35+ TTC #1 Graduates!

[Kescilly]

This thread is for those of us over 35 who are pregnant with our first! It’s a continuation of a great group of people from the TTC thread. Doesn’t matter how far along you are, come on in!

@Pinkywoo oh blimey, that's quite funny! You should have checked in here as your calendar 😁

@Kescilly sorry to hear your Dad isn't well and I hope he gets better soon. I can imagine that it's a bit of a double whammy with the CS date next week - but I'm sure it'll all be ok. 💐

@birdbybird yes cell-free DNA is the type of test that Harmony is 👍 how is the sickness? Is it any better? I've been struggling a lot with indigestion - and I'm actually wondering if this is my penance for not being sick (well I was sick the other morning but I think that was because my stomach was completely empty - I just wretched up stomach acid 🤮) when my poor DM was so ill with me 😳

@lauralooderby it's £6 per scan picture at my hospital but they do bulk discount - we were told you could get 3 for £12.50 so went with that (oh and to bring correct cash). When we got to the ultrasound department there were signs up showing prices for up to 12 photos (£49!!!) 🤯. You had to pay at a machine which didn't give change but did take cards and then someone brought the pictures out with my notes about 10 minutes later (but didn't actually check we had a receipt and had paid 🤷). Bizarre!

Hi ladies! Just an update to say that we had our baby girl today. I had a scheduled c-section but of course I also happened to go into labor today. And they couldn’t get us in until the afternoon so it was a slightly painful day!

Doesn’t matter now because everything turned out well and we are so happy.

Must be a few others getting close?

Oh wow, congratulations @kescilly ! That is lovely news, although sorry to hear you had to go through a bit of labour first.

I have been shopping with my DM today. We found some bargain balls of wool in John Lewis so she's stocked up now ready to start knitting/crocheting when the time comes 😀

Ah congratulations @kescilly !
How exciting - hope everything's going well so far!

I (finally) have my rescheduled dating scan tomorrow... it'll be interesting to see how much it's grown in the past 10 days! It was measuring 42.4mm last Monday at 11 weeks.

As I said in the June board congratulations @kescilly.

I am sat in the antenatal ward was admitted Monday due to high BP again. I am currently undergoing the induction process had the 24hr pessary yesterday which had moved out forward but not opened yet. Had the tablet put in for 6hrs about an hour ago so we will see if that helps us go in the right direction.

Congratulations @Kescilly, that's great news!

@Blondcat I hope it's all going well, your baby will be here soon!

Hey ladies update from me. I was induced Tuesday and finally had proper contractions start Wednesday lunchtime after the third hormone pessary they progressed through the day and my waters went just after midnight while walking up the ward to get a cuppa and sarnie then was transferred to delivery around 1am and we met our little girl at 4.59am Thursday 30th May weighing 6lb 6.5oz. We are still in the post natal ward due to my high bp and needing to observe her because of my medication. I really want my own bed now and to be able to relax in my own home.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Delurking to say big congratulations to you both @Blondcat and @Kescilly 🎉❤️

@Blondcat congrats! I can imagine you want to get home, hopefully you can soon.

@VenusStarr thank you, I hope you’re well.

Sorry I haven’t kept up. I’ve been struggling with feeding and it’s made everything more exhausting.

@kescilly thanks. Just so you don't feel like it is only you. We are struggling with feeding too. It is a lot harder that you expect. We seem to be doing everything right but yet can't quite get it. I am hoping that when my milk comes in properly it will be better but tiredness doesn't help or stress. Goodluck.

@Blondcat congratulations! Hope you get sorted soon and can escape home 🤞

@LauraLooDerby how did you get on at your scan?

We told the in-laws on Skype on Saturday (cringe central) And they've sent us some cash to buy a bottle of fizz to celebrate. I feel a bit weird as I'm really not in the mood to 'celebrate' anything at this point!

I met a friend for coffee earlier and she's the first person I've told (other than parents) and it turns out that her OH is a midwife at our hospital & part of a new team they're setting up to get better continuity of care for ELCS mothers. She's offered to introduce me so I can chat to her about some of my concerns which was nice.

@Weathergirl1
All good thanks! Measured 12 weeks exactly, so EDD is now 12th December.
Very strange seeing a little human in there. He/she was all over the place too; arms up, arms down, turn over, jump around a bit like a jumping bean...! NT measured 1.8mm so hopefully as an early sign that's all ok too.... had the blood tests so we'll see.
Strange to think I won't now see another pic for a couple of months (by which point I assume I'll feel properly pregnant?!).
How are you doing?

@Blondcat congrats! Hope you're home!

Also @birdbybird how are you? How was your scan? (May have missed a post - if so, sorry!)

Congratulations @Blondcat and @kescilly !

