Pregnant over 35, First Baby - need bump buddies

[KileyJean]

Hello I am 36 years old (will be 37 at delivery) with baby number 1. I am currently in my 2nd trimester and looking for some bump buddies. Was in another group but it has become pretty quiet due to most everyone having their babies so I decided to start a new thread.

Every once in a while I pop back into my old TTC group but feel bad every time that I do. I don't really feel right about talking about my pregnancy with them since they all have been trying for so long.

A little about me and my (short) TTC Journey: At the end of October 2014 my husband, of almost 8 years, and I decided to finally start a family. I was on birth control pills for almost 20 years straight, so my doctor wanted me go off the pill and wait three months before actually trying to see how my body functions on its own. During those three months I changed my diet to increase my chances of conceiving naturally. I upped my fats a little (I am pretty big into fitness and ate a low fat diet for the most part), took vitamins and supplements known to increase fertility, and ate maintenance level of calories. I also used the Clear Blue Easy Fertility Monitor and charted my temps to figure out my fertile window. February 2015 was the first month we actively started trying and I got pregnant. We were pretty shocked it happened so quick due to the fact I was on birth control pills for so long and heard that after the age of 35 it could take about 3 to 6 months of actively trying to get pregnant.

Compared to most, I would say I have had a pretty easy pregnancy so far. Only had two weeks of all day nausea in my first trimester, but did have some pretty major food aversions to almost everything healthy that I normally ate up until week 12-14. Last week at 21 weeks heartburn started. Nothing that Tums can't help though so its not terrible like some. Hoping it stays that way. I still have my good and bad days when I struggle with body image and the rapid changes. I have come to find out that my bad days are usually when I am retaining water. I just feel big all over and feel like I have gained a ton of fat. But as soon as I get my eating back in control and sodium in check, the bloat goes away and I feel so much better.

I hope to get some more bump buddies soon! I like to be pretty active on here and post about twice per week, if not sometimes more. Looking to get to know some more pregnant buddies.

 

[StaceyM]

Hey sorry I haven't been that active on the other thread. I just needed a break. I'm still here. You're right though; everyone on the other thread seems to have disappeared now that their babies have been born. I guess it makes sense - you switched from TTC to the pregnancy thread, and they have switched from pregnancy to the baby thread

 

[RaquelDee]

Hi Kiley and Stacey

I pop in and out of the other thread but haven't posted there much. You're right that it has gotten pretty quiet, though.
To introduce myself properly, I'm from Australia, 37 years old, and expecting my first in 25 days. I've just started maternity leave so will probably be on here a fair bit to stay occupied - I've been in my current job for more than 10 years and am not used to havng lots of down time at home.

My pregnancy has been very straightforward - we conceived pretty quickly and everything has gone smoothly. Sleeping is becoming a bit of an problem at this point and my heartburn has been terrible all the way through, but no other issues. Interesting given all the negative press that being an older first time mum seems to get.

Kiley, I ended up taking Zantac (ranitidine) for heartburn and reflux from the beginning of the third trimester on my obstetrician's advice. It was controllable with antacids at first, but it just became unbearable the bigger I got. I'm pretty short and carrying high, and my stomach was totally squashed. The worst thing was speaking to people at work and having to stop mid-sentence because of constant mouthfuls of acid. The Zantac really helped. Bub has dropped a little this week, and that has also helped - I don't need to take it as much now. If it gets increasingly uncomfortable for you, I wouldn't hesitate to speak to your doctor about getting appropriate medication.

 

[KileyJean]

Yay! I got some bump buddies back!

Stacey- No worries on being quiet in the other thread, I just figured you weren't posting much since most everyone else quit posting there. Glad you are still with me!

Raquel- Wow! Only 25 days left! Are you getting nervous/excited? The thought of childbirth kinda scares me a little. Nice that you are on Maternity Leave already. I would not know what to do with myself for 25 days before the baby came. I plan to work up until the day I deliver or until doc says I can't go to the office anymore. I do have the option of working from home, and I am guessing as I get close, that is what I will be doing. You are so right about all the "myths" about pregnancy when you are older. I do not think I have had it any worse than anyone in their 20's, and according to some of the younger pregnant women, I have had it better than them. I have been in pretty good shape and have been eating healthy for the last 2 years so that probably helps too I am sure. Hopefully the 2nd half of my pregnancy goes as well and the first half went. My doctor did tell me if my Heartburn gets worse, I can take something else that is a little stronger. I am short as well, but I am carrying pretty low so hopefully mine wont get any worse than it is now.

