“It feels like I took this photo years ago….I don’t remember the last time I was able to casually lay in bed like this😂
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I was 34 weeks here with no belly in sight apparently. It was around this time that I spoke to my OB about my concerns, since she hadn’t taken any measurements of my belly and didn’t seem to take my concerns seriously.
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After 28 weeks, every appointment I had with her and mentioned belly size she would brush me off by saying it was my first pregnancy, I was tall and naturally slender and had strong abdominal muscles, all things that apparently should justify having a smaller belly.
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Of course, I was not satisfied with these answers and felt like something was off, especially considering that at 32 weeks, I had to visit triage at the hospital I was to give birth in, due to what I believed to have been leakage of my amniotic fluid….twice (those doctors also dismissed my concerns as they felt everything was normal….twice).
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So going forward to 34 weeks, I demanded to have an ultrasound as my OB didn’t have one scheduled (before this my last ultrasound was at 20 weeks).
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This ultrasound was then booked on the Monday I turned 36 weeks pregnant. Long story short, a few minutes after my ultrasound, the technician contacted my OB to voice her concerns that the baby was measuring small and that my amniotic fluid level was lower than it should have been. insert I f@cking told you so face
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On that same day after my ultrasound, instead of seeing my OB that afternoon for a scheduled appointment, she insisted I go to the hospital where I was to be admitted and induced that same day🥴.
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Moral of the story is that women, ESPECIALLY women of colour NEED to voice their concerns and assert themselves if they feel like they are not being heard.
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Our healthcare system is great but it’s not perfect. Whether these doctors hold implicit biases towards POC or they are just incompetent, or both, it does not mean you don’t deserve to be heard. Till now I wish I had spoken up more and asked for that second and third opinion. If you are a pregnant Mama, please do not ignore your intuition, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Instagram: @the.closetcreative
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