November 2023 babies - thread 4

[AngeloMysterioso]

Here you go!

@WhyIsTheDogBlue welcome and congratulations on your pregnancy, it sounds like you’ve had quite a journey! I’m an older mum too, 41, and I’m more anxious this pregnancy than I was in my first, although I was old then too 😅
So far so good and I’ve got my 20 week scan in 2 weeks, I can’t wait!

@Travellingislife thank you, yes its been quite the journey so far!
Have you been advised to take aspirin with being an older mum? I was advised 150mg every evening, but my stomach can't tolerate it so I'm taking 75mg which so far im coping with(but only with omeprazole too) midwife has said 75mg is better than nothing and was the advised dose until fairly recently when they upped it to double!

Good luck with your scan in 2 weeks.
I can't wait for mine which isn't until beginning of July. I'm down for extra growth scans every 3 was from 28wks as being older, we're apparently more susceptible to smaller babies.

@WhyIsTheDogBlue they haven’t said anything about aspirin, it seems like it’s very different between each trust when it comes to many things.
I had an emergency c section the last time but now I want to try a vaginal one so technically I should be under specialist care but I don’t get extra scans as far as I’m aware, that would be nice though! I think I don’t get to see the specialist until after week 28.

@Travellingislife its really is odd how there seems to be such disparity amongst the different trusts. Maybe its also to do with the fact its also my first pregnancy as well as being over 40? Or maybe my PCOS? I have non8dea when I see the consultant, other than that I'm to be led by them. I guess maybe I'll find that out at my next appointment.

@WhyIsTheDogBlue ah I meant consultant care, not specialist care 🤪
My friend was under consultant care in the same trust and she as seen every 4 weeks or so. I saw my midwife at 16 weeks and won’t see her again until week 28! It feels very far away.

Did anyone go to the baby show in Liverpool today? We went because the next one nearby is Manchester in November so be too late

@WhyIsTheDogBlue I also “older” with first baby yay 40. I’m 14+4, was also advised to take aspirin- was told it’s because risk of preeclampsia higher due to age x

@Hopewishprayer thats what I was told too, also that it can help reduce chances of restricted growth in baby. Glad im not tge only "older" mum on here and there are a few of us! My MW said they are seeing more older mums theses days and know a lot more than even a few years ago, so its not the big issue it once was, as they have more knowledge of what the best course of action is.
She also prefers to use term the term "older mum" to "Geriatric pregnancy" which she thinks sounds offensive and like we should be drawing our pensions😂. My notes say "advanced maternal age" on them, but that's too long to say, so I'm happy with older mum for now, although I don't feel old and I'm lucky to look much younger than I am, due to good strong young genes on both sides of family!

@LeeanneD11 its been a few years since my last 2 pregnancies I can’t remember exactly when I felt flutters, I’m guessing it was around the 17/18 week mark on first (singleton) and maybe around the 16 week on my twins.
Im 16+ 1 and have yet to feel any flutters, more pressure than anything especially if bladder is full. I’ve been told I have an anterior placenta (I never knew on last pregnancies what position was) so I’m not sure if that’ll have an impact on when to feel movements!
I can’t wait to feel them tho!

Anterior placenta means placenta is at the front I had one in my previous pregnancy. Hopefully it won't be long maybe I just felt pressure , I can't wait to feel the movements xx

@WhyIsTheDogBlue defo not the only one! Another 41 yr old here, nice to have others too. Altho I’ve been calling myself 42 as it’s so soon. Wasn’t told anything about asprin but will ask. I am under consultant care because of my age, but also I mentioned about additional scans at the 16 wk appt and midwife said ‘you can have consultant care if you like’ and circled it in my book! Wasn’t expecting that.

hoping to feel movements soon as 18 wks almost, but anterior placenta so I’m trying not to worry if I don’t. Still have quite bad nausea. 🤪

Has anyone else still got the nausea?

