40+ and pregnant? Come and join the fun!

[cloudjumper]

I am 43 and currently pg with DC2, due early January. I thought it would be nice to have a thread for the pregnant ladies of 'older vintage', similar to the 40+ ttc thread, for advice, support and the occasional moan.

My baby is either an aubergine or a papaya according to which app I use. Massive difference!

Grizzer I just googled a rutabaga! Thank you, I have now added to my veg knowledge - who knew! I am 12 weeks tomorrow, and I have no idea what fruit or veg I am - is it a plum?

My 12 wk scan is on Tuesday - so trying not to hold my breath until then. I had a reassuring scan at 10 + 3, but you know what it's like, all that confidence has long gone.
Can you please let me know what happens with the nuchal measurement - do they tell you there and then how it looks? Also do they take your blood then to test, or do you have another appointment for that?

Thanks all

So, you have to wait 5 weeks in all cases for Harmony?

Brooke at my scan they told us there and then that the measurement looked fine and what the normal range was. After the scan I was sent for the blood test and the result was back with the week. It may differ where you are of course. Good luck, I hope it is all fine.

Feeling rotten today. We all have bad colds, ds up at 4:45 and I have to go and meet the MIL this afternoon as she's in town for a few hours

Will catch up properly later, hope everyone is well.

Thanks ababsurdum. Enjoy the MIL!!

No Bottle - it is usually 2 weeks. I was just saying that if you have to have it done again then it can take up to 5 weeks to get result ( if hey cannot get a result on first blood draw it takes at least 2 weeks to find out, then you have to get a second appointment to have it again and maybe travel if you are not near somewhere that does it and wait another two weeks. Then if results are not good or indeterminate you have to decide if you want a cvs/amino [and if is is on NHS unlikely to be same day you choose - but you may be lucky!) and then 2 day wait for rapid result.)

I was one of the 5% whose first blood sample did not have enough Fetal DNA in do had to travel to London ( in my case) again and got a result second time.

The delays meant that had I had bad news and had that affected what I did with the pregnancy ( it did not) then I had limited options. You can have the Harmony from 10 weeks but we only decided to have it after high risk result from 12 week scan/NT - hence I was 17 weeks when we got the result. It is not offered on the NHS where I live and I had not heard of it until the NHS suggested we paid privately for it if did not want a cvs.

Brooke - we were told the NT measurement at the scan and had bloods taken at the same time. Heard results by post if low risk a few weeks later and by phone a few days later of higher than 1:150. This is in our area.

Thanks Roobios. Fingers crossed

Welcome Idont! Fingers crossed for your screening results - the only time when you don't want them to call you...

Brooke We were also told the NT measurement at the 12-week scan, then they took bloods after that to do the combined screening. If it's bad news, you get a phone call pretty quickly (2 days for me last year), if all OK, they will send a letter.

I was also one of the 5% for which the Harmony didn't work, both times. Agree that with the 2-week wait, travel etc, it can easily ramp up to over a month's wait, only to then still have to have invasive testing - this happened to me last year, and it was hell. Part of the reason we decided not to do it again (but mainly due to good combined screening results). However, they now also offer it at my local hospital, so at least the travelling would not have been necessary.

grizzer Good to hear from you! How come you got your glucose test already, do they do it earlier where you are? I could only book it for 28 weeks, so still over a week to go.

abab I'm also full of cold, it's so delightful (not)! Really struggling with breathing, and I'm going through an insane amount of tissues each day, urgh.

We're at lettuce stage here I also had to google rutabaga, and then explained to DS that baby is the size of a turnip. Those fruit and veg are very random! But DS loves checking each Friday what size the baby is now.

My bum is agony

That is all.

Yes I know - the only time I don't want a call! Nothing so far but early days obviously! Sadly it's making me answer all calls off withheld numbers, so far I've had 2 PPI and one solar panels arghhh ??

Brooke - I didn't get told anything at my NT scan. I could read the figure from the scan report from my notes and knew it was high (actually I could see on the screen it was thick) but no one talked to me about it until the midwife rand me a few days later with the results of the scan and blood test. I had a 1:5 risk unfortunately although it was never established that baby actually had any problems.

