Those were the doctor's orders for Evelyn for today's ultrasound. It translates to "left hip laxity; rule out hip dysplasia." The doctor noted some looseness when manipulating Evelyn's hip, and he wanted to take a closer look at the hip socket. (I don't think I realized at the time that we were talking specifically about hip dysplasia, which I'd only ever heard in reference to large dog breeds.) He mentioned that if there were a problem, and it was identified early enough, it would be treated with a brace to immobilize the hip while the socket continued to form in place. This sounded like no fun at all. But if it weren't identified and we let it go, a surgical fix might be necessary down the line. And they use ultrasounds, apparently because x-rays and MRIs are not recommended for infants. Maybe they don't stand still long enough.
So we returned to the Women's Center at Mills -- the same place we'd gone for all of our prenatal ultrasounds. In fact, we were next door to the room where we first discovered we were having twins in the first place, and the room where we found out they were girls.
A quick word about the Women's Center -- it's beautiful. It's inside Mills, but it looks nothing like a hospital. It's practically a spa. It has its own lobby and interior staircase, so the women don't have to interact with the ordinary hospital rabble when going from one area to another. There are no male staff members to be found -- it's like that old Star Trek episode with the planet of women. The palette is subdued and calming. The light is nowhere near as harsh as elsewhere in the hospital. Look closely at the textured wallpaper, and you will see patterns of ginko leaves and undulating grasses. The carpets in the halls transition from one coordinating color and texture to another in broad, feminine sweeps. It doesn't look like it was decorated by a committee. It looks like it was decorated by a woman who knew what other women would find beautiful and calming. Oh, and me. Needless to say, there are no Sports Illustrateds to be found in the lobby, but you might find a Kiplinger's Personal Finance or two.
Most importantly, once you get past the lobby, the bathrooms are plentiful, private and immaculate. Partly this is because women are advised to have a full bladder when having a prenatal ultrasound, and they're looking for relief after having been prodded and probed. They certainly do not need to wait in line. And partly this is because women have always reserved the better bathrooms for themselves. Because they deserve it.
Because of the sheer number of ultrasounds you have when pregnant with twins, I am now very familiar with the Women's Center, more so (I think) than most men. And I've grown especially to love their bathrooms. I recommend them highly -- they are, like our own bathroom, potentially as beautiful as other peoples' twin daughters. Of course, I left the seat up, because that's how I roll. Don't try to change me, baby.
In any event, Evelyn passed her ultrasound with flying colors. If you thought that a fetal ultrasound was an unrecognizable mess, you should know they can't compete with the ultrasound of a newborn's hip socket. I'm basically taking the doctor's word that Evelyn even has a hip.
It occurs to me now that this is pretty much the first experience that one of the girls has had that the other hasn't, and won't. The first of many, I assume.
Posts
