35+ and Pregnant

[stars]

Welcome to the 35+ and Pregnant thread. We will keep this thread as "low key" as possible (as requested).

I would like to have our stats on the first page, just so we know who is here. Also please feel free to post sonogram & belly pics and of course tell us about upcoming appointments, but will not post them on the first page like other threads. That way you can delete/change what you want, when you want.

Username:
Me: Name, age
DH: Name, age
Married: Date
TTC: Date
BFP: Date
EDD: Date
Gender Prediction:
Actual Gender:
Any other children:
Misc. info:

Looking forward to getting to know all of you...

[stars]

Save for stats:

Brink
Me: Tina, 36
DH: Dan, 36
Married: June, 26 2004
TTC: January
BFP: July
EDD: 3/19/07 (will be earlier for scheduled C)
Gender Prediction: BOY
Actual Gender:
Any other children: DD: Aimee (9/25/05

ejs
Me: ejs, 38
DH: mr.ejs, 39
Married: Oct 2003
TTC: 4/06
BFP: 5/06
EDD: 2/4/07
Gender Prediction: ??
Actual Gender: BOY
Any other children: nope, just 2 dogs

Kimmiebride
Me: Kimmie, 41
DH: 41
Married: 07/28/01
TTC: 08/2002
BFP: 07/21/06
EDD: 03/31/07
Gender Prediction: not finding out until birth
Actual Gender:
Any other children: Angel Robert, born too soon,18 1/2 weeks, 11/24/06
Misc. info: Clotting disorders (Factor V Leiden & MTHFR) discovered with previous pregnancy, on lovenox 2x daily, therapueutic levels, high risk - seeing perinatologists

mermccau
Me: Meredith, 36
DH: Sean, 32
Married: September 6th, 2003
TTC: June 2005
BFP: March 2006
EDD: November 9th, 2006
Gender Prediction:
Actual Gender: BOY
Any other children: none
Misc. info: I am over 7 months pregnant at this point

Mobox
Me: Maureen, 36
DH: Dave, 36
Married: 6/19/04
TTC: 4/1/05
BFP: 4/10/06
EDD: 12/15/06
Gender Prediction:
Actual Gender: BOY
Any other children: This is our first.
Misc. info: Conceived naturally with the lovely help of Clomid. I may have polyhydramnios, will know more 8/28 appt.

stars
Me: Sandra, 40
DH: 35
Married: 9/28/02
TTC: 10/1/05
BFP: 6/19/06
EDD: 2/25/07 (will change due to scheduled c-section & measuring big)
Gender Prediction: BOY
Actual Gender: GIRL
Any other children: Dylan 7/14/04
Misc. info: Got pregnant naturally with the help of progesterone

In our thoughts & prayers
margiepgh
APhiJill

[stars]

Save for more stats

[margiepgh]

Stars - Thanks for starting this thread! I had been thinking about starting it myself, but I'm too superstitious. It will be great to keep in touch with the other grads from the 35+ TTC thread, plus meet any other 35+ pregnant women out there in CC land.

Username: margiepgh
Me: Margie, 42 (but will be 43 on 9/2/06:eek: )
DH: Ken, 39
Married: 6/15/02
TTC: 11/04
BFP: 7/13/06
EDD: 3/20/07
Gender Prediction: who knows????? I haven't even thought about it.
Actual Gender: ????
Any other children: David Connor, 12/18/03
Misc. info: conceived naturally on break cycle with injectibles


stars - So do you know for sure that you are having a girl?

As of yesterday, I am at 10 weeks and had my first OB appointment. I love my calm OB who told me that advanced maternal age was a bunch of hogwash. He said that he felt that being in good health, I should do as well as his younger patients. I totally needed that. I really don't want to be stressed out for the next 7 months.

[stars]

Hi Margie and WELCOME! :)

We just found out we are having a girl yesterday. Long story short ... went in for that early testing sonogram (NT scan) that they offer now and the Peri. could not do it because I am measuring at 14 weeks even though I am 13 weeks 2 days. I'm not too concerned about missing the opportunity, will do the AFP/Quad Screen at 18 weeks like I did with my DS and take it from there.

So he started poking around and I mean poking around he was way down trying to get a "birds eye" view and asked if we wanted to find out the sex again and I said sure but can you tell this early and he says I already know with this grin on his face. So of course I was dying and he said it's a girl. I still don't believe him and won't tell anyone (except my cyber friends) until it's comfirmed again at the Level II sonogram. I'm still in shock, although it really explains why I feel so different this pregnancy.

So happy to hear that you have an OB who is "advanced maternal age" supportive ... these docs have got to realize that women are having children later in life and have to be supportive and treat us like we are in our 20s ... HA!.

[Kimmiebride]

Username: Kimmiebride
Me: Kimmie, 41
DH: 41
Married: 07/28/01
TTC: 08/2002
BFP: 07/21/06
EDD: 03/31/07
Gender Prediction: not finding out until birth
Actual Gender:
Any other children: Angel Robert, born too soon,18 1/2 weeks, 11/24/06
Misc. info: Clotting disorders (Factor V Leiden & MTHFR) discovered with previous pregnancy, on lovenox 2x daily, therapueutic levels, high risk - seeing perinatologists

Thanks for starting the thread Stars! My Nuchal Trans test is 9/14. I can't believe they can guess about gender this early... so wild! We are not finding out again, much to most people's disbelief! My next peri appointment is this Friday, and I am looking forward to seeing my little one again! I can't believe I am already almost 9 weeks... time is flying, which is a good thing. I am already worried about delivery and the problems I face with these clotting disorders. I ended up with two sets of clots in my lungs last time, and I am very grateful to even be here, and overjoyed to be pregnant again! It's just so scary and different after you are our age, or after you have been through the trauma of a loss, or infertility, or both. I haven't gained any weight yet, and hope to get in better shape when I hit the second trimester... I want to start water aerobics, since I am starting this pregnancy 20 pounds heavier than my last because of the stupid meds I was on for the clotting. It's so daunting, but I know if I am in better physical shape I will have a bit less to worry about when it comes to labor and delivery. I want to avoid a c-section, which is tough at our advanced maternal age, since they seem to want to do them at the drop of a hat. I know my recovery will be much more difficult with a section, and my clotting fears will be kicked into high gear if I can't be as active after the delivery because of major surgery. These are the fears I am dealing with most of the time these days.
Kimmie

[margiepgh]

Hi Kimmie - I can't believe you are 9 weeks already. Just a week behind me. Maybe we can compare symptoms. :)

The clotting issues do sound scary, but at least this time you and your doctors know about the problem and are prepared to treat it. How common are those clotting disorders? I am just wondering, because I know my mom developed a blood clot after my brother was born and I wonder if I may also be at risk.

I'm a bit jealous that you are getting to see your little one again this Friday. One disadvantage of being treated as a ordinary patient is that I am not scheduled to get an another u/s until I'm 18-20 weeks. I'm not sure if I'm going to do the NT scan or not. My OB discouraged me from having it done, because of the high rate of false positives (5-10%).

[Kimmiebride]

Hi Margie, take it from me, I'd rather be "normal!" The clotting disorders are very common... I would make sure your docs know that your mom had a clot post partum (the most risky time for any woman to have one is in the 6 weeks after the baby is born) and arm yourself with information. If you get a weird charley horse type pain in either of your legs/calves or feel like you are going to pass out or are short of breath with a feeling of being bruised inside your chest, then get yourself to the ER ASAP. I have a strong family history, but we never thought anything about it. My hematologist was surprised that I never clotted before - on birth control pills for years, overweight, infertility injectibles, and all that hormone manipulation can often trigger some type of event, but I didn't get the clots until after Robert was born.

