Pregnant, 40+ and Proud: Fabulous Mummies Sign Up Here!

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Following Ms Dynamo's wonderful news of her pregnancy and all the rest of us who are coming out of the woodwork ...a new, morale-boosting thread for those of us in our 40s currently going through pregnancy.

Come on, sign up: we are 40+ and FABULOUSLY PREGNANT!!!

No, I'm not in the US at all. This could be fun (told you my brain was struggling with the resting - I'll be telling knock knock jokes next). Tell you what, I'll give you some clues and we'll see how all those babybrains are doing!

I'm seven or eight hours ahead of the UK depending on the time of year (that narrows things down a bit doesn't it).
This country's been in the news a lot recently.
I can't read the road signs!

Going on the school lumber. Will ponder this!

mrsjupiter errr... China by any chance? Hong Kong or Beijing maybe? Are you limbering up for the Olympics? That's my guess anyway.

I love hanging my washing on the line though to be honest I do put my 'smalls' up close to the house so they're not seen by all and sundry. And lest we all forget not only the terrible expense of a tumble dryer but that it is not environmentally friendly either! (says disposable nappy mum)

jeanjeannie I know what you mean about the beauty stuff from DS. I didn't have a cs though so didn't have to have a nasty shave. DS just gave birth through a forest! (is this too personal??)

MRSJ are you in UAE? My guess for the day

Hello everyone - excited to hear about the scan JW - hope all is well. I have an appt with my MW tomorrow morning at 9am so looking forward to that!!

This weather is fab isn't it! My DH put my fab new hammock up yesterday bought it from M&S last year at end of season but due to crappy summer didn't get to see it up. It is huge and very comfortable for me and bump - we have parked it under some palm trees we have in the garden so nice and shady - aaawh bliss - thoroughly recommend it to all you ladies who can't get comfortable - just need to be careful not to fall off . Had the shock of my life earlier when the dog tried to jump up too!

Thanks for the tips on maternity jeans - I'll have to get some braces - good idea and what a fashion statement lol

Enjoy the sunshine - apparently it is good for LOs development - just keep hydrated and in the shade as much as poss

MrsJ - Tibet??? You'll have to put us out of our misery soon!

Love the idea of your hammock, babycakes, but I remember trying to get into a hammock once when I was reasonably slender, so probably have no chance now, great lumbering whale that I am!

Vitamin D - very good for the baby, so make the most of it, everyone!

jw hope all went well with the scan....and good luck with yours tomorrow babycakes Hahahah loving the idea of a hammock....can't see me getting in...or out of one at the moment...well, not with any dignity intact

Now, mrsj I DO love a quiz (oh I long for a good pub quiz!) My first thought was Dubai...but I think that's only about 7 hours away. Oooo what about Iraq? Plenty of Americans there and definately in the news! But I think I'm going to plump for Hong Kong? It's now China - so that's in the news........?????

But it would be so much more exotic if you were residing half way up the Himalayas in a Dali Lama retreat

Hi ladies and thanks jeanjeannie for asking.

Baby is absolutely fine and no signs of any problems

Oh, and it's girl flavour!

Sonographer was wonderful and pointed out all the anatomical parts he was scanning and why (just looked like a grey mass to me most of the time). He told us as he went along the measurements were fine. He also said there were no markers for Downs.

Hope this gives other 'more mature' mums to be out there hope that our insides aren't shrivelled up and hopeless!!!!!

oh johnworf fantastic news - so pleased for you - it's lovely to hear all is well gives me hope for my scan a week on Wednesday - hope you feel good about everything xx

Thanks babycakes Is your scan next week for your 20 weeks anomaly? If it is, I'm sure all will be well. Will you find out the sex of yours? TBH it was the thing I focused most on and didn't think about the 'what ifs'. I actually found it enjoyable.

