Anyone Pregnant at 38 with their first?

[StaceyM]

So good and bad news. The good news is that I finally had my 20 week ultrasound (at 22 weeks) and everything looks good. My husband got to see the baby move which was exciting. Seems like I'm having a fairly textbook pregnancy.

The bad news is that I found out that I am allergic to one of the drugs that they give during labour, and given my history, there will be a good chance that I will respond poorly to the other drug as well, so pain medication is out. My ObGyn also mentioned that an epidural may not be possible for me given my back operation and scar tissue, which in and of itself isn't so bad, except that if I need to have a c-section, there may be issues there as well with how they freeze you for surgery. If my labour is ok none of this will be a problem, but if my labour is difficult I won't be able to take anything, and if I need a c-section they may need to put me under general anaesthesia, which is, of course, less than ideal. The nurse who teaches my birthing class says that redheads tend to have easy births and high pain tolerance (the second is definitely true for me). I'm not sure if this is anecdotal or genetic... I hope it's true though because I really don't want to be put under to have the baby. I found out that they do give laughing gas here if you ask, but it only usually works for 2-3 hours so I will have to plan carefully if I use it.

Anyone else had any dizzy spells where the room moves sideways (i.e. not lightheadedness but dizziness)?

Any chance that Heidi and Jenny are quiet because they are having their babies?

 

[Heidipie77]

Hi girls!

Jenny - not long for us now! hope all is well with you and your scan results.

Jessie - I had a look at you stroller system online. It looks really good. We would have liked something similar but went for long-term practicality over short-term as babies grow out of those 0 size car seats really fast (we chose a Hauck varioguard carseat which baby can use until 18kg).

Stacey - glad all is great with baby and the pregnancy. Your pain relief options are not good, poor you! have you looked into hypnobirhing at all? It's a bit of a shot in the dark really how much it will help when the time actually comes, but it has put me in a relaxed calm frame of mind for thinking about the impending labour.

I saw my midwife today, everything still looking fine and baby is now in best labour position and engaged! I was sitting and bouncing/rocking a bit on my gym ball on Wed afternoon and when OH came in we went to walk the dog and omg it felt like I've been kicked in the groin! I guess that was baby getting settled in my pelvis. It's still uncomfortable now but mostly just on getting up from bed or sitting. I see her next on 24th and she will give me a sweep then if I want. If I am having signs of labour starting anyway she says a sweep can help. If not it just makes you have back ache/period type pain and general uncomfort for around 3 days.
I also went on Wed to have the photo taken for the 3D model I have ordered to remember my pregnancy (really strange seeing yourself as a 3d character on the screen). I wore a stripy top which the computer rejected (this is common with stripes and checks although the web site didn't say so) so had to borrow a top from the shop floor (in Asda supermarket) which was a bit annoying as I had taken ages to chose my outfit to accentuate my bump while trying to hide my arms and thighs!

How's the other ladies doing??? it's all a bit quiet on here (me included,just stalking this past week tee hee)

 

[Jenny Bean]

Hi everyone,

No baby yet, but I still have 2 weeks to go!

Heidi - are u getting anxious yet? I am a bit, I have been off work for a week and am so bored already lol. But no signs of labour at all!!!
I know I have a bit to go but I am just so ready lol.

Stacey - have u heard of using the "tens" machine?
Apparently you can rent one and it is helpful during labour but I haven't really researched that method much!

Hello to everyone else and good luck!

 

[StaceyM]

I'm excited for you two to have your babies (Heidi and Jenny), but I hope this thread doesn't 'die' when you are gone Yes my father in law has a Tens machine Jenny, and I did just hear about this last week! It should work for me for pain, although I am still worried about what happens if I need a c-section. Let's just hope that I don't! I forgot to mention that I got to see a close up of the umbilical cord during my scan. That thing is so unbelievably cool! It's like a complex braid.

2.5 weeks of work left. Woot! I have to go back in September for 3-4 weeks when school starts, but I still feel really, incredibly lucky that it is working out so well. I wish they had a better maternity leave policy in the U.S. Kiley. I feel for you only getting 12 weeks. I hope you can find a way to take a little more time. I mean, I know we pay for all of these perks with our taxes in Canada, but I do feel lucky that the government looks after us.

 

[KileyJean]

Stacey- Sorry to hear about your allergy to the pain meds used during child birth! Praying you will not need a c-section! Don't worry about the thread, I'll still be around! Might just be you and me though... Hopefully we get some new additions to our group to help keep it going.

Jenny and Heidi- I can't believe you two are almost done! So exciting!! I am sure I will be a nervous wreck when I am that close.

