Excitement started filling her as they drove to the appointment. She was going to see her baby for the first time. Would she even recognize it?
Twenty minutes later, she was sitting on a hard hospital bed with a stiff, oversized paper gown on. The doctor was looking at her, deeply concerned.
"Malnutrition in early pregnancy can lead to a number of complications down the road. Optimal nutrition plays a crucial role in pregnancy, so that's where I want to start. I will be giving you some strict dietary guidelines to follow as well as some guidelines for exercise." Bella tried to harden her features to keep from crying yet again today.
"So I harmed the baby." She whispered, her bottom lip trembling.
"Oh sweetie, no. Something that was very much out of your control may have raised the risks of this pregnancy, but you did nothing wrong." She smiled weakly at the doctor, Dr. Li. She really liked her. She listened and explained things in a way she could understand. Now, she just needed to work on forgiving herself for the uncontrollable. "This may all sound scary, but I just need you to be aware of the risks. We're going to do everything we can to keep you and your baby very healthy. Speaking of, you ready to see your baby?" Both nodded enthusiastically. The doctor left them to get the ultrasound tech.
"Are you nervous?" Edward asked, moving to give her a tight hug. She nodded, scared they'd find something wrong. "We'll get through it no matter what. I promise I'll love this baby, healthy or unhealthy."
It was just what she needed to hear. It was terrifying hearing all the risks for the baby and her, but she knew she'd love the baby no matter what.
They were both grinning like fools when they stepped out into the sun. So far baby was looking healthy at an estimated 9 weeks. This time, hearing the heartbeat took on a new meaning. She could actually see it beating. Edward and her had argued whether the baby looked more like a jelly bean or a lima bean. It didn't matter either way, baby now had the nickname of bean.
"Let's go grab some food and head to a park." He opened the car door for her and jogged around to his side.
"A picnic?"
"Too cheesy?" She shook her head. It sounded like an amazing way to celebrate. "Do you mind texting my mom a picture of bean? I bet your parents would love to see, too." She agreed, but got distracted looking at the small print out. Did her mom even want to see it? She hadn't exactly been enthused when Bella called from Forks with the good news.
"Should I send it to my mom?"
"It's up to you, but I think she'd like to see it." Edward reached across the console and took her hand, squeezing lightly.
"I'm still mad at her." She stated stubbornly. "But you're right, she probably would like to see it." Bella texted back and forth while Edward ran into the store. He brought back a chicken salad sandwich with a fruit cup and a bottle of water. It took a while to find a park, but it was worth it as they laid out in the sun daydreaming about bean's future.