I am doing the nuchal because I want to avoid the amnio, since my membranes ruptured right after my amnio with Robert. I am hoping for decent numbers that will give my DH some peace of mind if I refuse the amnio. My plan is to see what's up at the level II, and if there are any markers, then I will consider it, but hoping this baby is just healthy as can be, and that I won't have to worry about the damn amnio. My peri said that because of my weight they might have a hard time seeing the measurements and to be prepared for that. I know there are false positives, and that they use age in all the ratios, so of course we're in trouble there... :)
Kimmie

[Brink]

Hi ladies - I'll join

Username: Brink
Me: Tina, 36
DH: Dan, 36
Married: June, 26 2004
TTC: January
BFP: July
EDD: 3/19/07 (will be earlier for scheduled C)
Gender Prediction: Boy
Actual Gender:
Any other children: DD: Aimee (9/25/05
Misc. info:

Thanks for starting the thread. Just seeing the chatter regarding the Nuchal test. I opted not to have it at all or the amnio. I was 35 when my DD was born and they offered them at that time too, and I declined. I just don't know what I would do with the info and would rather not know. I figure if anything is REALLY wrong it will show on a regular u/s, right?

[mobox]

Username: Mobox
Me: Maureen, 36
DH: Dave, 36
Married: 6/19/04
TTC: 4/1/05
BFP: 4/10/06
EDD: 12/15/06
Gender Prediction:
Actual Gender: BOY
Any other children: This is our first.
Misc. info: Conceived naturally with the lovely help of Clomid. I may have polyhydramnios, will know more 8/28 appt.


Hi girlies! So glad to see you over here from the 35+TTC thread. I miss my homies...

My next appt is Monday. Had my 19 week ultrasound and everything was normal but at my next appt at 21 weeks, I still hadn't felt him kick...so doctor felt around and measured and feels I may be carrying too much fluid. Soooo, will check again this coming Monday and if I'm still "large" I will have another ultrasound where they will gauge the fluid levels in my uterus. At that point, we will decide what to do. 60% of cases have no cause, the other 40% can be caused by: gestational diabetes, genetic disorder (ruled out by previous testing), another birth defect (esophagal issues, digestive issues, hole in the heart) that is corrected by surgery after birth.

I'm trying to stay calm, cool and collected.

[stars]

mobox & brink welcome :)

[stars]

Went down to the RE yesterday and hoping I get the call to finally get off this last progesterone suppository. Unfortunately I am not done with them, they will continue to monitor my thyroid. I had such a hard time finding an endo. in my area to take me on, the offices that I called told me they don't take on "high risk " cases.

My sleeping has been horrible, I get up to pee around 3:30 and have the hardest time going back to sleep. It has been tough finding the energy to chase after Dylan, but I get it somehow :)

I've been thinking too much about the amnio this pregnancy, I guess because I'm two years older and the OB's in the practice really push it. I didn't have one with my DS because my numbers came back so high, they were like 1:1200. Hoping this time around the AFP is the same and I don't even have to "go there"! It truly scares me.

[margiepgh]

Hi Stars - I'm seeing an endocrinologist too. After my attack of thyroiditis last fall, the endocrinologist said that if I became pregnant I would need to have regular appointments and monitoring, because I was at risk for thryoid problems during pregnancy. In June when I had my blood checked, everything was great. At about 8 weeks into pregnancy, the TSH came back a little higher than he likes for pregnancy (about 3), so last week I started on Synthroid (50 micrograms per day). I think that thyroid issues during and following pregnancy are pretty common, I'm not sure why the endocrinologist would consider you to be high risk.

My OB is the opposite from yours. He discourages amnio's unless a couple is open to the possibility of pregnancy termination, because of the risk for miscarriage. He also discourages the AFP and nuchal fold tests because of the high rate of false positives.

[stars]

margie I guess the endo. hears that I'm seeing an RE and a red flag comes up, who the heck knows.

I also have TSH issues that they found at 7 weeks. It was a 4.9, so they put me on 75 mcg. of Synthroid. I had my six week blood recheck yesterday at the RE so hoping that this dose is working for me.

I believe that the amnio is such a person decision and should remain at that! No one should feel ANY pressure from any doctor into having one. That is why I LOVE my Peri., he is VERY laid back about all that testing.

[mermccau]

Hi Everyone. :D

Username: mermccau
Me: Meredith, 36
DH: Sean, 32
Married: September 6th, 2003
TTC: June 2005
BFP: March 2006
EDD: November 9th, 2006
Gender Prediction:
Actual Gender: boy
Any other children: none
Misc. info: I am over 7 months pregnant at this point :D


It will be nice meeting you all.

[stars]

Welcome mermccau...

Glad that you joined us and congrats!

Those of us that were preggo in the 35+ and TTC thread thought it was time to start this thread. We didn't want to scare the ladies in our Mommies threads with all our chat about advanced screening and amnio's etc. Thought this would be a great place to do all that.

[Brink]

Welcome mermccau

Doppler - has anyone heard anything bad about renting these? I rented one with my last pg and loved having it there so I could hear the heartbeat whenever I felt nervous and also so my parents and others could hear it that couldn't be at the dr. I asked the question in my March07 mommies if people were renting them and someone said they had heard bad things about them. She said the sites that rent them really should require a prescription and the only way you should have one is at the advice of your dr. I didn't think a doppler could cause any harm - did I totally miss something? Has anyone else heard of such a thing?

[margiepgh]

Brink - I recently read something on CNN.com about the dangers of ultrasound:


http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/08/07/ultrasound.brains.ap/index.html

I know that the doppler heart rate monitor and ultrasound are related technologies, so maybe that is the concern. Otherwise, I haven't really heard anything bad about dopplers.

[Kimmiebride]

Brink, I don't know if it's harmful... most likely not, but I think for some people it's just so stressful if they can't find the h/b right away, or if they obsess about it. I don't think the baby likes it as they always try to swim away from it, but if it gives you peace of mind, and you did it before, I don't see why you shouldn't do it with this one. BTW, your daughter is just adorable!

I just love it that I have gotten to hear the heart beat at both of my peri visits. So cool that the "good" ultrasound machines have that doppler built right in. My little one looked so cute this morning.
http://www.millcottagebridal.com/sono825.jpg
Kimmie

[tsmom]

Just subscribing so I can keep up with all my girls!!

Sounds like you are all doing great!! Beautiful pix Kimmie!

[stars]

tsmom Hope to see you here soon ;)

kimmie LOVE your sonogram pic.

[margiepgh]

10 weeks 5 days


Kimmie - Great u/s picture! It sounds like everything is going really well. :)

mobox - I hope everything turns out fine at your appointment on Monday. Please stop in and let us know how you are doing.

Welcome mermccau - Your user name sounds familiar. Were you on the roster of the 35+TTC thread?

--------

I don't want to speak to soon, but I think the worst of my m/s has subsided. It was always worst in the afternoons, and now I'm started to feel alot less queasy and a bit more like myself.

[Brink]

kimmie - thanks for the compliment on DD - I think she is cute too (not that I'm biased or anything....). BTW - your little one is looking really cute too - just noticed off your u/s that you are in SF. I lived in the East Bay until a couple of weeks ago. We moved up to Auburn (but I still work in Marin!)

[mobox]

Doppler-- My MIL was an OB nurse for 25+ years and she just gave me her doppler last week. She cautioned me to not use it more than once a week...I didn't ask why but I assumed that over use could be dangerous or harmful (better word). So, while I think it would be fine to rent one, I wouldn't go overboard on the use.

[mobox]

I went to the OB today. She did the old tape measure method and I was 6 centimeters "bigger than normal" meaning that I was still measuring big. Last time, I was 3 inches(ETS: centimeters not inches, my bad) too large. But my weight gain is normal. So she performed an ultrasound to do the exact quadrant measurements of fluid in the uterus. She also stressed that some women just carry farther out than normal because of the way their body is shaped. That could be me since I have a short torso.

When ultrasounding me, she said that eyeballing it told her that I was carrying excess fluid but that the measurements themselves, from the machine, were still in the normal range. I'm at level 20-21 and polyhydramnios occurs at 25+. Most women measure about 16-18. I'm up there, but still normal. Baby is measuring exactly on schedule-I'm 24weeks, 2 days and the baby is 24 weeks, 1 day. The one other thing that she wants to keep an eye on is that the baby's abdomen is measuring a little small. Basically, they have a weekly range and mine is 22-27 weeks. Baby's abdomen is at 22 weeks so still in the normal range but low (only in the 5%tile). She said that could mean that he isn't getting enough nutrition but that we need to trend it to see if it's just an anomaly. So when I go in for my 28 week check, they will do another ultra sound to make sure the fluid is still under 25 and the baby's abdomen is measuring higher. So, there is still a little bit of worry on my part but I feel confident that everything is in normal range.

