40+ pregnancy

[Cleozeta]

Hi, I'm 41, and 4w 4d pregnant. Trying not to get too excited yet as I know it's high risk.
Any other 40+ people out there? How are you getting on?

Congratulations snore! How many weeks are you? I know what you mean penguin even though and early scan can reassure it doesn't mean something won't go wrong still.
I got my second hcg test back and shows levels are doubling every 48 hrs so doctor said that's good news.

Hi! Glad to see this board :-) I am 41 and am nearly 7 weeks pregnant, I have an 20 month DD who is hard work. I had been told a few years ago that I had very low chances of conceiving so pretty stunned to possibly have a 2nd. Really worried about the scans and chromosome tests due to my age. I also have to have a cervical stitch inserted as I lost my first baby at 21 weeks due to an incompetent cervix, so really crazy mix of happiness and worry.
How is everyone else coping with the tiredness? My DD really needs taking out for walks like a dog to wear her out but all I want to do is sit on the sofa! :-(

Hey jojo 8+5 today and the worry seems go be getting worse not better. We saw a hb at 7+2 but still that ever present angst is there...

Hi guys

Mind if I join? Currently 41 years young and 6+2 with hopefully DC2, suffered two miscarriages last year and a CP. One was at 11wks and ended up with a D&C, the other at 6 weeks. To say I'm a bag of nerves this time round in an understatement!?!

I have an early scan next week, so trying to focus on reaching that stage, but still know there are no guarantees as we got a heartbeat before my first miscarriage.

How is everyone containing there nerves? I'm sure people at work are beginning to look at me funny!?!

41 here and currently 32 weeks. I’m classed as high risk owing to age and you’ll be offered extra scans and appointments. I’ve also been told I won’t be allowed to go over my due date. Touchwood my pregnancy has been plain sailing. No morning sickness really or heartburn.

That's great news jojo! Does it put your mind at rest? Another week until the scan. I'm driving myself nuts with anxiety over it. I never had it like this with my other 2! In fact I don't think I really worried at all with them. I seem to be reading my this time. I may stay away from the internet a little bit until after the scan now, before I truly go nuts.
Congrats to all the other ladies on here, I hope it continues to go well for you all

Thanks Cleo! It does but I'm still fretting about the scan like you! I've stopped reading now, I think I know enough and was just making me panic.
Congratulations to all the new ladies. Nice to see there's so many of us 😊
Harvey I'm the same, my only symptom has been tiredness and I have a very bouncy 18 month old. It's exhausting.
I've been getting insomnia. I suffer a bit now and again but I'm spending all day exhausted get to bed and I'm wide awake. I'm sleeping at the most from about 11.30 - 5.30 and then I'm wide awake but shattered.

I am exactly the same Jojo, I lie awake for ages but spend the whole day feeling knackered. It's even harder when you know you can't rely on coffee! Have my first hospital appointment on Saturday and dreading it. Good luck to everyone on here!

I’m the same with the insomnia. Exhausted during the day, asleep on the sofa at 8pm and then 4.30am, boom I’m awake and can’t get back to sleep.

Oh Cleo, that nightmare sounds awful, I know it always takes me most of the day to shake off the really vivid ones so I hope it didn't cause you too much stress. No issues in that department since falling pregnant tho, which is awesome as I do tend to have them when stressed.
Hi to all the new ladies :-D
When I went to my surgery to report my positive home tests I was told they no longer test for pregnancy, told me to register online with the hospital and gave me a midwife appt, that's it though. Have those of you that have been having hcg tests and earlier appts (my first one is when I'm 8 and a bit weeks) had to ask for these? From what I can gather it's quite specific to your location and whether you have accommodating staff at your surgery, is this about right?!
I had hoped with me being 43, and having had the miscarriage last year (no previous pregnancies though) I might get some extra support.

Oh, and me too with the insomnia, have always had trouble getting off to sleep but this waking at 4am thing is very new and not making me happy!!

Hi Penguin, I didn't ask for the midwife appointment it was just the standard booking in appointment. It was very early it's normally at about 8 wks. I won't see her again until I'm 16 wks now, if I get that far. She said it was something to do with them changing system they were trying to get everyone booked on. The HCG blood test I did ask for at my doctors appointment. She could see I'd been trying for some time and I was anxious so when I asked for it she said ok. I got the impression they don't normally. You could give your concerns about previous miscarriage and push for tests or an early scan? My understanding is the blood test isn't much use after when a heart beat would be detected so it might be better to push for a scan now.

