Doppler Drama

My friend, Deb visited me while I was pregnant with my second daughter. She was also pregnant and is just beginning her second trimester. She had no interest in accompanying me to my weekly appointment until I mentioned that we might be able to sneak out the Doppler and listen to her baby’s heartbeat, too.

While we were waiting for the doctor, we spied the Doppler and lubricating jelly readied for use on the counter. Deb snatched up the tube of jelly so excitedly that she squeezed too hard and a big snake of it splattered on the floor.

“Ah well. We’ll get to that later,” I said as I grabbed the Doppler, swabbed up some jelly and began rubbing it around on her belly. The machine gave a loud “crack” and we screamed and laughed. The volume had been left on the highest setting.

We finally did get it to work properly and we got to hear her baby’s “whoooooo, whooooo, whooooo” noise. We were both so mesmerized that we didn’t immediately notice the rustling of papers outside the door. The doctor was looking over my chart and about to enter. Ack!

Quick! Clean off the Doppler! Put it back in position! Put the cap back on the jelly!! In a slapstick, panicked fashion we got everything into place just as the door began to open. Oooooops! We forgot the mess of jelly on the floor! Deb casually took off her shoe and wiped it up with her sock. Whew!