[stars]

mobox ... hang in there, do we ever stop worrying?!?!?!

14 weeks 2 days and I'm feeling lousy this week. Either morning sickness is back or I have some sort of bug. The only way I feel better is if I have food in my belly, so I'm thinking that the M/S is trying to creep back. So much for 2nd trimester burst of energy :( Have an OB appt. tomorrow and hope to hear the heartbeat, can you believe after 4 sonograms and countless appointments, I have not heard this babies heart yet, I've seen it but not heard it.

Take care girls and I'll pop on again soon.

[Kimmiebride]

Brink! We have friends who work in Auburn! What a heck of a commute, you poor thing! Hopefully we'll get to meet IRL one of these days!

Mobox, hope things calm down and normal out for ya... The worry is never ending.

Stars, hope you're feeling better soon. I am soooo looking forward to the second trimester burst of energy!! I feel like such a slug!

I just read in the March thread about the poor momma who lost her baby at 13 weeks. Stuff like that makes me sooo sad, not to mention completely freaks me out. Too much like what I remember from the last time. I keep telling myself this is a completely different pregnancy and a completely different baby, and it does no good to compare to last time, but subconsciously it's there. I am glad I am being seen every two weeks or I think I would go nuts!

Today my best friend is having her u/s. She's two weeks behind me, so about 7 1/2, and it will be the first time she sees the heartbeat. I am going with her. She's having this baby on her own, and I am so glad we have each other to compare notes with and experience the cool stuff. She came to my u/s on Friday since DH was working. I think the people in her RE's office think we are a couple! Funny! Too bad they won't be around for the time we start coming in with big bellies as she graduates to her OB in a week or two. That would have been really funny to see their faces!

Starving, and have no idea what I want to eat right now... I really have a craving for something like chicken pot pie or chicken and dumplings. Have to figure out where I can go to get someone to make me something like that!
Kimmie

[Brink]

mbbox - sorry for all the stress this has added. I'm sure everything will turn out just great - but sending you "grow baby grow" wishes.

Kimmie - Friends in Auburn - small world, isn't it? I'm over in the March mommies and saw the same thing. I just can't imagine going through something like that (or what you went through) and not having it have an impact on everything moving forward. You think that because you are out of the 1st trimester that all should be ok and you can let your guard down. Since this is my 2nd pg with a healthy 1st baby, my confidence is high, but I keep reminding myself that each pg is different and not to take this one for granted.

[pocahontas]

Hey ladies! I miss you all in the TTC 35+ thread. :( But I am so happy to see you all have started this one because I plan to be here to join you very shortly. ;) ;) Actually this post is for MARGIE...would you PM me and let me know any things you think I should do/know/remember when starting the new TTC 35+ thread. I haven't been a threadmistress before and I am not sure if I should just copy all the first page information (including stats) over again or what. :confused: (I posted here because I wasn't sure you'd be back to visit the old thread before I am ready to start the new one Friday.) Thanks a bunch!

Good luck ladies!

[mobox]

Girls, I swear I don't know how anyone makes it through 10 months without having a complete BREAKDOWN! :rolleyes: If it's not one thing it's another. I"ve been feeling baby boy kick a LOT more lately. So that is always reassuring. DAve felt him for the first time last night.:) That was neat to see his eyes light up. Then at bed time he rolled over and told my belly all about his day. It's so cute that when he talks to the baby, he always starts by saying "Hey Dude." Cute.

[margiepgh]

pocahontas - I sent you a PM.

[stars]

Had my regular OB check up yesterday. Everything is fine. FINALLY heard the heartbeat, which is such a relief. Doc says based on my last sonogram I am mesuring 11 days ahead so that changes my due date from Feb. 25th to Feb. 14th.

Now if I know when my last period started, know when I ovulated and know the date of conception, how does that happen? I guess I'm just destined to have big babies, my DS weighed in at 9 lbs. 11 oz and was 22 inches long!

We discussed VBAC and c-section and since I had such a hard time getting my DS out (3 hours of pushing), I've decided to do another c-section. I don't think I can go through that again, not only was it physically draining, it was emotionally draining to try and push for so long and then have the surgery anyway. I felt like I gave birth to two babies! Anywho, it was nice to know that I had the option.

Hope you all have a great labor day weekend if I don't come back before then.

[Brink]

Stars - I had a c-section the first time too and assume I will again. I think they say that it depends on why you had to have the c-section on whether they want you to try vbac. I know with mine, I pushed for 2.5 hours, fully dialated, 100% effaced and she never got past a 0 station. She wasn't large (7-11) and not turned funny, so they think it is just my body wasn't responding and letting her through. Given that, they don't see much point to me trying again. I imagine you probably had the same type of thing. I have to admit, I kinda like the idea of "scheduling" when the baby will be born. Congrats on hearing the h/b.

[craftgenius]

Hello ladies! I'm 36 years old and just had my first baby two weeks ago. Hang in there ladies!! 40 weeks is a long time, but just take it week by week and before you know it, you'll be almost there!!

[stars]

I've been released from the RE!!!!!!!!! WOO HOO!

Hope everyone is feeling great.

[margiepgh]

stars - Congrats on being released from the RE! I'm sure it was a pain going to Check's office. How many weeks along are you now?

------

I still haven't told everybody yet about being pregnant. The only one who knows is my mother and my best friend. DH spilled the beans and told all of his family and a few of our neighbors, but he's also waiting to tell everybody. I'd like to hold out until my next OB appointment (in 2 weeks) when we should hear the heartbeat, but this belly is getting bigger by the minute, and I'm going to have to get some new work clothes soon. ;)

[stars]

margie I'm 15 weeks 2 days and I look like I'm 6 months pregnant. It's unreal how quickly you show the second time around.

We are just starting to tell people now. I figured if we didn't tell, people would think I gained a HUGE beer gut this summer ;)

[Kimmiebride]

I have never been able to keep my mouth shut... a lot of people know.

Is anyone else just stressed beyond belief? I just saw two really sad stories on my other board's over 40 group, and I just keep freaking out. I don't have another appointment until a week from tomorrow, and that's my NT scan. I just keep praying that my little one keeps growing strong and healthy. This innocence lost thing really sucks bigtime!!!
Kimmie

[margiepgh]

Kimmie - I understand how you are feeling. When I read about a loss, I feel sad for the person experiencing the loss but also feel fear that it could happen to me. It is especially difficult when the person is further along in their pregnancy, beyond the point where you would expect anything to happen.

[margiepgh]

Please take my name off of the roster.:(

Unfortunately, I found out today that I lost the baby. I had some light spotting and called the OBs office who had me come in for an appointment today. Since I was 12 weeks, they tried to find the heartbeat with the doppler, but had no success. They sent me for an ultrasound and found a lifeless baby that had stopped developing at about 10 weeks. I'm still trying to schedule a D&C. DH and I are heartbroken. It will probably be too painful to check in on this thread, but I wish the best for all of you.

[Kimmiebride]

NOOOOOOOOOOO. Oh Margie. I don't know what to say. My prayers are with you and Ken. It's just so hard... all the hopes and dreams gone in an instant.
All my best,
Kimmie

[stars]

margie I am so so sorry to read your news. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this time. Be good to yourself.

[melissafromnc]

delurking to tell margie that I'm so very sorry for your loss. Thinking of you and your family and so very, very sorry. Take good care of yourself.

[pocahontas]

Also delurking...Margie, I know there are no words I can offer to help or console, but I am so very sorry.

[RileyMom]

I don't get on CC as often as I used to, but when I do, this is one of the threads I lurk on. I am pg with #2 and turning 40 next month and I have been silently cheering for you all, even when you were in the "ttc over 35" thread.

I am just heartbroken for Margie. I was really rooting for you, as I am Pixie, Kimmie and all the rest. This just completely sucks. I wish I had some words to console you, but I know there isn't any. Just know that I am just devastated to hear this, and you are in my thoughts right now.

