Those elegant French speakers

On Thursday we had another check-up with the baby doctor. Its main purpose was for Sarah to take the screening test for diabetes that one can contract during pregnancy. This involved drinking a sugar powder dissolved in water an hour before the appointment and the drawing of blood. The check-up was also to follow up with us on the major ultrasound we had a few weeks ago. All is normal and well from that, the doctor said. She didn’t do another ultrasound herself because this other one had been done a few weeks ago, and she didn’t feel listening to the baby’s heartbeat was necessary at this visit either because she feels the baby is moving enough. Sarah says the baby is moving a lot. We found out yesterday that the results from the diabetes screening were normal – no further tests are necessary. But with the baby moving a lot, you’d think that Baby is on a sugar high a lot from something, wouldn’t you? I don’t think Sarah has cut back on her chocolate consumption during this pregnancy (we found a good flavor of a favorite brand in Copenhagen last weekend). Spending these nine months in the womb in Switzerland, Baby will be used to Swiss cheese and chocolate before it is born!

While at the doctor’s, she asked Sarah if her assistant had taken a urine sample, using that very word. But then, as the conversation continued, she switched to using the word “pee-pee” and used it several times thereafter, never using “urine” again. I thought this was so funny. Of course, the doctor speaks with a French accent, and French speakers can make anything sound elegant, even talk about “le pee-pee” or “le poo-poo.” (I saw a great commercial in French a few months ago that explained the two flush buttons – one big, one small – on our toilet and many other toilets in Europe: A real-estate agent was showing a couple a house, and in the bathroom he pointed to the two buttons that delivered big and small flushes for – you can guess – either “le pee-pee” or “le poo-poo.”) Sorry, I know some may be disgusted by talk of this, but I think we’ve got the best terminology in French for dealing with a toddler!

There was also talk at the doctor about Sarah’s size. I’ve noticed in the past few weeks that she is looking big, but, you know, I haven’t been around pregnant women a lot before to know how one’s physical growth progresses over the months. The doctor said Sarah has gained a normal amount of weight at this stage, but she also said if one grows large during pregnancy, that means one could have a big baby. If we didn’t have anything to worry about in this pregnancy before, now we’re worried about having a large baby (well, I’m worried for Sarah having to deliver a big baby). But what can we do?

Now the search is on for a pediatrician. The baby doctor recommended a few. There are many things to line up and get in place for the delivery – all the arrangements (including a sort of rendez-vous) at the clinic, making sure all the right doctors will be there, etc. Again, after living in Europe for several years and learning about the Middle Ages so much here, I keep asking how women during that time managed to have babies. They didn’t have regular doctor visits and have to worry about getting everything lined up for the delivery. And all the mail from our insurance company! Luckily Sarah’s in charge of processing all the bills and reimbursements (if you think an insurance company’s bureaucracy and paperwork is hard enough, try doing most of it in French!).