Anyone Pregnant at 38 with their first?

[jessiecat]

raquel: you're so close!!!! yes, take it easy..you will need your energy soon. i love NETFLIX! I recommend "Call the Midwife" I loved it so much.

stacey: yea i was getting the numbness in my arms and hands a few weeks before the swelling started. all par for the course! yea, i really wonder what's going on inside my belly too! my baby hiccups about 3 times per day. I have no clue how big he is...i haven't had a scan since 20 weeks and i don't think i'll have another one. I wonder why they won't let you see the scan in the general ultrasound building??

my left foot swelled so much by the end of last night that i was seriously concerned. I slept on the couch so i could elevate my legs on the end of it. Looked a lot better this morning. I still have to unpack the baby's things. My shower is saturday and i should be getting the remainder of my gifts so i can set up a little area for him in my bedroom. ACK! It's getting real....

 

[RaquelDee]

Netflix is great. Thanks for the recommendation, Jessie - I'm almost at the end of a show at the moment so will probably need to start on something new in the next few days.

Well and truly playing the waiting game now. It's hard dealing with the unpredictability of it - something could happen tomorrow, or it could conceivably be three more weeks! I'm also finding that I can't predict how I'll feel on a day to day basis - the last couple of days I was exhausted but today I was fine. At this point, I'm kind of hoping that nothing will happen until the end of the week at the earliest. There's just a few more things that I'd like to get done but I know if I try to rush through things, I'm going to wear myself out.

Stacey, I've had some big changes in movement. Not in number of movements or routine, but I've definitely had quite a few shifts in the intensity and location of movement at various times. I was trying to figure out position based on this, but for the last nine weeks Bub has been head down (apparently) so in the end I gave up on interpreting it as I really didn't have a clue. A few weeks ago they did monitor the heart rate for about 20 minutes after I mentioned that I didn't seem to be getting kicked so hard, but all was fine. And of course, the rest of that day Bub decided to punch the back of my belly button really hard on a regular basis. I think maybe sometimes the baby just gets a bit comfortable and relaxes for a while, so I'm not worried as long as I can feel the same amount of activity, even if the movements themselves are not quite so hard.

 

[jessiecat]

Raquel: Yea, everyday is definitely different. Yesterday i felt great and did a lot of organizing and unpacking. Today my feet feel really sore and tired and i was awake from 3-5 am. I've been wearing the same flip flops for the past 6 weeks because NOTHING FITS- My sneakers are all too tight and i don't want to ruin my cute shoes with my fred flinstone feet (they really do look huge). Im going to get a cheap pair of sneakers in a larger size that are more comfy even though i only have a few more weeks left.
Let us know how you're doing. Any day now for you...... Oh, and don't do what i've been doing- watching youtube videos of women giving birth in the car- very scary!

 

[KileyJean]

Hello ladies, hope everyone had a good weekend. Nothing too much to report here. I think baby had a pretty good growth spurt last week. My belly seemed to have doubled in size. Although, when I wear flowy tops, some people still have a hard time knowing if I am pregnant or not. I guess thanks to my now giant boobs and flowy tops I can still conceal the bump a little. Heartburn has surprisingly been better this week. I have nothing to complain about except for the fact that I seem to be getting more tired by the day. I don't want to do anything on the weekends anymore. Sometimes I do not even feel like I have the energy to go to dinner. Good thing I work out in the mornings, otherwise it would never happen!

Jessie - How did the big move go? I can't believe you are almost done! Less than a month left! I have no idea how much weight I have gained. I don't weigh myself at home and don't look at the doctor's office. I am afraid if I knew, I would just stress and obsess about it. It is what it is, so I just don't want to know. I will probably step on the scale again when I am given the all clear to workout after birth. That way I will be able to figure out my calorie needs for breastfeeding and light workouts. I guess I am on the right track though since my doc has not said anything about it. My last appointment at 23.5 weeks baby was measuring in the 57th percentile. Doc was pleased with that. P.S.- I'v added Call the Midwife to my watch list. I am needing something new to watch while I am on the elliptical!

Stacey- That sucks they do not let you see the screen for your ultrasound. If you ask them, will they at least let you take a peak? Just promise you will not ask any questions and you just want to look.

Raquel- Hang in there you are almost done! I am so excited for you ladies who are so close!

 

[RaquelDee]

Hi ladies,
Well absolutely nothing to report so far. Loads of BH but these have been going on for weeks and aren't at all regular. My sleep patterns have gone to pieces. Jessie, I'm often awake from 4am or so and am probably managing 3-5 hours sleep a night. But managing to fit in plenty of day-time naps so I don't feel too bad. I'm just lacking in energy. Last week I was still good to walk the dog most days, this week he has to wait for my husband to get home from work.