God, this sucks.

[Brink]

margiepgh - I am so sorry. It just seems that by the time we reach 12 wks we should be able to feel a little confident - I hope you and your DH find strength in each other in the coming days.


I feel guilty coming in and posting happy news after Margiepgh's news. But I wanted to share with everyone my latest u/s pic. We found out yesterday we are having twins! I am making an appt with a specialist to confirm if they are in the same sac (my ob thinks so). If so, I become high risk - just one more thing to worry about!!!!!

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m65/Brink_06/Newbabies/ultrasound9-6.jpg

[tsmom]

margie - your family is in my prayers - things are just so unfair sometimes. Take good care of yourself and dh.

[msnicolea]

Another lurker here. margie, I am so very, very sorry for your loss.

[stars]

brink Congrats on your twins, what a great ultrasound picture.

[tsmom]

Brink - Congrats on the beautiful twins - waiting to hear what the specialist has to say.

Hope the rest of you are doing fine :)

[ejs]

...

[Brink]

We got our news today and it isn't good. The twins are monoamnionic which means they share the same placenta and sac. I'll be lucky if they make it to 24 wks without having a "cord accident". If they make it that far, I will be admitted for monitoring and they will be delivered somewhere between 24 and 34 wks. Not much else to say at this point, we just have to cross our fingers and hope for an uneventful next 11 wks to get them to a viable stage.

[Kimmiebride]

Brink, I know that news is tough, but hopefully things will work out. The statistics are daunting, but there are plenty of monoamniotic twins that make it just fine. Ok kids, no swimming around too much, and no tangling of your cords. I will be thinking of you, and hoping for everything good.

ejs, welcome!
Kimmie

[stars]

ejs WELCOME to the thread, I added your stats to the first page. So sorry that your feeling so crummy ... hang in there :) Oh and updated to tell you congrats on your boy, I LOVE my DS, boys are so much fun!

Brink I will be sending positive "no tangling" thoughts your way. Hang in there, stay positive and stay strong these next 11 weeks. We are all here for you!

kimmie Good luck with your NT scan this week. Will be thinking of you. I unfortunately was measuring too big for them to do it so I just did the AFP & will have my Level II next week.

[Kimmiebride]

Just popping in to update you guys!! Great news at the NT... first of all, I am in LOVE with that cute little face! Second, and I guess, more importantly, my risks went way down based on our results! So, no amnio unless we end up with something that really worries us at the level II, which is scheduled for 10/31. I was so stressed this morning I almost threw up, but now I feel so great! The baby was just so cute, bouncing off the walls, all active, kicking and punching, and then it did this cute thing with it's hand up by it's face. The time watching that little one was so awesome, and it took a lot of time, since we couldn't get it to get into the right position for quite some time. So happy!!
Take care!
Kimmie

[ejs]

kimmiebride, so glad to hear that you had a good appointment! Hearing that your risk factor has decreased is always great news.

[stars]

kimmie You put a smile on my face. Your post was so cute, so upbeat and so positive. After all you've been through, I am so happy for you.

[tsmom]

Yeah Kimmie!!! So excited to hear about the happy baby dancing!!

Brink - Thinking positive mellow baby thoughts for you.

[margiepgh]

I'm sorry that I haven't been up to posting until now, but I wanted to stop by and thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers. I had a D&C last Friday, which wasn't horrible since I was under IV sedation. The OB ordered pathology testing on the fetus, which will take about 6 weeks, so hopefully we'll have some answers by my follow-up appointment. My favorite OB did the procedure, which brought me alot of comfort. The first several days were pretty rough after hearing the news, but the happy times are starting to outnumber the sad ones. My son has been my greatest comfort. When he saw me crying he brought me tissues, gave me a hug, and gave me his Barney to hold. :)

We're on hold for about 3 months but, in spite of my age, we plan on TTC again. I'll be visiting from time to time to check on all of you.

Kimmie - That's great about the NT results. :) I want you to know, that I'm one of your biggest cheerleaders, and want nothing more than for you to have an uneventful pregnancy.

Brink - My thoughts and prayers are with you that all will be well with your twins.

[stars]

margie Thinking of you and glad you are taking one day at a time. Hope to see you back here and fast!

Today is my 40th Birthday! What better way to spend the day then waking up naseous and pregnant on this day. I am blessed, truly blessed.

I have my Level II tomorrow, it's amazing how much more nervous I am this time around then when I was pregnant with my DS. Pray that everything is okay and that I don't have to go through the amnio.

[Kimmiebride]

Happy Birthday Stars!!! I agree... being 40 and pregnant is a great thing, and now for me, waking up on my 41st birthday last August, and being pregnant was the best present I could have wanted. Good luck at the level II, and I pray that all is well and no amnio for your either!! Nerve wracking, to say the least, but can't wait for you to see you babe, and all its healthy parts!
Hi to all!
Kimmie

[mobox]

Hi all, I'm back from my week long business trip. Last one for quite some time! It was a good trip and I got a lot done. My co-workers in the NY office pitched in and got me $200 in AmEx gift checks. Very very generous and not at all expected.

I got no sleep at all Friday night because my plane out of JFK was delayed for over 6 hours. I tried to relax on the 6 hour flight but it was very difficult. So Saturday night I slept like a rock and somehow tweaked my hip (left side). Probably the way I was laying. So I actually called in sick today because I am miserable. Oh man, I wish I could take some Advil!!! I took two Tylenol but it's not really helping. I'm contemplating a heating pad because it hurts just to sit! Well, at least it's taking my mind off my aching back.:rolleyes:

Margie, if you are lurking...know that my thoughts and prayers are will you.

Kimmie, It's so great to hear your extreme happiness!

Brink, Good luck and keep your spirits up. Lots of rest and relaxation.

[stars]

mobox Hope your back is feeling better. The flight from coast to coast is brutal, I have two brothers that live in LA and don't get to see them that much because I can't stand sitting on the ground/plane for that long.

UPDATED TO ADD: The level II went great, baby was moving around so much that the technician had a hard time getting the pics. Could it be that glass of Coke I had before the appt. to help get rid of this headache?!?!? She asked me "did you just eat", I didn't tell her of course what I had drunk. Anywho, it's definitely a girl, saw the money shot clear as day. Unfortunately the Peri. didn't have my AFP results from my OB, so I have to wait on that which was disappointing, just a few more days of stressing out.

[ejs]

Just wanted to see how everyone is doing.

I'm still pretty ill. I tried to go off the Zofran, but that didn't work well. Had to get a 3 1/2 hour IV last Monday. A follow-up appt on Friday showed that I have finally gained some weight. The baby's HB continues to be good.

We have another u/s on Friday to check the baby's size because he measured big at the amnio u/s.

I'm feeling so anxious about this whole pregnancy. Will I ever reach a milestone at which I feel like this will be a healthy, successful pregnancy? I'd appreciate any hints.

I hope everyone is doing well.

[stars]

Hi ladies, VERY quiet thread, how is everyone feeling?

ejs The worrying never stops until you deliver that baby unfortunately. Then a whole new worry kicks in. We will be worrying about our children for the rest of our lives. I must admit, I think I'm worse the second time around because I know more.

Got my AFP results back and it showed 1:123 for Downs. After much deliberation, my DH and I decided to go ahead with the amnio. I would never terminate this pregnancy, but I don't think I can live a day the rest of these five months not worrying about it and wondering if I made the right decision. So we will be doing that Wednesday afternoon. Please keep me in your thoughts that everything goes well.

Off to tend to my sick son, he has one heck of a headcold.

[Kimmiebride]

Stars! Good luck with the amnio... it's such a tough decision, but I am sure you and DH made the right one! It just sucks how much our age can cloud the results, and make us worry! I am still supposed to get an AFP in about 2weeks. I almost don't want it now that I have this sense of security from my NT results.

ejs, worry? we'll always worry... HOpe you feel better though!!