@Weathergirl1 and @LauraLooDerby - I've been avoiding posting as have been waiting on the results of the 12week scan.
Good news: almost everything looks good and I was 12w2d last Wednesday... which means 13w2d today!
Not so good news: The hospital I'm with uses the 'The Reflex DNA Test' approach. I.e. if you consent to this and the Nuchal Translucency (NT) and PAPP-A / B-hCG blood test (which they call a 'Combined Test') gives a higher risk, you are 'reflexed' and are automatically tested using the DNA test. In my case my NT was on the higher end of normal and combined with my age... it was giving me a higher risk. My problem is, they couldn't / wouldn't give me the Combined Test result and I am still waiting for the DNA test result. So in frustration, I called ARC (Antenatal Results and Choices) charity who were VERY helpful (as a number of people have pointed out on the forum). Spoke to a lady called Jane who suggested I contact the hospital and tell them I'd really like to know my results. Anyway, eventually I ended up calling the lab and was given more information about my Combined Test result. We're not out of the woods but my bloods were 'good' so the only thing impacting the risk is the higher-end-of-normal NT (2.6mm) and my age at due date (39). I'm now waiting until tomorrow/Friday to get the DNA test result. As ARC pointed out, the only positive thing about this is that I get the DNA test (which I think is same as Harmony) done for free, but I think I'll donate the amount I would have paid privately for Harmony to ARC for the help and information they've provided!

@birdbybird oh no, so sorry to hear you're going through this and I can totally understand you ducking off MN for a bit, I felt similar when I had a bit of a meltdown a few weeks ago. Fingers crossed for speedy NIPT results and glad to hear that ARC have been helpful to you - for everything I've seen I just don't understand why they still do the combined test (especially for us older ladies) 🤦. How are you feeling physically though, apart from the mental anguish? Has the sickness eased at all? I'd keep some of the money you saved as a treat to compensate for the stress you're going through.

I'm getting a bit more filled out but still have a flat stomach - waistbands are definitely feeling a bit tighter. I think some of it must be due to not managing as much training as usual... But the thing that's really bugging me is boobs. I feel so daft about it as I know a lot of women look forward to getting bigger in the chest department but I'm used to being a lean A/AA cup and I've had to go out and buy some B cups already and it feels really awful - I just don't feel like me at all... had to get that off my chest so to speak 😱😭

@Weathergirl1 I was sick yesterday morning.... however have managed to avoid being sick today. I still have an uneasy digestive system, but feel better than yesterday. Even managed to cook myself a meal last night and hopefully again today. How's your indigestion/sickness?
My stomach is still pretty much as it was... slight fullness in the chest... I'm similar... normally a largish A/lean B... have not bought any new clothes yet though. Don't think I'd enjoy the larger boobs either...

@birdbybird hopefully you're coming out the other side of the sickness then 🤞. My indigestion is still there - had a relatively light dinner on Monday night at about 6.30ish and by 10pm I still had a really awful heavy feeling in my stomach. DH got me a hot water bottle and insisted on making me a fennel tea (it's what I usually drink whenever I feel a bit of a dodgy tummy - but I've been feeling a bit averse to it recently). After sipping about half the cup though the gas started to come up. Couldn't actually believe how much I was burping 😱. My digestion is totally screwed though - I was sick with gastric juices only last week after eating a yoghurt only an hour and a bit before so my stomach seems unable to make its mind up whether it's emptying super fast or just not at all 🤯

Glad to hear I'm not the only one then who is used to and happy with modest boobage - I honestly thought I was being weird. I've just ordered a new Shock Absorber bra off eBay for running as I do not want the extra weight to cause them to sag - seriously, it feels like the 2 kg I've put on is localised in that area!

@birdbybird my testing made me really anxious as well. I thought doing the Harmony rest privately would be reassuring, but it turned up no result, twice. When I looked it up, there was a slightly higher chance of our baby having an abnormality.

We did the NT test with the NHS, hoping that would be reassuring. But she measured something like 2.9 and while we were technically low risk for Downs, it was much higher odds than most people post here.

I tried to relax but it was always in the back of my mind that something could be wrong. We got through the 20 week scan and others without any concerns. I don’t think I was fully relaxed until she was here and everything appeared normal.

All of this is a very long-winded way of saying I’m sorry you’re struggling with this. I remember thinking that 12 weeks would be “safe” and then ending up concerned and reclusive. My baby is here and perfect, and I’m sure you’ll be able to say that soon enough too!

I had the 20 week scan today and we're having a boy! All healthy and wriggly, and my cysts are behaving so I don't need to be operated on while pregnant, which is a relief

And I'm definitely in the same boat with the inflated boobs, I'm now a 32GG!

Oh blimey @Pinkywoo - I'm clearly complaining about nothing! Glad to hear your scan went well 😀

Thanks @Kescilly . I remember you mentioning the lack of a conclusive Harmony result on the TTC thread. How are you feeling and how's the recovery going from the c-section?

@Pinkywoo great news on the 20week scan!

@Weathergirl1 for me the only way to get to sleep is to have an evening meal and then head almost straight to bed... I start to get queasy within minutes of finishing eating and after that sleep does not come easily. I'm burping quite easily.... but its those yucky indigestion-type burps... also I feel like I'm producing excess saliva which I've read can happen and can't seem to clear my throat at times, and then I try and cough to clear it, which leads to more coughing, and that often leads to retching/being sick.

Belated congrats @Blondcat & @ I had my little girl on 24th May, she was a bit of a whopper at 8lb 4. Was induced, forceps, the lot...feeling ok now though, healing well and she’s doing brilliantly. Hope you guys are all ok 😊

@kescilly that second @ is meant to be, stupid phone!

Congratulations @melamine x