At clinic, they put my insulin up from 1 injection of 8 units in the morning to 6 units morning and bedtime. No biggy apart from the pin cushion body effect. If I drink tea now, it pours out of little holes in my body like a colander

Oh johnworf that's such FAB news Really, really pleased for you - now you can relax a little. It's so nice when you get a sonographer who talks you through it...makes it an interesting and emotional event....rather than some of the stoney faced ones who just stare at the screen and say nothing. AND it's girl flavoured....get those name books out!!

Fab news johnworf, so pleased all was ok. Still two weeks til my 12 week scan. It seems to be going so slowly. Now you can think of girl flavour names. x

I thought that you lot had been quite on here! Found that my "watch" list notification thingy wasn't working!

Great news johnworf! Hope that you can now relax a little bit and enjoy your pregnancy!

Glad to hear your news, Johnworf. I am jealous as I has to wait another 8 days.

Great news johnworf. I'm coming up to 28 weeks now and having withdrawal symptoms from not seeing baby since 20 weeks. Are you telling everyone the flavour? We started to tell F & MIL but they really objected and didn't want to know. So we've just told everyone else!

pwcbird, I'm doing my toenails tomorrow! Didn't get round to it this morning, but realise I better get cracking while I can still reach them.

I'm hoping to book a massage this weekend using a Christmas present voucher. Decided I need cheering up - dd has given me her conjunctivitis (hers lasted about a day, I'm now on day 6!).

hi sophiesmiles - i'll pass you my email address through the Cat flap - I'll register tomorrow - its a bit late now for all that technical stuff -hope that's ok

Thanks ladies for your lovely comments. Yes it really does make a difference when the sonographer is kind and explains everything.

DH asked him 'how can you tell it's a girl?' Well duh!!!!!!!!! Thought the sonographer was going to draw him a picture

Fortified my next scan is at 28 weeks (for sizing) but I do hear that after 24 weeks scan quality isn't very good (on the 2d scans anyway). You haven't got long to wait until you see yours in real life anyway

Can finally relax and enjoy my pregnancy now. Oh and go shopping for lots and lots of pink things

Little bit stuck on the name front. Will have to get my thinking cap on.

I've just contacted the website from which I bought my Closer to Nature bottles. Apparently they contain the chemical BPA. Bottles containing this substance have been withdrawn across the US. Is it scare-mongering or something to think about?

I am considering returning my bottles etc. Anyone else know anything about this topic?

Great news johnworf - really glad you didn't have the silent experience.

And now, for the results of the riddle. Drumroll please....

I live in southern China in Guangdong province in a city called Shenzhen. I'm about 45 minutes from central Hong Kong by ferry, (an hour or more by car depending on traffic) and that's where I go for my consultant appointments and it's where I'll have the baby.

Congratulations those who guessed China/Hong Kong (yes in theory it's the same country but in practice it isn't or there would be a billion people trying to live in Hong Kong. Actually most of the time it does feel as though there are a billion people living in Hong Kong). You need a passport to cross the border and they stamp you each time. I filled a brand new passport in 15 months.

Those of you who guessed Tibet forgot the earlier clue about the flip flop weather. If I wore flip flops nine months of the year in Tibet I think the frostbite would take care of my pedicure for me!

I've been here for a year-and-a-half and before that we spent three years in the crazy capital city of a country with a very famous river and lots of desert...

Bit fed up today. Received stricter instructions from my doctor. He wants me to have been a week without even a spot of blood when I wipe before I can think about trying to move around. He wasn't worried about those little traces before but now it seems he's getting concerned that infection may be introduced through the areas that are bleeding whether it's vaginal or cervical. I haven't gone 72 hours without even a spot since the beginning of the pregnancy so unless my luck changes radically, looks like I'n going to know the tv schedule by heart come October.

