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“Okay.”
The nurse pulled out the dreaded stirrups while the doctor washed her hands and put on gloves. It was difficult enough to relax during any internal exam, but particularly when you’re a bundle of nerves wondering if you’re pregnant. Dr. Talbot did her thing and then wheeled over the portable sonogram machine without saying much for a long time.
“I can confirm that you are indeed pregnant, Devyn.”
Oh, God.
“I’m able to see the strings attached to your IUD, so I recommend removing it. Keeping it in has some increased risks for a pregnancy. I can do that now, if you want.”
My head was spinning, but there was no point in keeping it in. So I nodded. “Sure. Thank you.”
Removing it was quick and not nearly as painful as placing it had been. After, the doctor went back to scanning my belly.
“Would you like me to show you the pregnancy on the screen and perhaps try to hear the heartbeat? Or would you prefer I didn’t do that?”
I swallowed. The moment felt surreal, like I was watching it happen to someone else. So I thought it might make it more real if I saw it, maybe even heard it. Taking a deep breath, I nodded. “I think so.”
Over the next five minutes, Dr. Talbot pointed to various things on the screen—my anatomy, the gestational sac, a tiny flashing dot that she said was the heartbeat, but just looked like a black oval with some fuzz on the screen. It still didn’t feel real.
Not until she reached for a dial on the machine and some crackling sounds came through the speaker. Dr. Talbot moved the wand some more, pushing a little deeper, and aswoosh swooshsound echoed through the room.
Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh.The sound was rapid, but consistent.
My eyes widened. “Is that the heartbeat?”
She smiled. “It is. And it’s a good strong one for this early in the pregnancy. Though, you said your last period was April first, correct?”
“Yes.”
“That would date you at almost seven-and-a-half weeks right now. Gestational age is two weeks longer than when conception actually occurred. So according to your last period, you would have conceived approximately five-and-a-half weeks ago.”
Today was May 23rd, and I’d slept with Owen on April 15th—I remembered because I’d filed my taxes on the last day this year, and I’d done that right after I arrived in the City. The timing was accurate.
“However,” Dr. Talbot continued, “the embryo’s size and appearance looks like it could be a bit older than that.”
“Older? What do you mean? I definitely had my period on April first. I checked my calendar.”
“Well, it’s not unusual to spot during pregnancy, especially during the early stages. You said your menstrual cycle was not much of a period, which is common for women with a hormonal IUD. Perhaps what you thought was your period last month was a bit of spotting?”
“I don’t understand.”
“I could be wrong. But I would’ve guessed from the appearance and size that you’re more like nine, maybe ten weeks pregnant.”
I stopped breathing. “Nine or ten weeks? So conception would’ve been…seven or eight weeks ago?”
The doctor nodded. “That’s right.”
Robert had been away the two weeks before I left for New York. Which would mean, we’d last slept together…
Oh.
My.
God.
“Are you sure?” It felt like my throat was closing. “Nine or ten and not seven and a half?”
Dr. Talbot shook her head. “Dating a pregnancy is not an exact science. Embryos can be slightly larger or smaller than the norm, and not every woman ovulates exactly two weeks after their period. Some ovulate as early as six days after their cycle, others as late as the twenty-second day. For now, based on your period and the images, perhaps we’ll date you somewhere in the middle. Your period puts you seven and a half. The size indicates more like two weeks farther along—about nine and a half.” She picked up my chart and scribbled something. “So let’s call it eight-and-a-half weeks, shall we?”