I've though about the Harmony test but with 6 children between us, 1 of whom is at university, and with Christmas looming on the horizon I just can't justify the expense. I will consider amino or cvs depending on my NT/combined result although I would be very unlikely to terminate for medical reasons. I don't think testing is the be all and end all anyway as it doesn't diagnose all problems. My 12 yo DS has a rare condition that it wouldn't have revealed.

Our baby is apparently lentil sized at the ripe old age of 6wk2. I'm getting apprehensive about my scan this weekend now. The last scan I had was one of the worst moments of my life and I keep getting flashbacks. I really need my DP but unfortunately the Army needs him more this week and he won't be home until tomorrow night. I'm distracting myself with countless trashy episodes of I Found the Gown and hoping I can actually fit into a nice dress when I get married in 17 months time!!

Flu jab this afternoon and hoping it doesn't make me feel rough!

Flottilaz sorry to hear about your bum!

I think I need to get this fruit app. I have to wait until a week on Monday for my nuchal scan. The bloods have already been taken so will have full results on the day. I keeping everything crossed that all will be fine as then I can tell my DC and everyone else!

My painful blood test last week turned out to be an arterial puncture! I took photos of the bruising but haven't wanted to post them as it is quite shocking! My whole arm still hurts and it will take sometime for the bruising from the internal bleed to clear! I never did like blood tests!

Sorry to hear you are so anxious Probably. It is such a worrying time and I can understand that it must be particularly hard for you especially with DP away.

Tomorrow is nearly here, I am sure you will feel better when you have some reassurance at home.

Yes Probably I'm glad your DP will be back tomorrow. I haven't told a soul and I'm 12 wks tomorrow - if I didn't have my DH to share my every worry and twinge with I would explode! And of course I have you lovely people on MN!

Flotillaz hope your bottom feels better soon

Sezramum I had that once - my whole arm went purple - it gets better each day though.

My 12wk scan is on Tuesday - I have also had some horrible scan experiences, but I had a good one at 10+3. Fingers crossed for this one.

I've just had my Harmony test results back and all looking good. They've also confirmed that it's a third boy, entirely as expected!

My app has animals. Mine is the size of a ladybird at the moment apparently.

Fabulous news Kungful!

Flottilaz your pain sounds awful, I really hope it settles soon.

Kungfu that's great news, congratulations

Hello to all the new joiners and congratulations!!

Today was actually really nice. It was a beautiful day and we took ds to the botanical gardens. He had a lovely walk and will hopefully be very tired by bedtime. I've also done my DIL duty

Question to those of you who have had the Harmony test, do they just post the results to you or do you have to go in and see someone to discuss the outcome?

Well, I just had a negative pregnancy test after having had a positive on my Clearblue Advanced Fertility monitor thing on Sunday. No sign of my period. This seems like an pretty obviously bad sign (I'm OK, expectations successfully managed I suppose). Anyone care to venture a hypothesis?

My period remains 5 days late on a clockwork-like 28 day cycle.

The negative test is not on my monitor, which will only allow me to test from 7-11am (annoying). It is late in the day and I've drunk quite a lot, so pretty dilute urine.

Oh dear bottlecap. I used the clearblue fertility monitor last time round but that only tested for ovulation not pregnancy so I'm clueless I'm afraid. I guess you'll need to test again tomorrow with fmu. Fingers crossed.

Ouch Flotillaz! Piles?
And an ouch for you Sezra. How on earth did they manage that? The app is cute fruit. I got it for dd but my mum also texts me every Tuesday to find out! Not sure I want to picture baby as an animal Nicky. Ladybird is ok but I'd probably get hippo!
The appointment was given to me at my booking appointment Cloud. No one mention a time scale so not sure what the rules are. I'm just happy I can keep eating puds!
Excellent news Kungfu.
Hope scan goes well Probably.
No clue what that means Bottle. Definitely go for first thing in the morning though. I do know I had loads of negative tests with dd & was 2 weeks late before I got a positive. Everything crossed it's just the hormone level not showing yet.

Thanks abab and grizzler I've taken this opportunity to have a glass of wine. Will test in the am.

I have succumbed to cute fruit. Baby is the size of a grape

Good plan Bottle