Diagnosis -- pregnant

Last two days I spent in the clinic doing lots of testing and visiting all kind of doctors for my pregnancy check. I have dual experience of being pregnant in Sweden and in Kazakhstan and the approaches to pregnant women are veeeeery different. In Sweden I was just pregnant, in Almaty I have a diagnosis.

This is my little pregnancy journal with different notes and stamps:
We have chosen a private clinic in Almaty having quite good conditions and some smiling doctors. After signing a contract I was told to do a complete medical examination. So here is the list of examinations and doctors:

1. Blood test for everything, even for my testosterone level. In Almaty mandatory HIV- testing is done twice during the pregnancy.
2. Ultrasound of thyroid ( Щитовид железа), kidneys and abdominal cavity
3. Gynecologist
4. Endocrinologist
5. Oculist
6.Therapist
7.Otolaryngologist
8. Dentist
9. Surgeon (!)
10. Neurologist

It still puzzles me why I should to be checked by the oculist during my pregnancy...

Usually you go to different clinics to do all these checks, but I was lucky they had everything in one building. Still I had to wait among other pregnant women and kids for my turn to every doctor.

In contrast to Sweden where the doctor meets you outside the door ( usually all visits are pre-booked) shakes your hand and presents yourself, here you enter the room where the doctor in white rock sits behind a robust table making notes in his/her journal, looking at you above the glasses the way you feel sicker then ever before. Everybody has a computer at their table, but all notes were made by hand in the journals. Even in good clinics there are these left-overs from the Soviet time.

Well, some of the doctors were really talkative, making funny, often unnecessary comments. The oculist told me that my hip size was perfect for giving birth, but my face was swollen and need more rest. Then she took my bag and said that it was too heavy for me... Then she measured my blood pressure... Finally she said that my sight was good.

From now on I will visit my doctor every week for a control check. She also left me her personal mobile phone number and said I can call her any time of the day and night. I hope I won't need to call her at night, but it feels good to have her number in case of emergency.