40+ mums-to-be and those who've 'popped' - come say hi, pull up a chair and have some cake!

[jeanjeannie]

Hello everyone - yet another thread. I'm expecting a call anyday soon from ITV - as I imagine we'll be prime candidates for taking over the Loose Women slot when they need a break

So, for anyone interested in joining in with us - just jump in and say Hi - we don't bite - unless you're disguised as a chocolate sponge cake

Ladies..................Take it away

On the ball JJ! Thanks!

jj girls night in hey, enjoy

Hello mrsjupiter

Hullo again. Heard the heartbeat (rate 142-157), met new (to me) and quite wonderful midwife who said that she is completely behind me if I want to have a homebirth. She was very cross about the whole "induce at 38 weeks just because you're over 39" thing our local unit seems to favour. She said that if anything it puts babies at more risk due to prematurity and potential feeding problems, and the benefits are at best tenuous. Another interesting thing she believes is that whatever the age of the mother, if she is in good health, and the baby seems well, there is most likely to be a good outcome. She also said that she's worked with Caroline Flint!

All in all, she seems to be exactly my sort of midwife.

Oh, and a short while later in Sainsbury's while buying clearasil for number 1 child, I got a massive, electric shock type kick- my first definitely detectable kick! Huzzah!

Fantastic duchesse!

Thanks for new thread JJ and enjoy that sherry.

Bonzo gorgeous little feet! And very good clear scan photos generally.

duchesse hurrah for nice midwife. Am a bit at the idea of inducing over 38 wks if you're more than 39. WTF is that about?! There's no reason to induce any earlier because of maternal age, surely. Induction is one of my big fears - came close to it with DS who was 10 days late, so went for a cervical sweep (when DH tells this story he does it in a Dale Winton stylee and says I had a supermarket sweep...) which was way more painful than labour - I was wriggling about and crying with the pain of it while this little Chinese midwife determinedly bashed away at my over-ripe cervix with a strength you wouldn't think she owned - owwww! - and then the next day I had a huge show at 12, fetched DD from school, started contractions and called DH around 2.30 and plopped DS out at 5.30. So I was all over that midwife when she came out to see me later in the week, couldn't thank her enough for inflicting that pain on me .

Anyway, healthy mother and no complications with baby are indeed the main factors for a straightforward labour so let's keep fingers crossed things stay that way.

The reason they do it is because they reckon the placenta in a woman over 40 (or 39 or whatever) is at greater risk of failing past 40 weeks. It's statistics is all.

I was told that I would be induced at 39 weeks for this reason - by the time 39 weeks came around I had GD so there was another reason for induction and I couldn't refuse but I did have a very late private scan and they told me my placenta was functioning perfectly.

oh bonzo darling little feet - what a lovely scan pic! mine were never so clear.

duchesse how brilliant that you got a cool midwife - that's so reassuring. And the first kick - what a day

Have to say I had none of this induction malarky after 39/40. Before I decided on the elect C-sec I was told that if I wanted to go for a VBAC then it'd be business as usual until 41-42 weeks when they'd do a sweep. Gosh - different trusts/hospital do treat you so differently

tee some LOs love the Bumbo - just that my two are wrigglers!!

good greif! induce at 38 weeks cos you are over 39 what a crazy idea are they trying to increase their cs rates??? Here in Cambs (which has a very high proposruion of over 40 moms) they would have let me go to almost 42 before even considering an induction .
Hi MrsJ lovely to hear from you, got to go and put DS1 back to bed!!

I thought that over 40 induction thing was the same everywhere

tee Bumbo is a love it or hate it thing - I don't have one but they put D in one in the nursery and he likes it - although he has a habit of bouncing and pushing down with his feet which I reckon will lead to him going splat backwards out of it very soon

As you are getting it free why not give it a go and see how your LO likes it?

mrsb nobody's mentioned induction to me here - I'll ask the MW at my 29 wks to see if there's a policy, but don't get the feeling they're that prescriptive about it. Crazy how much difference it can make to your care depending on which HA you're in.

Tee I know some people rate Bumbos, and as mrsb says why not keep it in and give it a go if it's a loan? Mine went from slumping miserably in it looking pathetic to kicking themselves out backwards, in the space of about 2 weeks! So you'll need to keep an eye on it at first, but then that goes for everything they might work their way out of; these pesky babies learn all sorts of sneaky Houdini-type tricks overnight .

when the consultant explained this induction business to me ermintrude he went on to explain that they would do it as "at your age this will be your last baby so we don't want it to die" a few assumptions there eh?

I've considered a bumbo. One minute yes, the next no. Just not made my mind up about them.

I was always told that I'd never go to 40 weeks (how right that was!) and would be induced beforehand. Mind you I had GD to thank for that more than my age I think.

K has found a new party piece. Arching her back and squawking. I only remember my older ones doing this when they were toddlers. Even putting clothes on her is awkward as she wriggles and arches. Anyone else had this?