Good peri appt today - no u/s, just heard heartbeat, repeated my pap since the last one didn't have enough cells (can I tell ya how much I hate seeing spotting from it???) Next appt is 10/13.
Kimmie

[ejs]

Got my AFP results back and it showed 1:123 for Downs. After much deliberation, my DH and I decided to go ahead with the amnio. I would never terminate this pregnancy, but I don't think I can live a day the rest of these five months not worrying about it and wondering if I made the right decision. So we will be doing that Wednesday afternoon. Please keep me in your thoughts that everything goes well.

Off to tend to my sick son, he has one heck of a headcold.

I was so stressed out about my amnio. But the actual procedure was nowhere near how awful I thought it would be. The waiting for the results was the worst part! I'll be thinking about you Wednesday. Sorry to hear about your son.

Good peri appt today - no u/s, just heard heartbeat, repeated my pap since the last one didn't have enough cells (can I tell ya how much I hate seeing spotting from it???) Next appt is 10/13.
Kimmie
Glad to hear you had a good appointment today! Those are always somewhat reassuring.

I just read about Pixie in the other thread. That makes me so sad. I was so sorry to read that.

[stars]

Survived the amnio yesterday. It really was not as bad as I thought it was going to be, I was in & out of the Peri. office in 20 minutes. The baby was sound asleep so it made his job very easy. The hard part was coming home and resting, he could not stress enough how important it was to try and not do much for 24 hours ... so hard with a 2 year old. Anywho, thanks for thinking of me.

[Kimmiebride]

Stars, glad all went well, and now we all wish you the best with the waiting. Did they do the FISH test, or do you have to wait the whole two weeks. Prayers are being sent that #2 is a.ok!! Hoping Dylan is feeling better too!
Kimmie

[mobox]

Stars - Glad the amnio went well.

AS for me, I had my GTT on MOnday and I passed (yay!). They measured my fluid again and I am still quite high...up to 24 now (25 is polyhydramnios). Doc says she's not worried though. Reason? Well, last time the little guys abdomin was quite small...it measured at 22 weeks while every other measurement was at 25 weeks. So she was a bit concerned. Well, this time around he had double in weight (he's 3lb, 4oz now) and his abdominal measurement was on par with all the others. All measurements are at 29 weeks which puts me a week ahead of schedule. she will measure the fluid at 35 weeks and if it isn't down to 15, then we start talking about pre-term labor and placental deterioration (not a good thing).

So, that is my update for now. I hope all of you are well and taking good care of yourself. :)

[ejs]

Stars, glad you had a good amnio. Now the tough part of waiting begins. For me, the waiting was so much worse than the procedure.

Mobox, good news on the GTT results. I hope the news will be just as good for your next fluid measurement.

I had a few days without throwing up, but I think those days caught up with me because today was a rough one. Words cannot even express how ready I am to feel better!

Re: the stress and anxiety I mentioned in a previous post. If any of you have any coping tips, I'd appreciate hearing them. I try to tell myself that I can only do so much and the rest is up to nature. And that stressing does no good, and can actually do bad things. But it's hard to keep a positive frame of mind. So I'd love to hear how you all are doing it! Thanks.

Take care, everyone.

[stars]

Got the first part of my amnio back and no marker for Downs. So blessed about that and was able to sleep last night. Thanks again for thinking of me.

ejs My RX for stress is exercise. I try to go for a walk every other day. Hang in there and deep breaths

[ejs]

Got the first part of my amnio back and no marker for Downs. So blessed about that and was able to sleep last night. Thanks again for thinking of me.

ejs My RX for stress is exercise. I try to go for a walk every other day. Hang in there and deep breaths

As I said in the other thread, congrats on the good amnio results. What a relief!

I wish I could exercise. I can barely leave the house! It's pathetic, but taking a shower kicks my butt.

We had our second u/s yesterday to measure the baby's size. He's still measuring bigger than expected, but my dr doesn't want to change my due date.

[stars]

I have no idea what the FISH test is. Can someone fill me in?

[ejs]

I have no idea what the FISH test is. Can someone fill me in?

From what was explained to me, the FISH test can quickly test just a few pairs of chromosomes. It is very labor-intensive, so that is why it isn't done for everyone.

Here's some info:
A faster method of analysis, called FISH for "fluorescent in situ hybridization," involves using special dyes targeted to specific chromosomes. Each dye glows a different color under fluorescent lighting. At present, we can only test for four or five different chromosome pairs using this technique. Normal cells have 23 pairs of chromosomes; an abnormal fetus may have an extra chromosome or may be missing one from a pair. Since we can't test all the chromosome pairs using FISH, this method only picks up a portion of the potential chromosomal anomalies that may occur. Luckily, the most common problems are picked up using this screening method. As results from this test can be available within a few hours, FISH is gaining in popularity.

[Kimmiebride]

Great news Stars!!! Glad it all went just fine!

ejs, I am also to the point of really being stressed all the time too. I am freaking out about every little cramp these days as I get close to the time where I lost my other baby. My blood pressure is not behaving, and they are going to make me report to a nurse everyday with home readings to make sure they don't need to be more worried about it. Next week I have the AFP, the 1 hour glucose, and a bunch of other tests before my next appt. on 10/13
I had a little cramp freak out today, and got in for a quick u/s, and baby is fine. I plan to rest all day, and hope this worry subsides. I need to get out and walk, which I will start doing as soon as the cramping calms down. I think the baby is just going through a growth spurt so my uterus is stretching.
Take care everybody!
Kimmie

[mobox]

I tell you ladies, exercise is the last thing on my mind!!! Every night I come home with the intent to do my yoga tape and I just can't bring myself to muster the energy. At least I'm not the only one...

[ellybelle]

Hey everybody! Not saying anything, just hanging around...do-dee-do-dee-do....I'll be back after a bloodtest and a few actual symptoms.....

[Kimmiebride]

The tension mounts... :)
good luck lady!!!
Kimmie

[stars]

ellybelle It would be so nice to see you here .... SHHHHHHHHHHHH, I won't tell ;) .... come back and let us know.

[RileyMom]

*coming out of lurkdom*

I should just join this thread, for-cryin-out-loud. I am so non-commital its not funny. ;)

But I had to come in and give a big hello to Elly. I have a big :) smile on my face. Good luck!!!

[tsmom]

:) in here

[ellybelle]

Ahhh, never mind :(. Positive tests early in the week, negative ones on Friday, and AF today. Oh well, if things aren't going to work out, a chem. pregnancy isn't the worst thing.

[mobox]

So sorry Elly...:(

[tsmom]

ahh Elly so sorry..

[stars]

Very quiet thread this week. How is everyone feeling?

I got the rest of my amnio results back and everything is normal, glad that is over with. I'm starting to feel the baby move more this week, of course I compare everything to being preggo with DS and was starting to worry. This baby is definitely more mellow then he was, I'll take that ;)

[ejs]

Stars, great news about your amnio results. Isn't that a huge relief?

I'm hanging in there. I don't throw up as often, but I still have no energy. What few nutrients I get go straight to the baby. I had ketones in my urine last week, but none this week.

My ILs were here for a week. DH and FIL did a lot of work in the nursery installing a closet system. MIL went and bought a lot for the layette. DH and I still cannot come up with colors for bedding, the room, etc. There are so many choices, but none are *the* one.

I hope everyone is doing well.

[mobox]

Stars, good news to hear.:)

I'm feeling as well as expected. Back hurts, crotch feels like I got kicked, out of breath easy. But I went for my appt yesterday and all is seemingly well. I"m still measuring way ahead (34 cms) but she doesn't want to do another u/s until 4 more weeks when she can determine where my fluid levels are and if they are affecting the placenta. Baby boy's heartbeat was strong.:)

Have a great weekend old ladies! LOL...

[Kimmiebride]

Hi gang!
just stopping by to say that my level II was awesome, and they found everything normal. Also my AFP came back normal too, so we're in the clear about no amnio!! My little one is quite the wiggler, and seems to like music. In church on Sunday it seemed to enjoy my singing... first time I have sang out loud since being pregnant, and baby just kicked up a storm. I of course am loving every minute of that!

