“Everything looks perfect, you guys!” she says, looking down at her tablet and scanning through the photos. “Baby growth is right on track. Heart chambers look good. Fluid is right on. Seriously, this is everything we want to see.”
“What about doing some screenings and maybe an amnio?” Josh asks, his voice deep and authoritative.
Dr. Lizzy’s brows furrow as she glances at me. “Those are certainly an option, but Lynsey is young and healthy. The scans look great. It’s not something I would recommend for you guys since you’re not high risk.”
“I just want to make sure we’re not missing anything,” Josh replies sternly.
Anxiety prickles over me because I had no clue Josh was going to ask any of this.
She nods. “I understand that, but as I’m sure you well know, there are risks to doing an amniocentesis. Infection or preterm labor being the biggest.”
“Preterm labor?” I exclaim, sitting forward and looking at Josh nervously. “No way. I’m not doing that then.”
Josh flinches as my wide eyes meet his. “I’m just getting information, Lynsey.”
“Well, it’s my body, and I’m not putting this baby at risk because you’re paranoid about every little thing.” A knot forms in my throat.
Dr. Lizzy clears her throat, interrupting my stare down with Josh. “Dr. Richardson, I understand that with your medical background, you think more information is better than less. But I really think, based on the ultrasound, you don’t have anything to worry about.”
Josh’s jaw clenches as he nods and turns his attention to her. “You’re the expert here, so I’ll defer to you.”
Dr. Lizzy smiles appreciatively and turns to me. “Now, how are you feeling, Lynsey? Any questions?”
“Uh, I’m feeling good, I think,” I croak, the knot in my throat lightening now that Josh has backed off. “A little freaked out over that bomb he just dropped.”
She smiles at me. “Guys can sometimes be a bit overprotective.”
“You can say that again.” I rub my lips together, remembering how Josh is freaked out all the time over every little bump and scratch on my body. Even that night we had sex, he seemed like he was terrified that hitting my ass would hurt my belly. I can’t stand him like this forever.
I clear my throat and pin the doctor with a serious look. “Can you tell me about how…fragile I am exactly? Because I’m kind of a klutz, and Josh thinks if I do certain things I could hurt the baby or cause contractions. Is it really that easy?”
Dr. Lizzy nods thoughtfully. “Well, any impacts to your belly are something you definitely want to avoid. But the baby is very well insulated in there with his or her very own water bed.” She laughs. “So it’d take a pretty substantial event to really cause any worry.”
I lick my lips and nod. “And like…other parts of my body are less risky.”
She tilts her head. “What do you mean exactly?”
My face instantly heats, and it’s as though Josh’s eyes are burning into me. But fuck it, this is my doctor, and I have questions. “Like…if I use my vibrator.” I rush the words out, cringing at the weird high-pitch tone of my voice.
The doctor smiles knowingly. “Sexual toys are just fine to use during pregnancy. Your placenta is in a good location so reaching completion should be just fine. Good actually. Studies say orgasm releases oxytocin and oxytocin eases pain or discomfort which many women have from normal pregnancy-related growth.”
“That’s very good to know.” I reply, crisply nodding and smiling as though she’s just told me some healthy foods to eat. Another thought hits me. “What about nipple stimulation?” Josh breaks into a violent coughing fit beside us, but I don’t lose eye contact with the doctor. “Is it true it can cause contractions?”
Dr. Lizzy smiles like a pro. “Nipple stimulation has been known to help labor along, but you’d have to do fifteen minutes of constant stimulation per breast for it to even cause a flutter of action in your uterus.”
I knew Josh was full of shit.
Dr. Lizzy sets her iPad down and glances at Josh before moving a little closer to me. Her voice is low as she says, “Any kind of sex is fine during pregnancy, Lynsey. And just for the record, regular sexual intercourse has actually proven to reduce the risk for pre-eclampsia because the protein in sperm helps regulate the body’s immune system. And orgasms help strengthen your pelvic floor, which can help prepare your body for childbirth.
“Not to mention the emotional benefits of regular stimulation are very positive. Pregnancy hormones wreak havoc on our mental health, so the more good feelings you have means your baby is being exposed to less stress hormones. So…win-win!”
“Win-win,” I repeat through a forced smile, my face frozen in horror.
I don’t know if I wanted that much information. Now it’s like I need to go out there and find me a stud horse to ride while I prepare my body to give birth to a watermelon.
“That’s a lot of information,” I add and then clear my throat as my hormones rear their ugly head once more.
Dr. Lizzy smiles. “Just remember you’re not a delicate flower that needs to be kept in a glass jar. Have some fun and listen to your body. If you’re uncomfortable, the baby will be too. If you feel good, the baby is doing just fine. And all that extra blood flow pulsing in your groin area should make you feel very good.”
She giggles and then smiles brightly like this was the most normal conversation, and she stands to shake both of our hands. When she leaves the room, I can barely look at Josh because I have a feeling all he’s going to see on my face is…
SEX.
Sex, sex, sex.
And we’re not having sex. We’re having a baby.
The irony is not lost on me.
So that means I will ignore those pulsing groin sensations she so blatantly called me out on. “I’m, um…meeting Kate in the cafeteria for lunch,” I mumble while grabbing my purse off the hook.
Josh’s voice is gruff when he replies, “I’m due back at the ER.”
“I’ll…see you at the house,” I chirp and then bolt out the door, thanking my lucky stars that I didn’t trip on the way out.
Kate waves when our gazes meet. I’m seated at my favorite table in the hospital cafeteria, already tucking into my food because I’m stress eating like a motherfucker right now. I smile back at her as she carries her tray over.
“I totally see the appeal!” she squeals, looking around with gleeful delight. She drops her tray across from me. “They have tacos here! Tire Depot never has tacos.”
I mumble around a bite of French silk pie. “You should put it in the suggestion box.”
“Trust me, I have,” she retorts, flipping her curly red hair over her shoulder. “You’d think boning one of the top mechanics would mean my opinion matters around that place.”
“Life is so unfair sometimes.”
Kate smiles as her eyes lower to my belly. “God, look at you! It’s feeling so real now that you’re showing. Before you popped, I kept thinking you were going to explode into laughter and tell me that you moving in with Dr. McDick Baby Daddy was an elaborate prank.”