Doctor's visit /baby talk

I went to the doctor's visit yesterday and was surprised and delighted when a midwife opened the door as opposed to the rude, calloused woman (MD) who I had previously seen. I had requested one after my last visit, but was told that they were in short supply at the Army hospital. Backpedaling a bit, I have to first say that when I was pregnant with Lea, I had doctors pushing and pushing for me to gain weight (even though I gained the standard 3 lbs in the 1st trimester and on the high end from there on out). Pre-pregnancy, I ran several miles a day and participated in normal Army physical training. By the end of my pregnancy, I had gained between 50 and 60 lbs and could barely huff through walking a single mile because I was on restriction (like a partial bed rest)for 15+ weeks. I was miserable and Lea was STILL a 7lb baby. . . so this led to months of me struggling to get my metabolism back up and the painful weight off. I am still pretty sensitive about the experience because I know that if I had simply eaten healthy food when hungry, I would have gained properly and wouldn't have felt so horrible afterwards. Every woman is different, but 60 lbs was not a healthy amount for me to gain.

I have read book after book on proper nutrition. I don't eat fat free maltodextrin-packed garbage and though I firmly believe that "C is for cookie", I moderate my sugar intake. I am all for healthy fats and I eat 3 squares along with snacks every day.

So when I walked into the doctor's office in my first appointment and the MD tells me that my low body fat indicated that I should see a nutritionist, I just about lost it on her. I was totally relieved when, at about 12 weeks, I walked into the midwife's office and she said that I was doing great with food intake and that nursing is okay while pregnant. She is willing to work on a birth plan with me and gave me a few tips on combating head and muscle aches without the use of Tylenol and such (I am not into pills). It was so relieving to be seen by a human being as opposed to a medical textbook.

Because of a couple of iffy signs (which just ceased last week), I had an ultrasound. And there the baby was, bouncing and shifting away! The heartbeat was clear and visible. It was great!