I have midwife booking in appt at about 8 weeks, and a private scan at 7 weeks. Nothing else offered on NHS

Ah, thanks JoJo and Cleo. I think I'll just bide my time and wait for the regular appointments. It's not like anything can be done if there are any issues, and I don't want to use resources that won't directly benefit me. I know that anything positive I find out at this stage will only apply to that moment so it may help that day but then the stressing will return after that! I actually feel pretty positive at the moment, feeling ok in myself and as it's so different to last time symptom-wise and much less stressful in terms of life happenings-wise plus I'm now a day past the point where I had the miscarriage, it seems reasonable to feel hopeful :-D
Hope that everyone else is finding peace in their every day thoughts and not finding that the stress is outweighing the excitement!

I had another nightmare last night. This time about a mmc. I know how massively common these are and my mind is playing on that. I need to stop reading mn as there are constant talk of these things, but I find it hard to stop!! I wish I could just not stress about it and take things day by day. I need Friday to hurry up so I can have the scan and just get it done so I know what is going on.
I hope everyone else is ok?

@Cleozeta mmc is not massively common! There's like a 1% chance, which means there's a 99% chance of not having one. I know how you feel because it was my major worry before my 12 week scan too. It tends to be overrepresented on communities like these I think which makes us worry more.

I also sympathise with the nightmares, I had so many of those. And it's so much harder to stop with the research and Googling than you want it to be. The most helpful thing I've found so far is to put the radio on in the background while I'm doing other things (e.g. reading/working/cooking etc), it stops the 'other bit' of my brain from overthinking everything so I don't suddenly think 'oh I was just going to check [whatever]'. I hope you manage to find a way to relax - I think you have a scan coming up this week if my maths is right. Fingers crossed that will set your mind at rest xx

Sorry just reread your post and your scan is on Friday. Good luck! x

Thanks Tiny. Yeah I read somewhere that it is supposed to be a 1% chance but convinced myself that must be outdated as almost every person on mn has had one and I know people in real life who have too. But I get that maybe mn might be slightly over represented. It just worries me as it sounds so awful. I will try to remind my brain that it's 1%!!!
Thanks for tips on distractions, I'll try that. Just need to make sure I keep busy for the next 4.5 days!!!

Scan today at 9 weeks and measuring right for my dates :0)

Oh no Cleo it's such an anxious time 😣 that's a good idea to have something on in the background. I've been having very vivid dreams the short amount of time I'm asleep but no nightmares yet. I didn't realise MMC was as low risk as that, sounds a bit better than what I thought.
Great news snore ☺️

If you are thinking of having extra tests, be aware beforehand of why you are having them.
Tests come with their own risks. Often the chance of miscarrying is higher than the chance of finding anything. Is it worth the risk just to know?

Generally 'chromosomal' means testing for Downs and tbh what would the point of testing be unless you are planning on terminating? That's an assumed course of action.

My goddaughter has downs and is the most beautiful human ever.

I don't know which particular post that is a response to, but even the basic chromosomal tests are not just for Downs but also for Edwards and Patau's, two serious and life-limiting conditions where the baby might not even get to full term. If you are high risk you are also offered testing for other conditions which may be serious. People's decisions regarding children with Down's or other disabilities are very personal and often heart-breaking, relating to their own life situation.

Also, sometimes the testing for Down's turns up further, serious defects that may need operating on at birth or mean that the baby will have no quality of life. Every parent has the right to make their own decision on these matters.

Had my third at 38
Was all good, they kept a bit more of an eye on me and I had to have injections when I went home after having him.
The thing that worried me most was unwanted opinions of other people.
Try and block them out!

Moofolk. Are you referring to the harmony testing which has been mentioned? It's non invasive prenatal testing. It is done by a simple blood test in the mother's arm so no risks at all. I think this is more accurate than the nhs tests so you wouldn't need CVS or amnio which are the tests which come with a miscarriage risk. As far as I know there are no risks with having early scans.

Congrats snore, that must be a releif
As for chromasome testing, the most common way to test these days is NIPT which has no risk.