Читать книгу The Baby Diaries - Sam Binnie - Страница 19

I couldn’t sleep last night, thinking about the scan today. I’m a giant emotional pendulum, elated one minute and excited to see our baby, terrified and frozen by the thought of actually seeing it the next.

But we had a slot first thing, and got to the hospital just in time so we didn’t have to hang around waiting. We completed the forms and had barely sat down in the waiting room before my name was called by the receptionist, and a friendly woman was welcoming us into the little room, filled with wires and screens.

Sonographer: Hello, I’m Clare. Katherine?

Me: [staring at the equipment] Yes, hello.

[silence]

Thom: I’m Thom. We’re hoping I’m the father.

Me: [not really listening] Sorry, yes, this is Thom.

Clare:— Hello, Thom. Katherine, there’s no need to be worried. Nothing I’m using today will harm your baby in any way, it’s perfectly safe equipment just to check everything’s going well, OK?

Me: OK.

Clare: Shall we get started? I just need you up on this bed, please, and you just need to lift your top up, that’s all. [I clamber on] Great, that’s perfect. I’m just going to put some of this gel on your stomach, to improve the contact, OK?

Me: OK.

Clare: Right, I’ll just have a look around. Yes, we’ve got the head here, can you see that?

Me: OK.

Thom: [quietly] Wow.

Clare: And you can see the spine following down, here. See that bit there?

Me: OK.

Clare: That’s the stomach, and all the internal organs.

Thom: Kiki, isn’t that amazing!

Me: OK.

Clare: I’m just going to take some measurements now, to check everything’s on schedule and growing as it should.

She worked in silence for a while, moving the wand around and marking points on the scan.

Clare: Mmm. [concerned] Mmmm.

Me: What what is it what’s wrong?

Clare: I’m just … is it?

Me: What can you see?

Clare: No, I … No, I think it’s fine. I just watched Alien for the first time the other night, and I can’t stop thinking about it. Just checking your baby has all its limbs and no tentacles. Hang on, is that …?

Me: WHAT?

Clare: [cheerful] No, nothing. Have you seen that film?

Me: [wide eyes at Thom] Yes.

Thom: No.

Clare: [to Thom] Don’t. Not for at least … a year, I’d say. OK, we’re all done here! Everything looks fine. I’d say you’re just over fourteen weeks at the moment, which makes your due date the 21st May, and your baby’s growing well so we don’t need any further scans at the moment. We’ll see you in six weeks for your twenty-week scan, then. I’ve sent your pictures to reception to collect.

We stumbled out of the room to get our pictures.

Thom: She was amazing. And now I’m curious: I really need to see Alien.

Me: You really, really don’t. And she really, really wasn’t.

We agreed to disagree, but I shall have to keep an eye on Thom. I suppose I’ll know if he’s watched it on the sly as he’ll suddenly come nowhere near my stomach.

It was so strange to see the baby really there. It sucked its thumb and rolled around, and I really believed for the first time that we were going to be parents.

TO DO:

Find out what babies do, and need, etc.

Ask Suse?