I am jet lagged from my trip, and am going to take one more day off, and then back to work... it really piled up while I was gone!
take care,
Kimmie

[ejs]

kimmiebride, yay for positive test results! I'm sure that must be a HUGE relief for you.

Enjoy your day before heading back to work.

[tsmom]

Fantastic News Kimmie !!!

Hope everyone else is doing well!!!

[stars]

Hi girls,

kimmie So happy that all your tests came back great, what a relief!

ejs Let me know how your c-section class goes. I am sure they will give you more information then you need to know. The surgery itself went great, the recovery was painful I'm not gonna lie .... not as painful as my labor without a working epidural though!

Not much to report on this end. We are feeling good and my little one loves to move around in the wee hours of the morning! I have a Peri. check-up in two weeks and can't wait to see her again.

Hope you all are feeling good.

[mobox]

Hey ladies, only 6 more weeks left for me. Wow! I can't believe it really. We just finished the nursery and when I upload the pics, I'll post a couple. It came out really well. :)

Kimmie--great news about your test results! Fantastic!

How is everyone else doing? It seems quiet in here.

[ejs]

mobox, six more weeks?! Holy cow! That will fly by. I look forward to seeing your nursery pics.

We went to the c-section class tonight. It answered some questions that we had.

I have the GD test on Friday. I'm totally dreading it. If I throw up juice, how will I be able to keep the glucola down? Ugh.

I hope all is well with everyone!

[Kimmiebride]

Thanks guys! Glad to hear you're all doing well too! It has been sooo quiet in here, but I think of you often!
Kimmie

[mobox]

EJS - Good luck on your test. I'll be sending you the "no throwup" vibe. That would not be fun.:(

*******************

Things are good here. I'm so uncomfortable most minutes of the day but I'm trying not to complain. I keep thinking, "Wow, this is the last six weeks of quiet I will have for some time." And then a huge smile creeps across my face.

Do you think that being "older" moms is harder because of being so set in your ways. That's what I keep thinking. Or maybe it will be easier because I have so much more life experience and i'm simply READY for this to happen and envelop me? Pondering...

[ejs]

mobox, thanks for the vibes. I was actually able to keep the stuff down, but it was definitely tough. I should get my results on Monday. I think that if I failed, I'm going straight to the diet and skipping the 3-hour test.

I think we might have a tougher time adjusting because we're older. I keep asking DH if we're too old to do this, but he seems to think we're not. I hope he's right! :)

[Toonces]

I lurk in here occasionally... actually, I just found it a couple of months ago but I'm due in 5 days and never joined in! :o I'm 37 and this is my 2nd and last pregnancy.

ejs ~ You brought up an interesting point about GD and being over 35. I turned 35 one day before DD was born and just turned 37 last month. With both pregnancies I had GD, although my #'s were worse with my 1st. I don't blame you at all for wanting to skip the 3 hour GTT if necessary. That's what I did this time around and I've been controlling my #'s with diet just fine.

Just wanted to throw in my 2 cents. Best of luck to all the mommies to be! Back to lurking. :)

[ejs]

I lurk in here occasionally... actually, I just found it a couple of months ago but I'm due in 5 days and never joined in! :o I'm 37 and this is my 2nd and last pregnancy.

ejs ~ You brought up an interesting point about GD and being over 35. I turned 35 one day before DD was born and just turned 37 last month. With both pregnancies I had GD, although my #'s were worse with my 1st. I don't blame you at all for wanting to skip the 3 hour GTT if necessary. That's what I did this time around and I've been controlling my #'s with diet just fine.

Just wanted to throw in my 2 cents. Best of luck to all the mommies to be! Back to lurking. :)

Please don't just lurk! We need to keep this thread alive.

[Toonces]

Please don't just lurk! We need to keep this thread alive.

Okay... twist my arm. :) I do actually have a question I'd like to ask all of you. I was thinking of this last night around 2am while I was wide awake with insomnia. :rolleyes:

I'll be 40 weeks on Thurs. I've had some mild complications with this pregnancy - erratic BP that's been controlled with acupuncture, GD that's been controlled with diet, and I had hyperemesis but only in 1st tri. I can't have an epidural b/c of prior back surgery and my doc has mentioned induction at 40 weeks (later this week). I was induced with DD and Pitocin contrax without an epi are pretty brutal. I've already had one acupuncture treatment for induction and will have another one on Monday. It can take 2-3 treatments and will only work if your body is ready to go into labor.

So... given my med history with this pregnancy, and that I'm 37, if you were in my shoes would you agree to the induction or would you risk going to 41 weeks? I'm getting nervous b/c I was reading a thread on MDC about the stillborn risk increasing after 40 weeks and I'm sure age plays into that. :(

ETA: There's no mistaking my due date. I was charting, getting acu to ovulate, and my ovulation was caught on u/s. Charting shows O on CD15, u/s showed it on CD14. My docs said to go with the u/s date since it was an obvious snapshot of an egg releasing.

[Kimmiebride]

Catgirl, I am 20 weeks behind you, but I think of this all the time. I think I want to be induced. I lost one at 18weeks, and would just crumble to get all the way through and have my placenta give out and not bring home a baby. I am also favoring induction (doc won't even talk about it so far, since we have to get through some other milestones first...) because my mom has spring break two weeks before I am officially due, and I want her here at the birth. On top of all that I have clotting disorders, and that also speaks well for the induction as the placenta can get really clotty toward the end. It's probably fine to wait, but for ME I know I want the baby sooner rather than later (but not too soon of course!)

I am also going to accu, and hope to have her help in the induction process. Ultimately it will depend on the perinatologists' opinion, but I am hoping for a mid March baby, not an almost April baby!
Good luck, and I hope the birth goes really well!!
Kimmie

[Toonces]

Thank you, Kimmie! I can't believe I'm going to say (type) this, but like you I'm leaning toward induction. I haven't been all along b/c my first induction was not pleasant & I don't want to "force" nature, but I don't want anything to happen to my baby either. I don't blame you one bit for thinking about induction - I would definitely do it if I were in your shoes. I think I'll list the pros/cons and have a long conversation with my doc on Thurs. Hopefully DS will arrive before then! :) Thanks again!

[ejs]

......

[Toonces]

I've read on other threads about all of the old wives' tale remedies to induce labor. I have no idea if any of them work. But have you considered trying any of those?

I think the ones I'd feel safest trying would be the basil/oregano (that's what's in the eggplant parmesan from the restaurant in GA that's claimed to send 100s of women into labor). The herbs scare me a little bit and the thought of sex just isn't there for me right now. I've tried spicy food and walking. Walking does give me more contrax, but they don't seem to be productive. I have an acu appt tonight... fingers crossed this will get things moving.

I hope you get good results from your GTT today!! If for some reason you don't, let me know. I've gone through 2 pregnancies with GD. It's not as bad as it seems it would be.

[mobox]

Catgirl, is c-sect an option for you or not something you want? I don't know what I would do in your shoes. I do hear that induction can be hard, but my friend was just induced with her second because of low amnionic fluid and low baby weight and she said it went so fast that she didn't need any drugs (no pain med). She said she dialated to 5cm and then bang, 15 minutes later with no pushing...out came the baby.

[ejs]

Ugh. My dr just called. I failed the one-hour GD test. I'm taking the 3-hour on Thursday because she really wants me to do that instead of just switching to the diet. I am so bummed.

[Toonces]

mobox ~ I really don't want a c-section because I can't have an epidural, so they would have to give me a general and I'd be knocked out for the entire birth. If I do have to be induced, I hope I go the way your friend did - that doesn't sound bad at all. :)

ejs ~ I'm sorry your failed the 1 hour GTT. FWIW, I know a lot of women fail that one and end up passing the 3 hour. It sucks that you have to go in for the 3 hour though.

I had a good acu appt today with electro-stimulation at 4 points, and have had steady contrax since I've been home. Now if only they'd get stronger....

[stars]

ejs Sorry to read that your failed your test. Hope it's just a fluke and the 3 hour will be passed with flying colors. I need to do mine within the next 2 weeks.

catgirl1007 Hope your contractions start on their own, keep us posted on how you are doing.

