After taking prenatals, the next step was to go to my OB/GYN.  This is the woman who I will be intimately involved with for the next year, pun intended.  At the fertility clinic where I work, we recommend a prenatal screening blood test BEFORE pregnancy.  That way if there is something wrong, it can be fixed before pregnancy.  So, I went to the Dr. for my pre-prenatal screen.  She knows me, and my boss due to our line of work.  The norm nowadays is to do the screen after a woman is pregnant, so she questioned my reasoning behind wanting the screen now.   I told her my reasons (of wanting to be able to fix any problems beforehand).  Of course, she agreed.  Most women now don’t plan far enough ahead to schedule an appointment with their doctors BEFORE pregnancy, which is why the screen has become something that is done after pregnancy.   Anyways, I asked her to run my vitamin levels (also not normally done).   Low and behold, I am deficient in Vitamin D.  Not just insufficient…deficient.  This is scary because I have already been taking supplements in my prenatal.  I wonder how low I was before that. 

 I looked it up, and found that Vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy can cause growth retardation, skeletal deformities, delayed development and decreased immune function in a baby.  In the mother it can cause preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and an increased chance of pre-term labor and emergency c-section.   SO, my anal-ness paid off.    For everyone who says that I should just sit back and let things happen, you can now kindly SUCK IT.    I am so glad that I listened to my gut, and asked for the tests, even though it was embarrassing to be the sole woman asking for them before pregnancy.    I’m now on a super high 2 month course of vitamin D (unsafe during pregnancy) to try to return my levels to normal.  The Dr. said I should be monitored yearly from here on out.   Let this be a lesson learned, don’t procrastinate when it comes to your health!