Glad to see you gals are still around!

 

[RaquelDee]

Kiley, I'm probably more excited than nervous, although it's hard to stay completely worry-free. The uncertainty is a bit hard to deal with, though, given that bub could be here in a month or in a few days time (although I doubt the latter). I'm a planner, so it's hard to be in limbo.

Maternity leave varies so much from place to place. Here we have a policy of people finishing at 34 weeks except on medical advice. I had a doctor's certificate to go to 36, but most people don't go much beyond that in Australia. Not going to lie, the last week was tough. I'd been full of energy up until then but had lots of issues with insomnia and ended up working most days on 3 hours sleep! I think a lot of it was to do with needing to finish up so many bits and pieces, as I've slept better since I finished. Haven't had time to get bored yet as I've been running around doing everything I was putting off until leave started. I also still have some freelance work that will keep me going for as long as I want it, but shouldn't cause too much stress. But if you have the chance to work from home towards the end I would do it! If nothing else it will let you set your own schedule in terms of being able to eat, nap, etc, when you need to.

 

[3chords]

Hi there! Nice to meet you all

I am 35, will be 36 when the baby arrives (by 3 weeks!). I am due November 5 but will deliver at least a week early as I am having a planned c-section. My TTC journey was a nightmare to put it politely. I first had to have two myomectomies to remove fibroids growing on my uterus - the first removed 15 abdominally which is why I already have a c-section scar and will need a c-section and the second removed one 5cm one vaginally which was growing inside my uterine cavity. Then we tried naturally (one m/c), tried with clomid/ovidrel (BFNs), tried one cycle of IVF (another m/c), finally did IVF with PGS, froze all because I got OHSS and then did a frozen transfer which has resulted in the current pregnancy of a PGS-normal boy. Relieved and thrilled but still extremely paranoid...infertility and losses rob you of the naivete and ignorance that you once had about pregnancy unfortunately.

My pregnancy has been fairly smooth aside from 24/7 nausea for the first 14-15 weeks. That was terrible, but since then I have been ok. Just the typical stuff like feet swelling, heartburn over the last week or two and carpal tunnel in my hands.

 

[KileyJean]

Nice to meet you 3chords! Our due dates are so close! I am due October 31st, but may deliver early as well due to having a thinner cervix than normal (I had a procedure done a while back to remove pre-cancer cells from my cervix) and may have to have a c-section if I have any scar tissue, which can interfere with dilation. Only time will tell on the c-section and early delivery though.

Your TTC journey does sound awful. Good to hear this pregnancy is going smooth. And you have hit V-Day! (24 weeks = viable pregnancy) Although, here is to at least 15-16 more weeks of baby baking! I hear ya on the heart burn and water retention! Been battling those myself. I feel like I am popping Tums all day long!

 

[3chords]

I've graduated from Tums to Zantac - Tums just weren't doing anything for me anymore. Zantac is like something that fell down from heaven!

I just got my c-section date - October 28. I'll be 38w6d. Less than 15 weeks to go, woohoo!

 

[KileyJean]

I'll have to keep Zantac in mind for if mine gets worse!

Yay! We very well could be having our babies at the same time!

 

[RaquelDee]

Welcome 3chords. I remember how much I loved Zantac when I first started taking it. It doesn't work so well for me anymore, but at least the end is in sight.

 

[StaceyM]

Hey 3chords! Welcome to our small group of preggos, or is that preggo(ld)s? I'm Stacey. I'm 39. My husband and I have been together for 9 years and married for 3. It's my first baby, and we're having a girl (in October). I'm from Canada and I teach drama and dance, although I have no idea how the dance part is going to work in another two months or so My conception and pregnancy were pretty straightforward like most of the other ladies who post on this thread. I also expected to have issues given my age, but then everything just clicked. When I first saw the positive on the test I almost had a panic because I thought I would have more time given that we weren't doing anything special. I was also really sick for the first 18 weeks or so, but it got better. I'm probably not your typical pregnant lady. I wasn't sure I wanted kids, and I definitely hated being pregnant for the longest time. It was just so bizarre! I'm finally feeling better about it now that everything is going ok and I don't feel so crappy. Feeling the baby kick, finding out the gender, and getting some extra genetic tests has helped my confidence immensely as well.