Wow, @WhyIsTheDogBlue, what a conception story, so happy for you! I'm 39, turning 40 a couple of weeks after my due date- just happy I can have some drinks on my 40th!! 😆

@WhyIsTheDogBlue I'm under 40 but is advised to take daily dose of aspirin (150mg) by my obstetrician. My understanding is that overall it's beneficial to reduce the risk of preeclampsia (if your blood pressure is on the higher side). In general it improves circulation via the umbilical cord. It also helps with women who's got an office job or a job that generally sits most of the day.

The aspirin decision is based on your risk factors for pre-eclampsia, so age is risk factor but if you're under 40 and you have other risk factors you may also be advised to take it. It's the only thing that has been shown to reduce the risk - calcium also can but only if you have a low calcium diet which most people in Western Countries do not.

@Cegbee ah good to know thanks! I have low Bp so maybe that’s why it wasn’t mentioned.

@spanglesj yes likely. I think age on it's own with no other risk factors doesn't qualify you. (I'm a doctor and I work in a maternity hospital but I'm not an obstetrician!).

When I had my booking appointment I made a joke about being a 'geriatric mother' as I'm 38 and MW told me that they've changed from >35 to >40 as it's now so common for women to be having babies over 35. However she did also say that 99.9% of the mums she sees over 40 are in far better health than those in their early-mid 20s. I did then notice that the area in the maternity risk assessments that's printed as >35 have all got stickers over that now say >40. The joys of tick box exercises eh 🤷🏻‍♀️

@WhyIsTheDogBlue yes good to see lots of people around 40 in the group! Same I’m really healthy and always told I look much younger than my age - maybe that is because I’ve no children- perhaps in another year I will start to look my age 😂
@Cegbee i git my BFP a week before my 40th so no alcohol for me during all my celebrations- going to pretend it’s my 40th again next year and enjoy the champagne!!

@JD90 thats really interesting and reassuring to know 😊

Its comforting to see that there are quite a few of us older mums here on the group. At my 12wk scan and my appointment the other ladies in the waiting room looked and sounded very young. I'm often told that the way I talk gives away that I'm older than my looks perceive me to be.
Other than tan having PCOS I'm very fit and healthy and my MW said pretty much the same as @JD90 s did in regards to younger vs older mums health wise.

@Hopewishprayer my friends have all joked that this time next year I'll be looking just as grey, wrinkled and haggered as they are😂. But then my GM had 7 DC, youngest of which when she was 38 (which in the 70s was positively ancient!) and she barely had a wrinkle on her in her 80s, and only went grey in her late 70s.... so there is hope!

@Hopewishprayer I think that is a perfectly reasonable plan!!

I’m back at work tomorrow after a week off and have had to break out my maternity clothes as my normal work pants, which fitted me when I was last in, won’t close.
I am 16+5 and I’m definitely showing now.
I feel quite nervous about going into work tomorrow about comments I might get about my bump. My youngest DD is 17 months old and I’m sure I’m showing more than I was with her at the same point.

@Sb86 did you find it worthwhile going? I’d like to try and make it to one, but wasn’t sure if it was just full of pushy sales people …

@BabyBabyBaby123 I'd try get to one of the bigger ones if you can do. Do you know something...they weren't pushy at all, they were really helpful and said don't feel pressured into buying at the show if you don't want because we will honour the prices for a week after so you can go home and have a think. We got to see many different products under one roof that we may not have seen otherwise. Definitely recommend 😊

@BabyBabyBaby123 I'm also back at work tomorrow after having been off for almost a month (mix of annual leave and sickness) I haven't even thought of checking my uniform top... nhs tunics aren't very forgiving at the best of times 🤦🏻‍♀️ luckily I'm in the office tomorrow so can probably get away with not wearing it, but I'm pretty sure I am not zipping that up comfortably 🤣🤣 I'm only 15+1 but the belly is veeeeerrry much apparent

@WhyIsTheDogBlue your GM sounds like Wonder Woman! 💕