Jessie- I registered for the same travel system! I am short too, so hopefully the tall handles are not too big of a deal. I also registered for the Britax Advocate Convertible seat for when she out grows her infant seat. I have been putting the finishing touches on my registry. I feel like I am forgetting lots of things though!

All is well with me. Have been feeling baby move everyday now. I started feeling her pretty early on (15-16 weeks) but it was not consistent like it is now. Two nights ago I even saw my belly move when she kicked! I have found that I am very unproductive when she is wiggling around in there. I do not want to move positions because I want to keep feeling her move!

I ended up taking Quinn of my name list. I do not like how it sounds with my last name. My last name is one syllable as well, so it just does not sound right. So Ireland Claire it is. For now anyway. But I am still absolutely in love with the first name Ireland, so I will most likely stick with that.

Another doc appointment today. Unfortunately I was just in two weeks ago for a yeast infection. That was just awful! I have had them before, but apparently pregnancy makes them worse (for me anyway!).

 

[Jenny Bean]

Well a change in plans, my doctor called at 10 tonight to tell me apparently the babies head and femur are measuring smaller than the rest of her body! My last scan was at 36 weeks and everything was ok!

Long story short I am being induced tomorrow or Friday! I am so scared and worried for my baby girl!

I do need some prayers again

 

[Heidipie77]

Hi girls,

Jenny - I'm sure there is nothing to be concerned about, it can't be easy trying to measure baby when she's so squished up and full term.
Is this why Dr wants you to have an early induction? Good Luck for today or tomorrow!! You will be first out of us, how exciting!

Kiley - It's lovely when you finally feel movement, makes it less surreal about there actually being a baby in there!

Hi to Stacey, Jessie and Blingy!

Afm - MW came out Tue around 5:30pm for my checkup. All is well. Position is still great for birth and engaged. I opted for the sweep which wasn't bad as was very quick. Cervix was effaced from 3cm to 1cm and soft but no dilation. Didn't get any spotting or cramping but it didn't work!
Had some very mild period type cramping from around 6- 11pm last though which was hopeful about but notjhing developed overnight.
Have lost some mucus plug though this morning so fx not long now! (not a bloody show, just clear/slightly yellow)

 

[KileyJean]

Jenny- Hope everything is going well. Excited to hear your update.

Heidi- Yay! Anytime now! Prayers for a safe delivery to you!

Not too much to report here. Heartburn started last week. Thankfully Tums are helping. Not really wanting to take anything else. I am finally showing and my maternity clothes are fitting better. Just bought a bunch of maxi dresses a couple days ago. Have a feeling I will be living in those this summer. So far its the only thing I feel cute AND comfy in. They are not maternity but they are super stretchy and a bonus is that I do not have to hem due to the baby bump! Probably going back to the store for more. They should at least get me through the summer until it starts cooling down again here. I attached a picture of one of my new dresses.

 

[Heidipie77]

Lovely pic kiley! Nice neat bump. I only had indigestion twice thankfully and I had lemon juice both times, so avoided it since.

Am still preggers! Nothing happened since losing some plug (also had a bit of pink discharge in the afternoon) on Thursday.

Wonder how jenny got on? Did you have your induction?

 

[StaceyM]

Hi ladies. Sorry I've been MIA. Sometimes I make the mistake of reading/commenting on other threads on this site and I end up wanting to gouge out my brain with an oyster fork while simultaneously despairing for the fate of the human race. Suffice it to say, I needed a break. My inability to handle stupidity is not conducive to happiness or sanity

I hope you have your baby soon Heidi. Don't forget to come back and update us. Jenny was the person who started this thread I think so now that she is having her baby, it is almost like the end of an era. I wonder where the other two that used to post on this thread have gone - Steno and Lola - Is it weird that I worry about them? We also had some other ladies on here at one point. They just disappeared.

I haven't had much reflux either, which is good because I hate tums. I had a bit a few weeks ago, but generally as long as I don't overeat it's fine. I'm so torn about buying more maternity clothes. I have a bunch of longer shirts because my regular ones aren't long enough, two pairs of maternity jeans, and one maxi dress. I am off work until September so I don't need many clothes, but I worry that I will end up lazing around the house unless I buy a couple more outfits. Your dresses are very cute Kylie. I swear you are the same bump size as me, but I guess that makes sense. We are essentially a similar amount pregnant at this point.

So funny story. About a week ago, gremlin thought she was an amateur gymnast and decided to turn cartwheels in the night and I hardly slept. When I woke up there was so much pressure at the top of my stomach under my ribs that I thought my muscles were going to rip. I think she turned herself completely around in the night with her head under my ribs, because I felt the kicking low down. I could only walk hunched over for two days before she must've decided she was as uncomfortable as I was because she seems to have righted herself again, with her head down. Thank goodness.