I might avoid the you-tube clips of women who didn't quite make it to hospital - we are a 45 minute drive from ours (without traffic) so it's a bit of a fear of mine!

Kiley, I know what you mean about growth spurts and belly size. Compared with last week I look and feel enormous, but I don't seem to be carrying extra weight, so not sure what is going on there. This had been a bit of a pattern that I've noticed - I'll suddenly feel really unwieldy but after a few days it's like my body gets used to it and my centre of balance readjusts, and it's fine again. Seems to happen every three weeks or so.

Stacey, good luck with the scan. I hope they tell you something at the time even if they hide the screen from you. All my ultrasounds have been totally visible (with a DVD each time, too). Funny how everything varies so much from place to place.

 

[StaceyM]

Yea here everything is 'medical', and they frown on what they call 'vanity scans'. Canada has universal healthcare so I guess we can't be wasteful. The women's hospital (where I will deliver) is better about showing you everything and giving you a few little photos anyway though just to be nice. My scan is at the general hospital again so I won't see anything and won't get a picture. Oh well. It's just to check my placenta anyway, so I should just be in and out. I can pay for a scan at a private clinic to get the DVD and everything, but I don't really want to (shrugs).

Thanks for the info Raquel. My baby changes so much in terms of the intensity and type of movement as well. Some days are quiet and some days it's a party in there. I know it's fine and I need to listen to the more calm and sane women on here (i.e. all of you ), but I keep reading about kick counting and making myself worry. I'm finding that sometimes instead of kicking, she just pushes a body part out and I don't really notice the change in pressure unless my hand is there. It's weird to put your hand on your stomach and feel something push back. It's less intense, but she's definitely still fine in there. Besides at dinner, she kicked so hard I jumped a few times at the table. Silly gremlin

Those videos don't bother me. The hospital is 10 minutes away at most. I don't think that's usual...you won't give birth in a car...and hey if you do, at least you will get a viral youtube video out of the deal, so you know, it could be worse!!

I think my belly is growing pretty steadily, not in spurts, although my weight changes go in spurts. I dunno. It's hard for me to tell. I'm pretty big. I haven't been able to hide the pregnancy for quite some time now.

My husband has been away on business all week so my mother has been here keeping me company. He is due back late tonight. I hope he doesn't miss any of his connecting flights. He's in Nevada trouble shooting some engineering problems at a mine site there. He was going to have to stay on longer to consult if he couldn't fix the issue, so I told him he better get the darn thing fixed! Thankfully he did. I missed him

Be well ladies. How are things with the new babies Heidi and Jenny?

 

[RaquelDee]

So today is my due date. Nothing happening so far as I can tell, though. Beginning to wonder if Bub will be an August baby.

Stacey, my scans have all been medical too, but as I'm with a private obstetrician the scans are also organised privately, so we've ended up paying a bit extra for them over what the public health funding would cover. So I guess the DVDs are compensation. But the people doing the scans have also always explained everything really clearly and shown us the images, which has been great. It would be really nerve-wracking to have a scan and then need to wait to see the doc to get everything explained.

Bub has continued to move with the same routine, but with varying levels of intensity. Seems to like tap-dancing in the evenings but much more relaxed in the day. Lots of movement regularly, though, which is reassuring.

In terms of weight, I've ended up putting on 28lbs in total, which is exactly in the middle of the range where my doctor wanted me to be. I started on about 130, though, so proportionally it feels like a lot. It's all out in front, though, so I've been told much of it will probably drop off fairly quickly. Mind you, I love my bump, I'm sure I'm going to miss it when it's gone!

 

[jessiecat]

Raquel- hope there has been some progress for you! Sex, spicy food and long walks! Im the total opposite- can't wait for the bump to be gone. I was in pretty good shape and active before becoming pregnant so waddling around is no fun for me. My drive to the hospital could take anywhere from 1-2 hours depending on traffic. :/

Stacey: So nice of your mom to stay with you while your husband was away!!

 

[StaceyM]

@Raquel - I don't have the option of a private obstetrician here. There's no such thing. Unfortunately, ObGyns don't have ultrasounds in their offices here either...also not a thing. The tech does the ultrasound and then the radiologist looks at it and sends his info to the doctor. The tech isn't technically allowed to say anything, but you can tell by his demeanor whether he thinks things are fine. So far I haven't really needed anything on the scans explained because nothing has come up that is worrisome. I don't mind waiting for the doctor to explain things... In my mind, the radiologist is an expert at reading the scan, and I'd rather have an expert look at it than anyone else anyway.

