Is there a thread for the old birds who are pregnant and over 40?

[hippychick66]

I'm on a fab thread on the ttc section but am now 7 wks preg .

I know it's early days but I wondered if there was a thread on here for the older pregnant woman who might be experiencing all the same things as me.

God, I hope I'm not tempting fate by coming over from the ttc side!!!!!

Hi
Ande, I had my 28 week appointment a couple of weeks ago - they just took blood tests and did the usual measuring/listening tests. Nothing special though and no sign of any scan. Have you seen consultant before? Is there anything in your history that would give them cause for concern? Also where are you? Seems like services vary a lot from place to place and you could just be getting an unusually good service. I'm in a busy central london hospital - hardly ever see same midwife twice and no extra scans or anything.

I have another appointment next week. I'll let you know if they come up with anything new.

Hope everyone else here is well!

Has anyone come across birth announcements for any of those listed due in Jan and Feb? We could do with some more good news on this list!

Hi schipo

No I have not seen the consultant before, though I thought I had but I had mistaken a registrar for the consultant !

Nothing in my history that I can think of. I had twins (at Queen Charlottes) 17 years ago (was triplets but lost one at @10 weeks); had "little one" (at Kingston) 11 years ago (was twins but lost one @8 weeks). This one was a twin pregnancy but only one viable at 7 weeks (blighted ovum). Both previous pregnancies and this one (so far) pretty text book.

I am at Kingston Hospital (combined care with midwife at my GP surgery). I have requested a home birth, so perhaps this is why the scan and consultant?

Hope your appointment goes well next week. Please give an update!

ande - I guess you're right that they're just being cautious re signing you off for a home birth.

I did once have a consultant appointment purely because of my age I think but she referred me straight back to midwives because there's nothing unusual enough about my pregnancy to justify her involvement. I checked with MW this week and I could have a home birth (if I lived in the right post code - because I don't though I'd have to change hospitals - but that's another thread).

Not much else to report from mw appointment - everything apparently ok except that baby is low, not sure if that means fully engaged or if its a problem at all at 31 weeks. Certainly feels quite heavy sometimes! Hoping he doesn't decide to make an appearance for a good few weeks yet!

Hi everyone, I am new to this thread though I have had a dabble with the site last year when I was previously pregnant with rather large uterine fibroids. I miscarried at 14 weeks and as this was the second miscarriage at exactly the same term I decided to have a myomectomy. I am now fibroid free and got pregnant the minute we were given the all clear in December. Hurrah for our fertility, Boo to the fibroids! So anyway, here I am 42 years old yesterday and 13 weeks gone tomorrow. Had my Nuchal scan and MSS blood test today..so there remains the tense wait until a) my test results come back and b) I get past that 14 week hurdle. I have no children as yet so much fear and trepidation... and ghosts of lost babies. Just wanted to join the "oldies" for some support. I am in New Zealand actually where theres no site quite like mumsnet!

Hi,can I join in? I'm 42 in June and 34 weeks with 5th pg. 3 dd's 8,12 and 14 and ds 9.DP has dd 30 and ds 28....All a bit suprised at this one's suprise presentation...but very happy and feel really lucky. Just read all through the thread and so sorry about the sad experiences.Just discovered MN 3 wks ago ,stuck on sofa off sick with depression (work stress related) and now mat leave has started,reading about everyone really helps me to feel less isolated and more normal - and cuts down the demands on dp,dd's and ds!

Schipo - glad to hear your appointmaent went ok. Did your mw write your babys' presentation down on your notes, if so should say it's engaged/how much?!

And welcome to the thread fifiya and pinemartina!

x

Sorry you feel so rotten lindalinda. I too put on loads of weight whilst pregnant, have been ridiculously weepy for all but about 10 minutes of this pregnancy so far and am dazed, confused and generally buggered most of the time!

Have you had a scan yet? Seen GP/midwife? I recomend you voice how you really are feeling and take any help and advice they can give you.

I know it must be hard especiallyas your yougest is only 5, but try and take as much time out for yourself and sleep when ever you can.

Congratulations on your pregnancy by the way!!

Hi lindalinda , I am 34 weeks and have put on way too much weight - again.This is my 5th,goodness knows what kind of amnesia led me to think another pg would be joyful when I now remember all too clearly how much I hate the whole duration...Please feel free to rant!I wanted to try and share some positives...it would be so easy to share endless misery!....

Having got this far,I am now really looking forward to enjoying this baby as my last (before grandchildren...) and focussing on how much easier it should all be now I have no toddlers to see to as well ....and with the help and interest of the older ones....
I know I did lose the extra weight - most of it - eventually,so I can do it again -( even though it means suffering hunger and deprivation and takes ages...)
The end does eventually come into view and this time ,despite being barely able to walk,sleep,stand,enjoy anything etc...I am truly trying to make the most of these last few weeks - I can sit on the sofa all day and think my own thoughts while the others are at school..and....um...I will post again when I think of other benefits!!!
I find MN - in fact my laptop/the internet are my best friends...I live in a virtual world on my sofa....
I going to get another piece of buttery white toast now.......

I'd like to join you, if I may. I've dreamed of this moment - joining the pregnancy thread, after ttc for so long. I'm 44, have a gorgeous 3.9 son, and am about 5 minutes pregnant, so due at the end of November. I'm friends with a couple of folk on here (waves) from the Fab 40+ and Assisted Conception threads, so very, very nice to be all together in such happy circumstances!

can i join too, I'm 43 and expecting dc3 in July. I have ds 5.3 and dd 3.9. I've been on the spd thread a lot as I have it (again), I'm doing very little at the moment as that seems the only thing that really helps the spd and fortunately for me I can get away with it. dc3 seems to have turned round a bit over night and rather than feeling little kicks ner my hips those little scrabblings are more in the middle of me.I spend most of my time worrying about induction at 40 weeks which is what the consultant likes. Anyone else had this said to them just because of their age?