Hi Jessie. I hope all is well with you too.

I see my ObGyn tomorrow so i will try to remember to post an update. I think all is well though. The pain under my left rib won't go away, but other than that I am well. I nap a lot - basically every activity that involves sitting or laying down becomes a nap I haven't been able to finish a book in ages. Yesterday I was thinking about something mid-post and I put my head own - that almost became a keyboard nap - also it accidentally deleted my post so I had to write this again today. Be well ladies.

 

[RaquelDee]

I'm still here Stacey, although I hardly ever post on this thread - tend to stick with my July due date group just because as a first-timer, it's reassuring to see others going through the same things at the same time. Also possibly because despite being an 'elderly primigravida' my age hasn't really been a factor in this pregnancy and everything has been very straightforward.

In terms of other threads, I always appreciate reading sensible and scientifically justified comments (we seem to have similar viewpoints and I'm guessing it's probably down to our <ahem> maturity).

Pretty sure JennyBean had her baby, a daughter - saw it on another thread but I can't remember which one.

 

[Heidipie77]

Hi ladies!

My June baby will now be a July baby! Am a week over today. Had another sweep yesterday morning so still time for that to have effect.

Jenny had her baby on Fri 26th. She was being induced. I guess she'll update on details when she can.

Good to hear you are doing well Stacey & Raquel. I often wonder what happened to Lola & steno too, hope they are ok.

Sounds like you had a painful few days there Stacey. Thankfully most babies know the best position to be in for you & them.

Hope I get to update you all soon!

 

[KileyJean]

Stacey that does sound uncomfortable! I think my baby moved down lower again last night. She moved up a little higher last week, but seemed to move down again. I was feeling a lot more pressure than normal in my pelvis. Just like how it was in the first trimester. Guess that's why I prefer to wear dresses all the time. I just do not like where my jeans hit me.

Good to hear Jenny had her baby. Hope everything went well for her. How are you feeling Heidi? Everyone that I have known to go over, was miserable. Hope you are still feeling well and that baby of yours decides to join you on the outside soon!

 

[StaceyM]

Raquel, how do you find a due date group? I'm also not really having any problems with age related issues; actually none of us on this particular thread do. That's one of the reasons that I like it.

 

[RaquelDee]

Stacey, if you go to pregnancy groups and discussions, you should be able to find a group for the month of your due date. I'm in the July one and I think 14 have already had their babies. Quite a few of them are still posting, too. I'm due right at the end of July, so fully expect to go until August, but it's been kind of useful to be a few weeks behind the majority and to get a good idea of what might be coming.

Kiley, I don't think I've gone near jeans for about 6 months! Dresses and leggings all the way.

Heidi, how are you finding being overdue? I fully expect to be (my mum was with me) and can't say I'm really looking forward to it, but at the same time the one thing about labour that scares me a bit is the prospect of induction. Are you talking about that yet, or still playing the waiting game?

 

[Heidipie77]

I'm fine with going over as it's been a smooth pregnancy (apart from swollen feet!) so still feel fine and am enjoying the last few moments. Just getting a little irritated by texts and calls etc. I'm not likely to forget to tell anyone when I've given birth!
I have an appointment for some checks inc scan & ctg on sat to see if all is still ok & placenta functioning well. We will be looking at induction for 13/14 days overdue if all is well. They would repeat the tests on Mon too.
Had some cramping during the night and pink spotting which hasn't progressed into anything today. The sweep was 48 hours ago now so may have been tail end symptoms from that.

Having hot weather in the UK, so trying to keep extra hydrated which is important for baby's wellbeing.

I didn't join the birth month thread as felt more at home with ladies around my age having their first baby, plus there was so much to keep track of!

 

[jessiecat]

hey preggos!

Stacey: hehe. you're hilarious (oyster fork comment). I used to hate tums too, but now i love them and carry a bunch in my purse. i have indigestion with every meal now and it pretty much ruins eating for me. :/

Heidi: I really hope you don't have to be induced! I was reading about due dates and how they can really be off depending on cycle lengths and time of ovulation. I'm going to be pretty adamant that i be allowed to go into labor naturally unless there's a serious medical issue.

Kiley: Yea, I had the painful pressure too. I had it so bad around 20-22 weeks that i got myself a belly band. Helped a lot.

Raquel: yea, im with ya- Dresses and leggings all the way. THe clothes i can currently wear all fit in a large suitcase. A lot of my dresses are not maternity wear- i found a bunch of inexpensive, pretty ones and have gotten a lot of use out of them this summer. Flip flops are my best friend since my feet are now much wider than normal.

