5th Month Visit- Is the Sugar Test Necessary?

This was the easiest and quickest appointment yet. No bloodwork, no money due. Just the usual- blood pressure, weight, urine sample, and listening to the heartbeat.

All was well! I took this opportunity to ask my doctor about the sugar test, that I was scheduled to have on my next visit. It is the glucose tolerance test. I have had the test five times now, with my other pregnancies, and each time I did not have gestational diabetes. I asked him if it was really necessary for me to take the test again. I am frugal, and so I thought that maybe I could save some money, and just not have the test done.

I asked my doctor for his opinion. He said that the more pregnancies you have, the higher your risk goes up, to get gestational diabetes. He then added that it is important to know for sure if a mother has it or not, because it can cause problems for the baby during and after delivery. So I told him that I would have it done and explained that I was asking because I am cheap. My doctor laughed and said that he is too.

Lab Bill #2

I received the lab bill from my last appointment. My blood was run through about 10 different tests: Rubella, RH, HCG, Viral antibody, Hep B, etc. The total charge was $619.83, but because I get my insurance company's contract rate, $506.86 was deducted. This made my final bill $112.97. Not bad, not bad at all!

Second Sonogram

Had to pay more for this sonogram...$175. It was a very detailed in office sonogram that took around 50 minutes. Lots of measuring of the baby's body parts and inputting of data. We were not able to determine the sex of the baby as he/she wasn't cooperating.

A thickening of the heart muscle was noticed on the sonogram, and indicated by a white spot on the heart. Our doctor came in and explained that this could be a sign of a chromosomal abnormality in the baby. However, since everything else had measured correctly, there were no other known markers for an abnormality. He said in 99% of these cases, that the thickened muscle is just a normal part of this baby's development, and would probably go away in several weeks.

He then that he would send us over to Winnie Palmer Hospital to have a more detailed ultrasound. My husband asked what this would accomplish, if anything was discovered. Our doctor said that if an abnormality was found, that they would recommend an amniocentesis to get more specific results. He then said that no matter what they found, there was nothing the hospital could to fix a chromosomal abnormality. He said that sometimes people decide to abort the baby, which he knew that we we would not do.

We told him that we weren't interested in going to the hospital. He said that another option would be to have a sonogram in his office in four weeks.We could then look at the heart again and see if the thickening had gone away. That would also give us another chance to hopefully find out whether we are having a boy or a girl. We decided that we wanted another sonogram, that we would wait four more weeks, and that it was worth the cost.

4th Month Check-up & No Co-Pays

I love going to the doctor and having no co-pay! My usual appointments go like this: blood pressure taken, urine sample analyzed, and weight recorded. Then the doctor listens to the baby's heartbeat.The nurse asks me about any unusual symptoms that I am having and then I discuss any concerns I have with the doctor. On this appointment, I had my blood drawn for more tests. I was charged $10 for the in house blood draw (versus driving to a lab, waiting in line, etc.) and $5.89 for the urine test.

Right of Refusal

Here is something I have been thinking a lot about. As a pregnant woman, I do not have to have every test created for pregnant women. Since I am paying the bill, I only want to pay for tests that I think are needed.

When I had full coverage insurance I didn't care what the tests were or what they cost. I now ask the nurse or doctor questions.What is the purpose of the test? Is it required by the state? Do you recommend it for me? I have refused the cysystic fibrosis and HIV Test (because I have already been tested with each of the other pregnancies, am not a drug user, and am faithful to my husband).

I also am not interested in having any blood work to detect chromosomal abnormalities or having an amniocentesis. I will not be aborting my baby, therefore these tests are not needed. I am interested in paying for sonograms to check on my baby's developmental progress, to look for anything unusual, and to find out the sex of the baby. So to me, these are worth the cost.

So be a savvy shopper! Do your homework and don't pay for tests you don't want or need.