So this is what a routine OB appointment's like?

I had a OB appointment with one of the doctors that I haven't met. She joined the practice since my pregnancy with the boys. First of all, let me remind you that the last time I did all this, I was released from my RE (reproductive endocrinologist; AKA infertility doc) to the OBGYN at about 12 weeks... I had maybe two OBGYN appointments, a maternal/fetal scan, and then I was in the hospital in labor for a quarter of a year. I don't really know how these OB appointments usually work, heck, I don't even know how the maternal/fetal appointments are supposed to work. I saw a different doctor from my practice every morning that I was in the High Risk Unit, and Maternal/Fetal Specialists came every so often with their portable ultrasound machines and their pessimism.

I am getting to see what normal people visits are like. Sure, I'm a high risk patient. But, there was nothing special about today's appointment. They weighed me, listened to the baby's heartbeat on the doppler, found the top of my uterus and measured my fundal height, and asked me if I was having any problems. Ta da. I'm out the door. Can that really be right? I mean, what is the point exactly? With a doppler and a tape measure at home, I could have handled that one over the phone! I did ask about keeping me on my metformin, which the doc said was fine. The maternal/fetal guys were keen on taking me off, but I'm not so sure. I'm enjoying the lack of dizzy spells, hypoglycemia, etc. Who knows if the metformin really is making the difference, but if it won't hurt to stay on it, I'd rather side with caution. I was, however, thrilled that my RE gave me the okay to stop the Crinone. Without going into gory detail, that stuff is a mess. So now, I am no longer on progesterone and no longer wearing the estrogen patches.

I'm passing up all the lovely screening bloodtests, but I will have a level II ultrasound at 20 weeks. This is the same ultrasound that I had done with my boys that measured all the parts and pieces... and that one was in 3D no less! As for the OB, I will just come back in four weeks, which happens to be the same day as my next Maternal/Fetal appointment. I wish we could spread those out a bit. I'm really not sure how I'm going to handle childcare for that day. The maternal/fetal folks don't allow kids in the ultrasound rooms, so I've got to do something. With a 30+ minute drive one way, a 2-3 hour M/F appointment, a little gap, 1+ hours at the OBGYN office, and 30 more minutes home, it's going to make for a long day.