Hi fifiya - I'm 42 and "fibroid-rich" too. Two large ones (boo to fibroids indeed, down with them!)

Had a miscarriage last year which was thought not to be caused by the fibroids so we decided to have another go before having a myomectomy and am now due TODAY (prods bump which is current doing nothing) planning a hospital delivery as the docs assure me that the lumps aren't blocking the exit.

Hope you get the results you want from all the tests ... I don't know about you, but I couldn't really believe anything good was about to happen until I got all that over with.

Be interested to hear about your surgery and how long it took you to recover, if you felt like sharing.

Best wishes and take care ...

Hi LL I will be 42 in June and due 28th April.I have been told that an induction at 39/40 weeks is for the best due to age,size of baby and previous babies,last pg was ECS due to abruption of placenta.Had V deliveries with other 3 so am being encouraged to go for VDAC but also told they wont let me labour long at first stage due to risk of rupture..All a bit unclear and anx.provoking.I have been doing very little too for what seems ages - all dc's at school.I seem to be on the sofa mostly,growing fatter and less and less concerned with life outside....feel guilty about it as was working full time and not used to this.I have spd too and definitely get better sleep if less active also use less painkillers on days when not been out.This baby is SO wriggly and seems to turn over at least hourly,in between battering my ribs.I'd accept an induction next week to be honest!

Hi happychick66, can I join here too? I have DD9, & DS6 and expecting No.3 in July 17th so now I'm 24wks.

We were ttc for the last 5 years (we even went to IVF road) but when I turned 41 last Oct. I finally gave up to have No.3. then It happened naturally...!! so it is a miracle being PG now.

I'm still 41 when the baby is born but concerning the age gap between DD & DS. Well kids are very excited so it won't matter I guess.

People's reaction is fairly positive, just feeling my age now as I'm so exhausted this time around.

Hope you are all doing well, glad to have this thread.

Hi pinemartina I know what you mean about growing less concerned with life outside. When the consultant said that they don't like ladies over 40 going over 40 weeks i told him that there was no way I wanted to be induced but that I might think differently if I did go over as both my dc have turned up a week early. Induction really scares me as the first stage is the bit you really want to do at home in front of the telly rather than in some hospital ward with no privacy. I had an awful birth with dc1 and a really really easy one with dc2 (when I was 39.9 years old) so who knows what will happen this time. TBH I'm expecting the worst.

LL That is so true about induction at the first stage.ds was induced and it was more sore than dd1 and dd2 but 2nd stage took 5 mins so I think I would be ok with that another time,what worries me more is going through all that only to have CS at the last minute - I'd rather a planned CS.But I guess there's no way to predict.I will be on my own too so no way I relish the idea of being stuck behind a curtain with a buzzer and strapped to a monitor with no one to moan at! I will be eating curry,cod liver oil,walking loads having Clary sage baths and tweaking my nipples from day 1 of 39wks!

So Pinemartin, maybe I'm getting myself a bit worked up about induction. I think I'll talk to the MW about whether or not they really do send the DH home and leave you on your own all night. I've never done the pineapple curry clary sage thing as both dc turned up early . have you tried sitting on a gym ball? I find it much more comfy than a chair and easier to get off than the sofa. The physio gave me a big elastic band to do pelvic floor exercises on the gym ball and they seem to help my hips a bit.I'm only 25 weeks though and I remember trying the ball later with the other dc and feeling very unsafe.
Hi Stardust,we'd sort of given up on the idea of dc3 and dh is a bit freaked out by the idea of having a little one waking us up again. I hadn't really noticed how old I'd got until the MW referred me to the consultant. The consultant referred me straight back to the MW and doesn't want to see me until 37 weeks. Lets look forward to our July babies.

Sorry PineM not very clear, the gym ball for SPD not for bringing on labour!

How are you all feeling, ladies? On the plus side, I'm pregnant and I'm THINNER by 3.5 lb, and on the down side, I feel vaguely hung over most of the time, tired and have achey boobs. But on the plus side, did I mention that I was pregnant and thinner???

What's everyone else's news?

Kiwi . I have out on 9lbs and very cheesed off. Am 10 weeks today. I am destined to be as fat as a hotel.

Can you diet when pregnant? Will be watching my weight very carefully in the second trimester when hopefully I can control what I can and can't eat. Bleeeuurgh!

Ah yes, but I didn't count on being at home over Easter, did I? Easy to be good at work, when you take your lunch and snacks with you and it's all more or less under control, but when you're at home and there aren't any locks on the cupboards, you're in trouble ...

Went out for dim sum with a friend yesterday and ate my own body weight in small steamed parcels of deliousness.

And I'm so GRUMPY and snappish at the moment - you too ILGH? Or is it just me?

I am being deeply unpleasant to all and sundry. It's great!

Hi ladies. No I am not pregnant again - don't get excited.

I just popped on to the pregnancy section to see what was going on and I saw that the thread I started all those weeks ago was still going.

Just wanted to say how pleased I am that it's still active and that there are 40 something pregnant ladies about.

I'm activley TTCing again after my loss in Feb and hope to join you lovely ladies again soon.

Love to ILGH and Kiwi.