One Moment Please (Wait With Me #3)(47)
Moving in all of my crappy furniture was probably a dick move, but unless I was content living in the awesome tub, it had to be done. Especially as I wasn’t about to let Josh buy all new furniture and let me live there. I don’t want to owe the man my life when this weird arrangement is over.
Thankfully, things are going well so far. Josh definitely works a lot, but he checks in on me regularly throughout the day. And I’ve been so excited about my new job. I kind of enjoy having someone to talk to about it every day.
Suddenly, the doctor comes in, and Josh and I turn our attention to her. Dr. Lizzy is a short, bubbly blonde with curly blond hair and a constantly raspy voice that makes you want to give her a cough drop. She came recommended by one of Josh’s colleagues in the ER, and I’ve really liked her at my regular checkups. She seems totally at ease with the fact that Josh and I are not a couple.
“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.