@Jessie - It was nice of my mom. I don't know why I'm such a baby that I can't stay at home by myself for a week, but pregnancy has made me silly I guess.

@Kylie - Don't worry about your weight. You are gorgeous anyway, and a few extra pounds can't change that. Besides most of the weight is probably just bump, boobs, and blood volume. You need to gain that. The rest of you is probably exactly the same size.

I had another check up today. Everything is great. Nothing much to report really. I passed my GD test and all of my 28 week blood work. Baby's heart sounds good. My blood pressure is good. Fundus measurement good. She's still head down and ready to go. I guess with pregnancy, boring is the goal

 

[KileyJean]

Stacey- good job on passing your GD test! I have mine in three weeks. Anything I need to do to prepare? All they told me was no food 2 hrs prior. Mine is at 8am so I wont be eating anything until after my appointment. All I know is they have you drink a sugar drink and then an hour later test.

Raquel- Any progress yet?

Not much new to report here. I finally got a belly support band. Wore it to bed and wore it during my workout yesterday and today. It made a world of difference! I ended up ordering another one so I have one for working out and one for sleeping or wearing during the day if needed.

 

[RaquelDee]

No progress here. Only four days over, though, so not so bad. Everything seems to be more or less ready to go, but nothing happening apart from BH about every 10 minutes for days now! They don't bother me, though. If nothing happens by the end of next week, I'll be induced. The only thing that is a bit annoying is that my stretch marks are worsening by the day. As yet I can't see them without a mirror, but they're creeping further and further up every time I check them out. I had none until about 5 weeks ago.

Jessie, I've been watching 'Call the Midwife' - great recommendation. Hope all is going well with you.

Stacey, good to hear everything is 'boring'. If you are good in terms of GD, BP, measurements, etc, then now all you need to do is grow that baby. I actually found third tri pretty good as you can see your belly expanding, Bub moves more, and each week the stress about prematurity reduces. For me, it has probably been the best trimester (I know a lot of people would disagree!).

Kiley, I did a 2 hour GTT (yet another regional variation in how pregnancy is treated). It was an early morning thing and I wasn't allowed to eat or drink aside from water from midnight the night before. I would recommend taking plenty of food with you that you can have as soon as you are done, as all that sugar on an empty stomach can make you feel pretty off.

 

[jessiecat]

Raquel: i really hope u dont have to be induced! Crossing my fingers for u. Yea, isnt call the midwife great? Just a real feel-good kinda show. I love chummy's character. so witty.

Stacey: yes, boring IS good when it comes to pregnancy.

Im using an over the counter cream for my yeast infection and it's really helping. Inserting the plastic applicator was excruciating. I always thought having more blood flow in the vaginal area would be helpful (with sex, etc) but ive found the opposite to be true.

 

[StaceyM]

I had the 2 hour one early in pregnancy also Raquel. At least I think we are talking about the same thing. You fast for 12 hours and have blood taken, then you have a meal and wait two hours, then your blood is taken again. That one? I had that one around 8 weeks or so. The one Kiley is having is typically given in North American at 28 weeks. I just had that one 2 weeks ago or so. I'm not sure why I had both, but the first one was early on with my GP, who is really thorough, so I think that is why.

Kiley, women all say the drink is horrible, but I really don't get it. It's like drinking a can of orange pop without the fizz, and it has about the same amount of sugar. I actually thought it was tasty. I haven't really had much soda pop during my pregnancy so it was a nice treat. The only problem is that they only give you 5 minutes to drink it so you have to drink faster than usual, but the lack of carbonation makes it easier. I didn't feel sick at all, and honestly, I can't imagine that most women have never had a soda or a piece of cake in their lives. I don't understand why everyone makes such a big deal of it. It's really the same thing. I was told no preparation at all, but that if you eat a 1/2 hour before it might interfere with the test. I ate strawberries and had a glass of milk about 1 hour before the test and my glucose level was bang on perfect, right in the middle of the acceptable range (4.2 here but I always forget the units so not sure how that translates), so I don't think it matters if you eat before it... Your test is at a terrible time though. It might be worse to have a sugar dump before eating anything else. I mean, soda for breakfast does sound unpleasant. I would drink a big glass of water right when you get up, and/or maybe have a small spoonful/bite of something healthy. The online instructions say no food for 1/2 hour before, and my doctor said 'no preparation' so I think the 2 hour thing is just so people don't eat a 3 course meal and then try to take the test.

