So I Am Pregnant?!

Yes, it is true; I am currently 4 months pregnant and going strong. Of course finding out this life-changing news was not exactly the bells and whistles that I had expected. Not that I know what it is like to find out you are pregnant in the US, but here in Israel I was informed in the same matter-of-fact and fast-paced way that much of the news is given in this country.

Like many women, I started this process with a home pregnancy test, but there was no blue line and no rush of excitement. A week went by and my monthly friend still did not arrive so I went to the doctor and got a referral for a blood test. A few days later I took the test and at 7:00 the next morning I saw my results online. There was just one problem; I cold not understand the medical terminology on the screen. There was a note that said "please contact your doctor for results," of course my doctor was not working until 4:00 pm that day.

I tried looking the terms up on internet forums, but could not find any reliable information. Instead of calling my good friend who is a resident OBGYN in the states and would have explained the results in a calm, but also excited manner, I just went about my day and waited until 4. Of course when I did call at 4 pm, full of nervous excitement and anticipation, the secretary told me to call back in 2 hours and only then I could speak with the doctor. Patience is a virtue, especially in this country and this was one of the more annoying reminders. And so as 6 pm approached, almost 12 hours since I first saw the results, I called once again expecting to speak with the doctor while standing outside of a restaurant on a busy Tel Aviv street. The secretary put me on hold to see if she could get the doctor as I listened to elevator music. Abruptly the woman got back on the line and said in an unemotional voice "Yes, you are pregnant. Come in to see the doctor in 3 weeks." She said it so fast and I was taken off guard since I was expecting to speak to my doctor. I was sure I did not hear her correctly. "Wait, so I am pregnant?" "Yes, come in 3 weeks. Good day." Click.

I just stood there on the street, shocked and still skeptical of the news. After all, I am still a new immigrant and Hebrew is not my mother tongue. Maybe I heard her incorrectly? I headed into the restaurant in disbelief and even when I told Ariel 3 hours later I said: "Honey I'm pregnant, according to the nurse at the doctor's office, but I'm still not sure." So the next day I bought another home pregnancy test and even when I saw that blue line something inside me was still skeptical. She just said it so fast, as if it was the must mundane piece of information. To her, it probably was, but for me this is huge news. There was no introduction to the conversation and no dramatic pause. I didn't even hear it from the doctor himself! While Ariel thought that I was funny and a little neurotic for not believing it, for the next 3 weeks I remained in my state of shock and denial. It was not until I was sitting in the doctor's office and saw the ultrasound did I finally admit…so I am pregnant.

In general I like the fact that people don't make a big deal about things in Israel. It is such a fast moving country and there is so much to get done that there is no time to waste on needless words pertaining to minor issues. However, this is one time that I could have used a little American etiquette and perhaps just 10 more seconds on the phone to let it sink in. But now that I finally believe it, I enjoy telling the news to others in the same flippant and nonchalant way to see the shock on their faces. I guess I truly am a product of my environment.