We are currently in the process of moving halfway across the country, to California, and im absolutely exhausted. Thank goodness we had some family fly into town to help us pack. I found some nurse midwives in Los Angeles to deliver the baby and my first appointment with them is in a couple of weeks (i'll be 35.5 weeks pregnant). I know everyone says to enjoy the last weeks of pregnancy, but I'm really struggling physically. I'm so slow and my lower back is achey. The only thing really keeping me going is knowing that baby is getting stronger with each passing day and he's safe and sound inside of me!!

I hope Jenny comes in and lets us know how everything went. Yea, I wonder how Steno and Lola are doing too?!!?!

 

[StaceyM]

I totally forgot to update you all about my last ObGyn appointment. All is well - blood pressure the same as a month ago, baby's heart rate good, the 22 week scan showed everything is perfect with the baby. The best news of all is that my thyroid disease is in total remission. When I got pregnant my TSH was 5 or so even on medication- which is pretty high (i.e. low thyroid function). At week 6 it was 2.8 and at week 22 it was 0.99. You can't understand how relieved I am. My crappy thyroid was one of the reasons I wasn't sure about getting pregnant. I was so scared I would be sick again with the hormonal shifts and that something would happen to the baby. It turns out I didn't have to worry. My body figured out it's sh*t for the pregnancy. Doctor said my placenta is slightly low lying - 1.9 cm from the cervix. It turns out I do need another scan at 32 weeks just to make sure it has moved up a little bit by then. He thinks it should be ok because it is still early and the uterus has a lot of growing to do. The pain under my left ribs won't go away. The skin is mostly numb there now...at least the numbness helps with the pain Luckily, my doctor says I can go back to sleeping on my back which helps my ribs and hips stay even. He says the side sleeping thing is a load of bunk. I checked some scholarly journal articles to verify that and they confirm that what he says is true for 95% of women, and that only if you feel dizzy on your back should you worry at all. Sweet.

It's nice to have some other ladies back again!! Don't leave us! We need you and your sage advice

 

[jessiecat]

Stacey: Such great news about your thyroid hormone levels! Don't worry too much about the placenta yet. I had placenta previa up until about week 20 or so but it moved as the uterus grew. I'm still sleeping on my back but i either put a lot of pillows under my head or below my feet because my lower back can get achey. The baby really hates when i sleep on my left or right sides and kicks and punches until I move my position. Also, he tends to tip to that one side because of his weight and i have to literally hold my stomach to turn because the one side gets so heavy.

I've been reading about contractions and labor and what it all entails/feels like. My sister went pretty quickly with her first so I'm wondering if I will too. I had cryosurgery on my cervix a few years back (to get rid of some precancerous cells) and supposedly the scar tissue can make the cervix a little more difficult to dilate.

I hope the U.S. ladies had a nice 4th! We went to our neighborhood pool and bbq'd in our backyard.

 

[RaquelDee]

Stacey, great news about your thyroid. Don't worry too much about the placenta being low at the moment, I've known a few people to have this and it has always moved up by the 32 week scan.

Heidi, any news yet?

Jessie, hope the move is going well. I was full of energy until week 34 and then slowed down significantly, so I know what you mean. It coincided with trying to finish up work but a move would be even more stressful.

I am week 37 today. Physically feeling good but have started to run out of steam. If I try to do too much in the one day I end up exhausted. Also, bub has dropped a bit and is now squashing a sensory nerve so if I stand up for any length of time (say 15 minutes) one of my thighs goes numb, which is a really odd sensation but at least works as a reminder to sit down.

As far as sleeping goes, I'll sleep in any position that's comfortable. I've never had any issue with sleeping on my back and it's good to have the extra position to alternate as side sleeping makes my hips a bit sore. I've found that lying on my back but with a pillow under one side so I'm slightly on an angle is pretty good for relieving pressure on my hip and lower back - not quite completely on my back but maybe on a 20 degree angle. Might be a good position to try out if anyone is waking up sore.

My sleep patterns are really sporadic at the moment, some nights I'll manage 8 hours plus, others I only get 3. I think this is the main reason that I'm wiped out a lot of the time. I've been pretty good at cutting down caffeine all the way through this pregnancy, but am starting to think that increasing it again a little might be the the best way to cope to make sure I can still get stuff done. As far as I know, the risks of caffeine consumption realate mostly to miscarriage and low birthweight. Given that I'm at term and bub is measuring on the big side, can anyone see a problem with slightly upping caffeine intake at this point? I'm talking an extra cup of tea a day, not some sort of espresso binge!