Uggh. Sorry for the ladies having yeast issues. I only had those for the few months that I was on birth control pills. That was actually one of the reasons I went off them. I haven't had any issues with that or any pain during sex while I've been pregnant. I was a bit scared of sex early on, but now I don't worry about it, and just remind my husband to be careful. I'm pretty verbal about things so it seems to work out for us. But I'm still with you Jessie, I haven't found pregnancy to be 'helpful' in that respect in any way.

 

[RaquelDee]

Hi all, just popping in to update. My gorgeous daughter arrived on Wednesday, nine days overdue. We just beat the induction ( thanks to acupuncture I think). We hit a few complications (for both her and I) along the way and ended up with an emergency c-sec, which sounds a lot rougher than it was, anyway, great outcome. I'm recovering well and she is doing great.

 

[StaceyM]

Yay! Congrats Raquel!

 

[Heidipie77]

Congratulations Raquel! glad to hear all is well and your little girl arrived safely.

Hi Stacey, jessie & Kiley! I have been reading your posts but been too busy to reply! Good to see everyone progressing along nicely. You're up next Jessie!!!

Hi Jenny! I guess you are as busy as me! haha

Joe is 1 month old already today! it's been a crazy month with non-stop breastfeeding and chunks of sleep no longer than 3 hours but not usually at night! He began smiling at us a few days ago which was amazing (thought was gas/wind the first time but his eyes are smiling too, so def real!)

Am still getting over the c-section and GP won't let me drive until our 6 week appt. Have been too busy to get cabin fever up to now (only seem to go out to GP or hospital!) but can't wait to start going places with Joe.

Have tried to attach a pic but bnb says file too large. Will try another time.

 

[jessiecat]

Congrats Raquel!!!! Im sorry you had to have an emergency c-section, but sounds like everything is going ok since then. get some rest and enjoy your beautiful daughter and come back and update us when you are feeling more up to it!!!!!

Heidi: I can't believe Joe is 1 month already!!! Can't wait to see a pic.
The first few weeks are always rough. Hope you have a lot of support from friends and family.

Stacey: Hope all is still uneventful

Im doing ok. Really hoping I have this kid within the next few days!! Having some cramping, sore boobs, occasional painful contractions but nothing regular. Fingers crossed!!!

 

[StaceyM]

How is your baby 1 month already Heidi!? Time is going crazy fast! Please do send us that picture. You too Jenny, if you have time to stop by here. I guess Jessie is next, and then Kylie and I. We need some new members to this thread!!

Pregnancy is still uneventful but not. The baby has started dropping - not sure if that is normal this early. Anyway, some odd things were happening over the course of a 2 day period - pains, baby moving less, belly looking weird because of the drop - and then one morning I went to flush and there was a gush of bright blood in the toilet. I tried to figure out which...errm..area... it was coming from, but couldn't. The baby was already not moving much that morning so I went to the obstetrics assessment area of the hospital just to be sure. I figured I was fine, but there were so many odd things, and of course I couldn't get the baby to move right at that moment. Uggh. Anyway, it's all fine. They said it was good that I came in because I have a low lying placenta so any blood is worrisome, but I feel like it was dumb. Now after a couple days of checking stuff out, I'm pretty sure (like 95%) that the blood was from the...erm...posterior...and nothing to worry about. I bleed from gums and nose regularly, so I guess more blood kind of makes sense. Anyway, our car got towed while we were there because we were there longer than I expected, and then we got stuck in a 3 hour traffic jam because of an accident. That day really sucked Still, gremlin is fine, so that's the important thing. I hope she doesn't decide to come too
early...not sure why she is dropping already.

 

[jessiecat]

Omg stacey- that sounds like a day from he!! Its a good thing you went in when you saw blood. Im sure youre fine as long as youre not having cervical dilation or anything yet. Eat lots of things with fiber in them so u dont have any more scares like that

 

[Heidipie77]

Stacey - what an awful day! hopefully all things dramatic are out of the way now and the remainder of pregnancy and labour will be a breeze.

Kiley - cant't believe how quickly it's going for you! better get hubby to help you with that nursery! saw your colour scheme and ideas on the other thread - very nice and stylish. The baby phase will go so fast it seems silly to theme a room on a little baby who doesn't care anyhow! We too have a more grown-up colour scheme in the nursery but have added a large wall art of a tree with alphabet and zoo animals on it.

Jessie!!! Massive congratulations on the arrival of little Mo! As hard as it is try and enjoy every moment as the weeks fly by and your little newborn will soon grow. It's quite emotional actually to realise these early days are soon gone to never return.

This picture is of Joe last week at 4 weeks 6 days old. He has already changed so much and looks like a little man especially when smiling and interacting.