Awww. Home alone JJ. Get mistresses on BBC1 and enjoy!

no arching and squawking here jw(sounds funny though ) but we do get a v annoying "heckk heckk heckk" fake coughing noise when he is displeased...

Ah - home alone no more - the wander hath returned!

jw Iris does that back arching thing - it's so annoying, espeically when nappy changing. Then she does the stiff-as-a-board thing when you want her in the car seat and end up having to almost forcibly bend her in the middle! And the other classic is 'jelly legs' get her out of the car or pram, go to put her on the floor and up go the feet and legs go all floppy

mrsB Verity does that weird coughing thing - she does it to grab attention although she's recently taken to scrunching up her fists, screwing her face up and screaching

I actually asked my OB at my last appointment about CS versus vaginal and early inducement. He said, right now, at 24 weeks (this was last week) I have a 50/50 chance either way.

And this has nothing to do with my age and everything to do with my diabetes.

bonzo those tiny little feet are just scrumptious!

JJ What an exciting day and wow! at the 2 hr labour

MrsJupiter How wonderful to hear that you and Eva are doing so well..though sorry you both went through such a rough time...I love reading how much people love being a Mum, I could (and do) talk about it for hours...nothing anyone said prepared me for that overwhelming thing that is mother love. Fabulous isnt it?

As to induction..I was induced at 38wks due to GD and high blood pressure ...my age was never mentioned ... at the time they said I only had a 50-50 chance of delivering naturally (Alex was head down but not engaged and I was only 1 cm dilated ie no change from the week before)but I prefered giving it a go to having a elective CS.

JW if you want to try a Bumbo you are welcome to mine. Alex loved it at 12 wks but was sitting up unassisted at 16wks so it hasnt seen much use and it is sitting on top of his wardrobe gathering dust.

Started this post at 11.00 but his lordship woke and so I'm finishing now and off tobed before he demands my precence again

Floria I think I'll take you up on your kind offer We'll have to arrange to meet up - praps over a coffee and hand over the bumbo furtively, like russian spies

It's a shame we're scattered all over the place as I've got lots of stuff I could loan out to you preggie ladies to save buying. A share co-operative would be a great idea to keep costs down.

Btw, I saw that Blooming Marvellous have added new lines to their sale clothes. Worth a look.

Did anyone see the start to finish picks of the pregnancy pics on DM? Unfortunately, my belly would have started somewhere on the week 17-20 pics Ah well........at least I don't look like scrawny Keith Richards' daughter.

JJ I meant to say I remember the jelly legs well. 'Can't stand up' mine used to wail. And the knee to bend them into a pushchair I remember too Oh lord, it's all coming back to me now. I've got to do this all over again. HELP! My youngest son had another toddler tantrum trick of taking his shoes and socks off anywhere we were (supermarket, pavement etc) and sitting down saying he couldn't walk anymore. I'd just carry on walking and it's amazing how he found the power of his legs again. I must say, I hate that stage of toddlerhood. It's as though they're possessed.

Funny you mention the cough Verity does. K doesn't cough but she bangs her fist against her thigh. It must hurt her but she keeps going anyway. Anyone who gets in the way of the fist gets a smack in the face. She's such a dainty little child

Marinated anchovies (on special offer at the deli counter in Sainsburys at the mo) are literally the food of the gods. Have been eating them about 6 times a day for the last couple of weeks. Have also stocked up the freezer in case they stop being on special offer.

Pregnant, moi?

mornin all

Anchovies - bleeeurrgghh duchesse you can have 'em all!

saw that pregnant lady thing in the DM jw I have to say I get quite irritated by women going on about being "hugely fat" just because they have a baby bump even though the rest of them remains as skinny as ever. They are incubating a flppin' baby - where do they expect it to fit? "Oooohh I hated myself - I put on 2 stone" no you didn't! you grew a baby inside you!

Of course some women do get fat from eating huge amounts but that's different .

It would be great if we all lived closer - most of what we bought we have fund to be very useful and I don't have anyone to pass it on to. Speaking of which, the Amby is really coming into its own now - we just plonk D into it at bedtime or nap time and you can hear him bouncing himself to sleep for a few minutes then he's asleep! I wish he wasn't getting too big for it.

What is this "amby" that everyone keeps going on about?

< yet another thing that's changed completely since the last time I did this >

I am getting an amby for sure. Its this amby duchesse

Yes, I'm home again today. Going to try to see my GP in the next few days. Just feel so BLAH.

Bonzo the feet! awww...

Duchesse these are the famous 'boquerones en vinagre' I used to fill my face with when I lived in Spain. They are the best things in the world. I want some now!

I saw my GP yesterday and she let me listen to the heartbeat although it took her ages to find with her dicky old machine but then there it was of course. I must calm down.

I'm not worried about induction because I'll be having my baby in German where it will surely arrive on time!?!

Induction sounds scary, why on earth would they do that? I'm so sick of them sucking their teeth whenever they see I'm an 'elderly primate' (methinks a man might have thought that name up!) when my body is working just fine thank you very much. Rant over.

A lovely sunny day here, hope you all get to enjoy it!