Got back yesterday from a roadtrip to my parents in Virginia. The weather down there was absolutely beautiful. Driving in the car sitting for six hours was pretty rough. We did stop twice but the stops were not long enough and was really tight and crampy last night. After a great night sleep I feel better today. Not much else to report on my end, going to the Peri. next week for another sonogram, can't wait to see the baby again (that still doesn't have a name ... HA!)

[mobox]

Your Virginia trip sounds lovely. Except for the car ride being too long. I think 30 minutes in traffic is too long for me at this point!

[ejs]

I passed the 3-hour GTT! Yay!

There was some confusion, though. The regular lab tech wasn't there and the sub seemed to have some trouble finding things. So she drew my fasting blood and then gave me the glucose. I popped my straw in the bottle and sucked it down. It was the same size bottle as my 1-hour test. I actually commented to my DH that I thought I was going to have to drink more this test.

We had our own exam room, so I could lie down for the whole three hours. It was a struggle to keep the glucose down, but I knew that if I threw it up, I'd have to take the darn test again!

We got home after the final blood draw and I looked online. I saw that you're supposed to take 100g of glucose for the 3-hour test. I was CONVINCED my bottle said 50g. I called and left a message for the nurse, then spoke with the lab tech. (Not the one who performed the test because she had left, but the regular one who was there.) She tried to tell me that she was sure I got the right one. I just couldn't believe it. So she told me she'd dig through the garbage. I spoke with her a little later and she told me she found a 100g bottle with a straw in the garbage. She was incredibly defensive for the other tech and was adamant that a mistake would not be made in their lab. I still didn't believe that I drank 100g.

Half an hour ago, the nurse called to tell me I passed. We discussed the bottle incident again. She said that she was in the lab with the tech while the tech went through three cans of garbage. She found a 100g bottle with a straw and that was the only glucose bottle in all three garbage cans. My nurse said she saw the whole thing. So she's convinced I had 100g.

I do feel some relief about that. So I'm thrilled that I passed. I feel guilty that I questioned the lab. And I'm also annoyed that the lab tech got so defensive. But oh well. All that really matters is that I don't have to take the test again! And that I get to eat pasta!

I hope you all are doing really well! Thanks for reading my long tale.

[mobox]

EJS - Great news!!! Glad you passed. :)

**************

Hey, has anyone given thought to how they want thier labor and delivery to go? Anyone leaning toward a natural birth with no drugs? I'm trying to weight all my options and want to hear about how different women came to their decision on which way to go.

[Toonces]

holding sleeping newborn :) so no caps. devin patrick arrived at 10:40pm on fri., 11/10, weight 8 lbs 11 oz, 21". i had no idea how i'd love another baby after dd, but i am soooo in love w/ him.

ejs ~ great news about the 3 hr gtt!!

mobox ~ i can't have an epidural so i had 2 ncb's. unfortunately w/ both i had to be induced for med reasons. i asked for a relaxant (nubain) at 8.5cm w/ devin. birth story of devin here (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25730&page=78) - posts 773 & 774. i'd highly recommend a doula if you go w/ a ncb. it made a huge difference to have a doula w/ my 2nd. also, recovery was a breeze for me w/ both. i think after a ncb, why would you need pain meds, the most painful has passed. :)

[stars]

catgirl1007 CONGRATS on the birth of Devin (GREAT name). Send us a pic if you have the time.

[ejs]

catgirl, congratulations! I look forward to reading more about Devin.

mobox, I'm still leaning toward a scheduled c-section. If we decide to go with a vaginal birth, there is no way I could do NCB. I'm too much of a wimp. I'm still hoping a magical zippered pouch in my abdomen appears soon so the baby can come out that way! :)

[stars]

Hi gals,

Just got back from the Peri. and had another sonogram, my butta ball is getting so big. She weighs a little over 2 pounds, still measuring 2 weeks ahead.

He also said that my placenta is very low, as low as my previous c-section scar, that the abdomonal wall is very thin and wants to keep an eye on this. He didn't seem that worried and told me to come back in a month, so I didn't open my big-mouth and ask questions. Can't find any info on the internet besides Placenta Previa, but he never mentioned this either ... ?!?!?!?!

Hope you girls are feeling good.

[Fireside Girl]

Catgirl,
Congratulations! I love the name you chose.

[Toonces]

Thanks for the congrats, ladies! Things are going really well. He's a much better breastfeeder and sleeper (so far!!) than DD was. Not taking any of this for granted though.

stars ~ I'm glad your doc is keeping an eye on things. I don't know anything about placenta previa, but at least your doc does and knows what to look for.

Fireside Girl ~ I read your posts in the BFing thread and while I don't have any advice, I can commiserate. I didn't have supply issues, but with DD we had latch issues and I had to supplement for the first 6 weeks of her life. When you wrote that you felt bad b/c you couldn't give him what he needed, I so know what that feels like! Hang in there. I hope things get better for you.

QOTD ~ I posted a thread about this in 0-18 months, but am curious to know from our age group... is anyway else sad if you have decided that you're done having children after this one? I knew I'd be sad that this was our last, but now that the baby blues are settling in, I'm really, really sad. I love both my children so much and would love to have another, but I had so many complications, had to be induced with both, can't have an epi and NCB with induction is a b*tch, and am afraid to press my luck with the age thing. I truly feel blessed to have 2 healthy children, but I would love to have a housefull if I could. I guess it's nice to have 2 parents/2 kids, but just smelling Devin's sweet little head, holding him and loving this newborn stage really has me longing to be PG again.

[Kimmiebride]

I think we're done after this one. I am just feeling too old to play the odds. I think we both had wanted more than one, but now it seems like this pregnancy will most likely be my last. We haven't talked details yet, but that's definitely where we're leaning.
Kimmie

[ejs]

I don't think I'll be getting pregnant again after this one. We were incredibly lucky to get pregnant quickly and the baby has been doing well. But I have been so sick during this whole pregnancy. Neither DH nor I are enjoying it. And I cannot imagine being this ill and having a toddler running around.

Our current plan for baby #2 is to adopt or use a gestational carrier.

Everyone keeps telling me that I'll change my mind once this baby arrives and be eager to have another, but so far, I just can't even imagine that.

[stars]

catgirl Reading your QOTD got me teary eyed .. Yes this will be our last one as well. With every kick and movement, I must remind myself that I will never feel this again and really stop in the moment and yes it upsets me at times. We can't afford to have another child, nor do I think my body can go through this emotionally & physically again. I am grateful that I got this far and was able to have two after the odds were against us.

I had the "baby blues" so badly after my DS, I think I cried for a week ... I'm sure I will go through that again. Hang in there hon and please come back if you need some encouragement :)

ejs Your friends are right about changing your mind, it is amazing how much we forget and how in love you are with this little baby you've created, there is no feeling like it in the entire world!

TISSUES ... I NEED TISSUES NOW, I'M SOBBING OVER HERE ... HORMONAL OR WHAT!!!

[Fireside Girl]

Catgirl,
I appreciate that. It really does make me feel bad even though I am doing the best I can.

QOTD- It definitely makes me sad. I loved every single minute of being pregnant,had an easy pregnancy, absolutely love Braeden to death, and would really like to do it just one more time. But in all likelihood this is it.

[Toonces]

Okay... now I'm crying again. I think this is all healthy though.

stars ~ I totally felt like you did when I was PG with DS... thinking that all those kicks, movements, doctor's appts, NSTs to hear the heartbeat, etc., would be the last time I'd ever go through that. I was actually way more emotional and saddened by it when I was PG though than I am now that I've had him. I do still get teary eyed, but I'm not as emotionally upset as I thought I'd be. I had baby blues VERY badly with DD - thought it would turn into PPD. It lasted for 3-4 weeks and I cried at least 8-10 times/day. This time I cry when I look at him and he's sleeping, just thinking about how much I love him and never want either of my children to be sad or hurt.

Man... I just wish I was in my early 30s and didn't have complicated pregnancies.

Fireside Girl ~ I hear ya'. It's an awful feeling to feel like you aren't providing, when really you are, just not in the way you want to. I felt that way like I mentioned when we had to supplement, and then I really felt bad when DD weaned. It was b/c I was PG and I felt really guilty that my milk dried up on her. That's motherhood though I guess... we do the very best we can, our children are happy and healthy, and we still feel guilty.