johnworf DS 20 months has had closer to nature bottles since he was about 3 months old, with boiling water poured in them every morning and then the formula added as I needed a bottle (along with a zillion other mum's I expect). So, I am doomed with him already.
I watched breakfast news closely yesterday and the doctor on there basically said that, in her opinion, it was scaremongering and that the amount of bpa was tiny plus it has never shown any adverse effect on humans, only on animals which have a very different biological make-up to us. She said the best thing was to continue to use the bottles but not to pour boiling water into them. To boil your kettle and then leave it for 10 mintues before you pour the water into the bottle. So long as the temperature is 70degress or below the chemical is not released (which is why it's ok in dishwahsers). It's also ok to steam sterilize as you don't use the water in the bottle - you tip that out.
However.... whether the UK will change their opinion at a later stage I don't know. I've still got a few months before I have to go bottle buying again (apparently you must get new bottles for your new babies and not use your old ones as the older and more worn they get the more likely the chemical is released)so may think about it then. However I was very happy with my closer to nature bottles. DS happily swopped between breast and bottle with them and I would rather use them again if I could with the next one. Hmmm... food for thought eh.

Good afternoon ladies.
Just reporting that my very kind GP found my baby's heartbeat for me today. It is so reassuring. I am 20w, but haven't felt much movement. I have my scan in a weeks time, but I keep worrying. I was in to see the GP to review my pills and she understood my anxieties.
On the minus side, my BP is too high and I need to get the midwife and consultant involved in seeing if I need to take more pills.
I will also have to decide between my anti-depressant, Citalopram, and breastfeeding in the next few months. I don't want to give up on either. If anyone has any info, I would be grateful. The BNF says to avoid Citalopram during breastfeeding.

pwcbird thanks for that info. I did hear on the news about the 'safe below 70 degrees' info. I'm actually torn as I've heard great things about the Closer to Nature range in conjunction with BF. Mebbe I'll weather it out and just use the bottles as advised. I do believe the silicone teats do not contain BPA and are safe to use anyway

Hi LouiseAnn not sure if you were already on medication for hypertension before you got pregnant or whether it's something that's happened during your pregnancy? I was on my meds for high b/p before I conceived and mine are fine to take and so far (fingers crossed) my b/p is fine - y'day in clinic a nice 120/84. And I'm on the lowest dose possible at the moment - the consultant is considering stopping them altogether it's been that good!! I really wouldn't worry about taking them.

I don't know much about anti-depressents and BF so can't help you on that one I'm afraid.

On the movement front, I'm 21 weeks and mine has really only got into it's stride the past week and oh! is she making up for lost time If they've found LO's heartbeat then it's probably just shy

OOooo mrsJ you're sooo cosmopolitan!! Am feeling V pleased I sort of guessed right. So, before there you were somewhere else exotic too!...MMMmmmm, Cairo perhaps?....or maybe not - maybe I peaked earlier!! Hope your bleeding subsides soon...give you some peace. Have to say though....I bled every single day until 13 weeks....some really heavy - others just lightly...but always something. I've done this with both pregnancies.....odd and very stressful.

pwcbid didn't realise this about the Closer to Nature bottle...WAH! Think I'll use them again - but not put boiling water in them....don't think I can bear to part with a product that was such a success for us. There are just so many things to worry about....it's like taking on all the weaning worries...before you've even got the baby out!

Good news on heartbeat louiseann don't panic too much about movements...I didn't feel a thing with this one until 21-22 weeks and it's my 2nd.....was about 25 wks with dd1. Even then both of them were very light - almost misable flutterings until about 30 weeks.

Baby free day tomorrow....am heading for haircut and doing nails....can't wait Am feeling the heat at the moment...I have all the grace of a over-heated moose!

No new information but here's what tommee tippee say about their bottles (including closer to nature)...
www.tommeetippee.co.uk/

i've always loved hanging washing out - so it's not an age thing - maybe just a stragne thing!
never had a tumble drier - will i need one with a baby??
it's my 20 week scan this friday - i'm so excited and not at all worried. well just a tiny bit but sure everything will be ok.
i think i'm going to find out the sex aswell
keep changing my mind.

lou222 how on earth have you managed without a drier??? I would certainly recommend one with a baby and all the dirty washing it brings (for such a tiny thing).

I've just had my 20 week scan and really enjoyed it after all the worrying I did beforehand I'm sure you will too!