew" what sex it was. (About 80% confident of it, anyway). Have you had any feelings like that yet?

Frally said...

Power to you if you want to find out the sex but personally, I find it so much more exciting if you don't know. Both my births I made sure noone told me what it was, so I got the exciting job of "discovering" the sex as they handed the baby to me. It was awesome!

Friends of mine knew the sex and when they rang to tell me the baby was born, I felt really bad because I just wasn't excited (Although I tried to sound it). I mean, I knew it was going to be a boy, so I was like, "It's here? Cool." Maybe you should try and keep the news to yourself so everyone around you can build up the excitement!

Karen said...

I think I would like the surprise. I agree with Frally - it takes some of the excitement away. In high school a girlfriend of mine's parents were having their second child - they knew all along it would be a girl so they got all the pink clothes ready, etc. I guess it's good if you want to prepare ahead of time, but if I ever had a child I'd dress him/her in blue, no matter the sex. Blue is my favourite colour. :)

elle said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
elle said...

First of all, you are a universally kind and giving soul, and your blood type proves it! Cool!

For Boy #1, we did not find out. I made sure noone told us, but truth be told, I begged the Dr. at the end to tell me, but he wouldn't. As soon as we got to the hospital and they strapped on the monitor, the nurse, "oh a boy." I was a little pissed. I went all that time and she said it so casually, but we were still surprised and elated.

Boy # 2 I found out. My son was confused about the ambiguous "baby" and when I told him about his "brother" it made a big difference.

I was also relieved. You fantasize about a little girl and a little boy, and you are thrilled to death when one arrives, but a little sad that the other hasn't.

I always saw myself with boys, never girls. They terrify me. maybe because I had such a rocky relationship with my own mother.

I don't think knowing the sex takes away any of the joy. Even when I knew boy # 2 was a boy I was still surprised, "Oh you're THIS boy!!" It helps with planning too.

sorry, deleted boo-boo

Carol (Smiles and Laughter) said...

I've found people have really strong feelings on this. I guess I tend to agree with Elle and her logic. I think it will be just as exciting when the baby is born if I know ahead of time. It's not so much the buying pink or blue things, etc. as much as mentally preparing. The baby still doesn't seem "real" to me. I think if I know the sex it will become very real. That and when I start feeling Raspberry move.

Oh, and Angela, good luck with those Benzene Rings!

I have some friends that agree with Frally and are downright mad at me for wanting to know. Maybe I'll keep it a secret from them at least.

Cesca, I have NO IDEA which he/she is. Everyone else I talk to says they had some sort of premonition. I have no clue. And shame on that nurse for saying that! She should have known better.

MilkMaid said...

My sister had that blood thing you talk about with both of her kids. Modern medicine is a miracle, no doubt.

With Big Kid, I didn't want to know. We wanted the surprise and enjoyed it. With Little Kid, I wanted to know, just for planning and the same, it kinda helped Big Kid knowing he had a brother coming.

I always knew I had boys with both of them. I really wanted a girl on the oldest but the second they said BOY and MilkMan jumped, that was it. I have enjoyed ALL of the boy stuff in the years with both of them. Boys are fun. :) Besides, I don't think we could have handled anybody else living under our roof that had a period, it just would have been FAR too much drama to take. One of me was enough.

True Jersey Girl said...

Hey there...just to let you now, your questions are up on my blog! Have fun!

Happy and Blue 2 said...

I wouldn't want to know but if it was a girl I would give her away...

Karen said...

Aw, H&B 2, why??? :(

Carol (Smiles and Laughter) said...

Yea, H&B2! We girls aren't all THAT bad!

LK said...

I didn't want to know either, it made no difference in planning for us because I just stocked up on heaps of whites and neutral coloured clothes.

I just wanted a surprise I guess.

We did however make the mistake with Little Miss 8 of telling everybody our final choices of boys and girls names. My mother made the comment that I hope they have a girl as she hates the boys name. Cow. I really wanted a boy after that just to use my favourite boy name but it wasn't to be and I don't mind. Two girls is very cool too.

Adrienne said...

We didn't know the first one and found out about the second one a week before he was born.

I wish I had kept it a surprise. Either sex to me was fine both times.

It's each to his or her own preference but if you find out you better tell me!

gal artist said...

My mother had the RH factior with me, and I am the second child. I had to have 3 blood tansfusions to clear my system of the antibodies that were detroying me. That was in 1964, I am sure things have come a long way since then. BTW, my mother was A RH-DU- and my father was O+, my mother's blood type is very rare. And my son also has this blood type.

As for finding out the sex of the baby, when I had my kids, they wouldn't tell you, so I had to wait.