Had my 1st appointment today

Mod-LadyCoconut · #1 June 10th, 2009, 01:51 PM

My first appointment was this afternoon. DH came, and we were there like THREE hours. Ugh! My insurance through my job switched companies so I had to wait, re-enroll, wait until it was effective and then make an appointment. Well we get there today, and apparently it only covers $400 for maternity stuff ALL YEAR. WTH! I mean, we read through everything thoroughly before picking out which plans I would go with, etc. and did NOT see this coming. Like, my plan covers 100% up to 10kin doctor's visits. Well apparently for maternity related ones, it covers 100% up to $400. Great. So they told me since I basically have no coverage, I should apply for medicaid. Fantastic. They told me to start on it today since it takes a while... well today is my freaking birthday and I don't want to deal with this. I'll do it tomorrow I guess.

The appointment went okay aside from me being very irritated and just on the verge of angry tears for mostly no good reason. They were nice... they did a pap, which went fine. She told me to expect some spotting since there's so much extra blood flow to my cervix, etc. She gave me a pantyliner for when it was over but I haven't noticed anything yet. She couldn't feel my uterus -- she said it's tilted back. My next appointment is July 2 when I'll be 12 weeks and she said then the uterus has come up out of the pelvic area sso they should be able to tell if I'm as far along as I think that I am and if there's any question about it they may do an ultrasound, but for the most part they just do the one 'big ultrasound' at 20-22 weeks. Didn't hear a heartbeat -- she said they start that at my next appointment and will check every time I come in starting then. They gave me a ton of pamphlets and magazzines etc. and I thought I wass in the clear... until they wanted blood. They let me lie down since I warned them I freak out and I did pretty okay... only cried a little from freaking out. I didn't watch but Ben said they took four vials. Afterwards they had me lay there for a while and offered to bring me water, etc. I don't have a bruise or anything so it went as g ood as it can I guess. I'm proud of myself for getting through it. I only thought about walking out of the office (and by walking I mean running) a handful of times.

So yeah, basically the appointment was uneventful and my insurance is crap. Woo! I go back in 3 weeks.

ETA: When I said we didn't hear a heartbeat, it's because they weren't listening/checking for one -- not b/c it's not there.

midnight_starr · #2 June 10th, 2009, 02:01 PM

Sorry about your insurance.. That sucks big time.. Insurance companies can be really wonky! I hope you don't have any problems getting on medicaid!

I think we are due for a new belly pic

*Mrs.J.2011* · #3 June 10th, 2009, 02:09 PM

I hate insurance companies! Glad you didnt pass out tho!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

#4 June 10th, 2009, 02:32 PM

That insurance stuff sucks, what a pita!

Glad it went well. I have never noticed spotting for many exams, not even from yesterdays when she irritated my cervix on purpose. Maybe that will be you too! Glad you didn't run out of the office when they wanted blood!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

#5 June 10th, 2009, 03:12 PM

Oy, that is uber lame about your insurance! And on your birthday too!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHAN!!!!

Sounds like your next appt will be the exciting one! I hate that they don't do an u/s earlier- I love seeing the little beans, especially around 9-12 weeks because they look like bitty people

sara~b · #6 June 10th, 2009, 03:18 PM

Glad it went well! Sorry about the insurance. Medicaid is great for that though! And I agree that we need new belly pics!

greeneyes · #7 June 10th, 2009, 03:30 PM

I'm so sorry about your insurance, sweetie! Maternity is always separate from regular doctor visits, something insurance companies don't do a very good job of telling consumers.

I'm glad that things went well today and that your blood draw went about as well as it could! Good job, mama! *hug*

Lash · #8 June 10th, 2009, 03:38 PM

UGH about insurance. Are you still freaking out about it? Money stuff always makes me anxious and its frustrating since you guys looked over everything

IamMom · #9 June 10th, 2009, 05:22 PM

Happy Birthday Shannon! Sorry you had some frustrating moments at your appt......by my experience they only get more frustrating and unnerving.....but hopefully you won't have a pregnancy as wacky as mine are

LisanAndy · #10 June 10th, 2009, 05:57 PM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
I'm sorry about your insurance, that really stinks. I'd love some belly pics

**Jenn** · #11 June 10th, 2009, 06:10 PM

Happy Birthday!!!

