Finally settled the Public vs Private debate in my head once we met the obstetrician, who

  • hails from East Timor (not Malaysia)
  • speaks very quickly when asked controversial questions (like what Calvary hospital’s policies are regarding the life of the mother vs the life of the child’s)
  • calms down more when asked about C-sections
  • isn’t a breastfeeding/natural-only/do-it-my-way-or-the-highway nazi with guilt-tripping midwives (score)
  • has a practical approach to pain management (and laughed at my question)
  • has checked his leave calendar and isn’t planning any holidays around birth time (w00t).

I think Tony was partially sheepish that I even had a list of ‘interview’ questions, but hey. Come D  day, and I’d like to know that there’s someone with a similar philosophy down at the business end while I’m in brain-numbing agony on the other. I don’t want to have to reason or beg or persuade or verbally business case our stance on things right on that day, because all I suspect I’ll be capable of doing is screaming “YOU’RE A QUUUUACK! QUUAAACK! GET ME A REAL DOCTOR!” if I find some decisions (or lack thereof) appalling. If I scenario-test him now, it feels like we’ve done our homework instead of feeling like it’s the right decision. And yes, I googled him.

So yeah, we’re comfortable now. Private it is.

Saw Blob on screen yesterday, and he or she was in fine kicking form. Just a flurry of activity, possibly because it was lunch time. Blob was waving quite a lot this time, and had also swum over to the other side, which made me feel like an aquarium. Heartbeat was strong. Reports came back great. Low probability of down syndrome. Hunky dory.

Texted both our mothers the update, and got the following responses:

  • “That’s great news. Wave back at him/her. :-)”
  • “Thats really good news. Hope u r planning to call it something other than blob.”