Pregnancy in your 40's

[msdynamo]

I have just discovered I'm 5 weeks pregnant at 44. I would love any advice from women who have been in a similar situation.

I had my first child at 40 and my second at 46. No eyebrows were raised anywhere slthough the doctor doing one of my ante-natal scans did ask if I was trying to beat Cherie Blair!

I had my first child at 40 and my second at 46. No eyebrows were raised anywhere slthough the doctor doing one of my ante-natal scans did ask if I was trying to beat Cherie Blair!

I had my first child at 40 and my second at 46. No eyebrows were raised anywhere slthough the doctor doing one of my ante-natal scans did ask if I was trying to beat Cherie Blair!

Sorry for the repeated message - my computer was playing up so I didn't think it had gone through.

well done ladies! I am 43 and have not entirely given up hope of a 4th dc!

just a word - i am also a GP, and tbh our local hospital no longer does confirmatory PT as home ones are so accurate; and examination will add nothing to your pos home PT. I always try to be really happy for pregnant ladies who come to me and encouraging and positive, but I neither examine them nor offer confirmatory pt's!

lst xx

I had my first (only) at 41 and haven't found it hard work either. And I think I've been able to be a much better mum because I'm older.

Hi lemonstartree, thanks for the note on GP's not confirming pregnancies. It must be a new thing because they used to a few years ago. Anyway, it's good to know it's standard practice. Congratulations to Salbal, for having 2 babies in your 40's and the last at 46, that's brilliant! Also Aviatrix, it's good to know it's not exhausting for everyone. I feel so lucky to be experiencing this pg at my age in terms of where I'm at in my life.

BTW Blocky, thanks for the comment about dental issues. I'll take your advice about the internet and hold back from absorbing too much scary information!

I'm going to be 39 soon and was feeling like maybe was getting on a bit to be thinking about trying for a second (ds is coming up to 2), but this thread has given me hope and inspiration. Cluck cluck!

I agree Msdynamo. That's really impressive to have your first at 45 aviatrix and not to be wiped out with tiredness.

The thing is about older mothers is, look how many grandmothers take on full care of their grandchildren and cope fine and how many very young mothers can barely cope at all.

I feel much more emotionally up to motherhood than I did in my early 30s!

I'm 43 by the way!

I agree, Ipanema - the older you are, the more coping strategies you'll have learnt over the years. I'm certainly much more patient now than I was when in my 20s - although I still do lose it sometimes!

Takenopriz I didn't borrow this book from the library for ds yesterday, I thought, I don't want to remind him how grumpy I can be!

Congratulations. I've just had my first (I'm 36) and it is wonderful and now I want 4!! So I need to get on with it.

Re the coffee thing, I would be a bit careful and be aware that when you ask for a decaff in a cafe that they do give you a decaff. I completely gave up caffeine, asked for decaff and after I finished it, I felt really weird and I'm sure it was caffeinated and actually quite strong.... that was my first preg and didn't work out. Don't want to worry anyone, but just something to be aware of.

I was 44 when I had my second - he's now 7, so I am living proof that it can be done - and your sanity sort of stays intact!

Just a little note, as im a young mum so out of place, but wanted to say my mother had me (her first and only) when she was 45, and that was nearly 29 years ago! The drs where very worried, bla bla, and wanted her to have all sorts of extra tests, for downs, etc etc, but she just felt certain everything was fine and ignored them mostly- she must have a barrel load of self belief, but i arrived with no complications.
So, good luck and enjoy!
(As for the post on hair dye, there are plenty of natural organic variaties available, and re stretch mark oils the best ive ever found is from Vital Touch, from their Natalia range. their most yummy Prenatal boxes, inc the oil, are available on www.MummyDeli.com.
but individual items are available from Vital touch's own website)

Ipanema!