I'm sorry about your insurance, that sucks! I hated dealing with Medicaid (I had to have it for Lochy's pregnancy). They put me through such crap and I didn't end up getting coverage until I was about 18 weeks! Luckily they back track 3 months so most of what I paid I ended up getting the money for--thank goodness to because my emergency u/s at 4 months would've set us back almost $1000!

alicenwonderland · #12 June 10th, 2009, 06:16 PM

Ugh, i'm sorry about the insurance. That sucks balls! Glad everything looks find so far though.

Resi · #13 June 10th, 2009, 06:37 PM

Ugh! That stinks about your health insurance. I hope you can get on medicad. I'm proud of you for being so strong with the blood work.

Happy Birthday!

ShannonMVT · #14 June 10th, 2009, 06:54 PM

Wow, that really sucks about the insurance.

Ugh.
Good job on the bloodwork! Hopefully you won't end up needing any more blood drawn for awhile now.

.Brandi. · #15 June 10th, 2009, 07:47 PM

Oh, Shannon, I'm sorry about your insurance. I had to get on medicaid with Edward and I almost didn't qualify because I made $7.00 an hour, (this was in 2004/2005) and my bi-weekly paychecks were like $440. I had to pretend I wasn't married because with Chris' salary, we would have been shunned away. And at the time, I worked for a little magazine store with one owner and 2 other sotres besides ours. And Chris worked a Circuit City at that time and only made $8 an hour. So we didn't have health coverage from either of our jobs. So I hope you have better luck with it than I did at the time.

Happy Birthday. Do you have any feelings of what you're going to have??? A 8 weeks, with Edward, I had strong feelings that he was a boy. And we waited until birth to know what he was.

Mod-LadyCoconut · #16 June 10th, 2009, 08:13 PM

Haven't taken any belly pics. Nothing to see... just feeling fat and looking bloated as all get out. I meant to do it at 8 weeks so I'd at least have monthly but I forgot.

I really really really want a boy and the only dream I've had it was a boy. I don't know if it's a 'feeling' though as it's still hard to believe there's a baby in me, kwim? DH really wants a girl and is convinced it's a girl. Who knows.

Still haven't had any spotting which is nice because even though they said its likely I still think seeing it would wig me out.

Brandi you just freaked me out that we won't get approved for medicaid or something. I imagine we will, but that's really scary if we don't. The Dr.'s office put me down as self pay until then since the 'maternity benefits' (what a joke) won't actually cover anything but pretty much the labs they sent today... and they were saying for the doctor's time for labor and visits its like 3900 and that it has to be paid by 24 weeks or something so basically every time I come in from now on I owe $923 oe something (I'd have to look at the paperwork again.) so I REALLY hope I can get medicaid b/c I have no idea how we would come up with that money... and like, if we can't... THEN what?!

**Jenn** · #17 June 10th, 2009, 08:27 PM

Try not to worry Shannon. Medicaid is there for people who don't have health insurance or sufficient health insurance so they should cover you. I know of plenty of people who have medicaid even though they have jobs because their job doesn't have health insurance or its too expensive for them to carry their job's plan. I think in those instances they pay a small premium every month. Don't quote me on that though. We were dead broke when I got pregnant with Loch so we got covered for everything. The paperwork is such a pain in the @ss though!!! And the people at the office treated me like I was a piece of crap. I hope you have much better success than I did! Oh, and even though it took me almost half my pregnancy to finally get covered (I was denied the first time because they're stupid) my birth center didn't charge me every time, just the first visit. They knew I was applying and having problems so they just billed it all at once when I finally did get coverage. I'm hoping you have an easy time with all this and everything is in place by your next appointment.

Alison81 · #18 June 10th, 2009, 08:27 PM

Sounds like a fun uneventful appointment. I feel like the first ones are really boring, then they get more fun.

And I hope you can get medicaid. I qualified with Elsa because my insurane through my job only covered a small majority, and I was told it's easy for pregnant women to get medicaid. So hopefully that's true.

Mod-LadyCoconut · #19 June 10th, 2009, 08:33 PM

Yeah I heard it was pretty common for pregnant people to get medicaid because maternity benefits are so crazy/random. Seriously, 50% of my paycheck is going to this whacked out insurance that apparently doesn't cover squat for what I need.