Welcome to everyone new to the thread

Never stopped drinking coffee but then I do not drink it very often and probably only have 1-2 cups a day

I am having a very tired and emotional week. Think it's more than just hormones I know my HB is on the way down it was only 10.9 when I ended up in hospital 2 weeks ago despite being a meat and green leafy veg and take a pregnancy multi vit Oh well should know next week when the bloods taken on Thursday come back.

I am so jealous of all those who have had a problem free pregnancy I appear to lurch from one thing to the next All problems just uncomfortable, irritating or painful but I am not really enjoying being pregnant at all

Hi Kaz,

Sorry to hear you're feeling under the weather, I hope the bloods throw some light on how you're feeling. Try to stay positive and treat yourself to something nice today, whether it's a trip to the cinema or buying yourself a prezzie. Not too long to go for you now. Are you having to work or are you at home? My friend who's due in 2 weeks, aged 44, worked up to the final month, I don't know how she managed it!

Hi Seeker and Sydmummy, welcome!

Thanks for the goodluck message mummyserendip.

Hi lovely ladies,

Here's a great article to read for us 40 somethings, posted by Wahwah on the other thread for 40 something mums

read this

Check out the 40+ and proud thread too!

Hello,

Had my first baby at 36 and the second at 41. We were pregnant within 3 months with the first but nearly 18 months with the second.

I will probably be beaten up by a few of you but I think pregnancy scaremonging is rife. You cant eat this or that, no coffee, no shellfish and the list goes on and on and on......

When we were trying to get pregnant the second time my GP asked me to sit on her 'lucky chair'. As I hadnt met her before I thought she was joking but she actually asked me to move from where I had been sitting and try this particular chair. Within two months I was pregnant! Apparently when she retired a couple of years ago she took the chair with her.

I saw a very sensible consultant in my first pregnancy armed with a list of 'banned' foods. He told me most things are fine in moderation and after all pate and the odd glass of wine has never harmed the French. Its early days yet but you have been pregnant before which I think is the most important thing.

What I would say to women generally is dont leave it too late. The media hype up the fact that you can freeze your eggs when you are young, Cherie Blair having a baby at 46 but these are expections. We all hand on heart know people who have tried IVF and failed, a very close relative put off having a baby and by the time she was 40 she was going through the menopause. She went to the US for donor eggs (the success rate is about 65% live birth rate) and she has just had a baby but for a number of people donor eggs are a step too far - although who knows what we would do when options are taken away from us.

Hold your head high at the school gates. Both my sons are at school now and to be honest I dont really know anyones age especially in these days of Botox, fillers etc.

Guess I should jump in here. Congratulations ms dynamo. I am 44 and about to have my baby in a month. All has gone fine. I did no genetic testing except the scans which are standardly done here in canada where I live now. all the scans were fine. I have been sick all through the pregnancy but I always am with all my kids. In fact, when I didn't get sick, I had miscarriages (2). Energywise, same as before but I do feel more anxious about something going wrong than I did when I had my babies younger. But everyone keeps telling me I look great, am very thin (not that I tried but the baby is pulling off all the old baby fat) and according to the moms at my kids school, my skin glows. I am too sick to notice. Good luck and feel free to ask me anything.

I am 44 (for another 3 weeks or so anyway ) and have a 13 mo DD.

I was 43 when I conceived and when I had her. I was very sick throughout, but I have grown up kids too and I was very sick with all of them, so I don't think that's an age thing.

I was worried about there being something wrong with her and my DH insisted on amnio. At the last minute she was breech so I had ECV and then a CS. We joked that I was trying to have all the interventions possible that we'd never had before

The only bit I found a struggle was that in the last 10 weeks I couldn't walk very far without getting out of breath and worn out. That might have been age as I climbed Glastonbury Tor at 38 weeks with DC3 with no trouble

Actually looking after her day to day is no harder than when I was 23 with her sister.

I am 40 and 8 weeks pregnant after a gap of a decade.

My midwife has advised no sex for the first trimester and no flying at all.

This wasnt the case for number one and two, seems a little harsh.

Any thoughts>