Okay, I didn't mean to dampen everyone's spirits! I'll end on a happy note saying that I really do feel so incredibly blessed to have been pregnant at all and to have two healthy babies.

[mobox]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on epis and what not. I'm still not sure what I'll do but I'm going to with the moment and see how I can handle it...you just never know what's going to happen.

Catgirl - YIPPEE!!!! CONGRATULATIONS ON DEVIN. I am so thrilled for you. :) You must share a picture soon. thank you also for the link to your birth story. I have to say it sounds pretty scary. I don't know how much you've read of my pregnancy but I have excess fluid and have since about 20 weeks. I was up to 25 but right now I'm a shade under 22.

QOTD - We always talked about having 2. I'm 36 so I feel like I could handle another but I also feel strongly about adopting a second because of all the stress of trying to conceive the first. Although adoption is stress on an emotional level and not physical.

Stars- If you have questions about the possibility that you have placenta previa than you should MOST definitely call you OB and ask. PP can be somethng that puts you on bedrest.



We had our last u/s this week (35 week check up) and he is getting ready to come out!!! He is head down and weighs about 5 1/2 lbs right now. He's still floating in an above average amount of fluid but he's doing well. Doc thinks he'll be about 7 1/2 pounds at birth... I start going every week now and I think they start checking my cervix next week.

[Toonces]

mobox ~ I had excessive fluid with DD, too. With her it was always in the 24-26 range. With Devin it was 22, went down to 18 for a long time, and at week 39 it got up to 29 which scared the crap out of me. Regardless, with both pregnancies my babies were obviously fine. The only "issue" was that when my water was broken there was a HUGE gush. With DD it kept gushing until delivery, with Devin his head must have stopped it up. :) I take it you're getting regular u/s's to monitor the fluid? That's what I did too and it gave me peace of mind. This time around my doc was worried b/c it was so high that when she broke my water his cord would come out first, so she was just very careful... she was going to start with a pinprick to get it to leak, but couldn't b/c his head was right there and she didn't want to poke him. Since his head was there, she was confident that his cord wouldn't come out first. So there are things that docs can do to monitor you and make sure complications don't arise. I asked an L&D nurse about the cord coming out first and she said in her 15 years, she's never seen that happen with excessive fluid.

[stars]

Spoke with the nurse at the Peri. office and I don't have Placenta Previa. She said that I most definitely will have to have a c-section (which I planned to do already) and they keep an eye on it so that the thickness of the wall doesn't change causing my c-section incision to start to tear and/or become weak and worse case scenerio is an earlier delivery.

Had my one-hour Glucose test this morning, hate going to the lab place with all those sick peeps mulling around. It went by pretty fast though, my good book helped.

Hope you all have a great weekend, I'm happy I got out of raking the leaves, my DH is out there working his butt off :)

[ejs]

stars, that's great news about not having placenta previa.

I assume you'll get your glucose results Monday? Good luck! I'm so fortunate that my OB's office has a lab in it.

[Toonces]

stars ~ That's great news about not having Placenta Previa! Also good news that you're not raking leaves. :) ;)

[mobox]

Stars--Good news on the placenta front. Sounds like you are in good hands as well.

Catgirl--I think I remember you now from the "excessive fluid" thread. :) I hovered at 24-25 for quite some time but then at 35 weeks it was down to 22 and at 36 weeks I lost 2 pounds in weight and did not grow cm wise at all (still at 39cm). So my OB thinks that it should mean the fluid levels are dropping a little. So that's good news.

[Toonces]

mobox ~ Oh yeah... count me in on all the strange pregnancy complication threads. ;) I was in that one. That's awesome news that your fluid level is decreasing, or even staying at 22 which isn't bad at all. Less than one month for you! I bet you're getting excited.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone! :D

[mobox]

I lost weight at my appt this past week and didn't grow at all belly wise so the doctor is confident that it means my fluid has probably dropped a little more. The bad news is that I saw "floaters" again (second time). This time I was taking a shower and they showed up against all the white tile. It was VERY disconcerting. However, I haven't had HBP at all during pregnancy or any other signs of HBP. I have my next weekly on TUesday so I'll talk to her about it then.

Weekend was GREAT! We had two marvelous dinners out, a great Thanksgiving with family, and a fun time with friends last night making dinner and playing games. I love weekends like that!

[Jill1228]

I might be joining you but until I see my doc tomorrow, I am erring on the side of caution...

I got this
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y132/APHIJill/Picture002-2.jpg

Send good vibes and/or prayers, please

[mobox]

Jill--I read your story in TTC...good luck! We will be pulling for a positive over here for you.:) :)

[Toonces]

Jill ~ Sending you sticky vibes!! :) What a beautiful pic!

[Jill1228]

I just got back from the doc
I had to take a urine test and it came back a BFP (Big Fat Positive). They told me it would take 20 minutes to get the result and it came back in less than 5. Then they gave me a blood test and I will get the results tomorrow afternoon or so (dammit I want to know now!) they have to send the test down to modesto--30 minutes away. Hell I gotta go there today. i coulda driven the sh*t down there :)

they scheduled me an appt with the ob-gyn on Thursday

So keep fingers crossed, send good vibes, prayers, whateva!

Dave is still in the Oh crap stage and is hell bent on keeping it quiet for now!

So I am erring on the side of caution until I get the blood results tomorrow

[pocahontas]

Sorry for intruding but I had to delurk because we've been waitin' (well, maybe just me :rolleyes: ) for Jill to come back and update us in the 35+ TTC thread! Glad I popped over here! *praying for a sticky one for ya so you can come back and sprinkle the rest of us with Babydust!* :D

*WAVING TO MY GIRL MOBOX WHILE I'M HERE*

[stars]

Jill, Congrats and Welcome!!!! When your ready, give me your stats and I will add them to the first page.

Had a uneventful OB visit yesterday. Passed my GTT, blood pressure is great, I've gained a total of 24 pounds (YIKES!!!!) and was told my c-section will be the week of Feb. 5th but it's too early to book the OR yet.

I am now starting my 2 week visits, I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going ... only 10 more weeks left!

Hope you ladies are feeling good. I'll be back later for shout-outs when I have a moment.

[Jill1228]

Still waiting to hear results of the blood test. Do they need me to go down to Modesto to drive them do my docs office :mad:

Who ever said patience is a virtue should be pimp slapped

[Jill1228]

Got a call from my docs office while I was out at the post office. The blood test confirmed my pregnancy (duh...10 tests can't be wrong, can they?) :D I have the ob-gyn appt on Thursday

I have a few questions so I am waiting on a call back...

[mobox]

Jill Congrats!!!!

Here is my update, it's a doozy!

Yesterday I had my 37 week appt. My BP was extremely high and there was protein, ketons, and blood in my urine so I'm in the early stages of pre-eclampsia. I've been put on bed rest for two days...no getting up. On Thursday morning I go in for a BP and urine test. If it's still high, she will schedule my induction for as early as Friday morning. I'm a little nervous. She wanted to give me all the scenarios...which includes c-section if my cervix doesn't respond to the induction drugs. Right now she says I'm "50% soft and less than 1cm dialated."

So send me good vibes that I can get my BP down and not be induced until Monday...I need a weekend to just relax a little!!!!!

[Kimmiebride]

Congrats to Jill, and calm BP vibes and good timing on the induction for Mobox!! Just when you think you've got a bit of time left...
Kimmie

[tsmom]

Just popping in to give Jill a HUGE congrats!!!

And tell Mobox's BP to get under control... I am sure you have lots left that you want to do before baby :) either way you must be excited!

Nice to hear that the rest of you are all doing well. :)

[Jill1228]

things are strange and they have me worried

I just got back from the doc



he wants to see me on Monday and he took another blood sample for HCG and progesterone.

He thinks that I am further along BUT my numbers are low



If I were 3-4 weeks, the 6473 would be high



However if I am at around 8-9 weeks, it would be low.



I took another test today and I pray that the numbers double

I won't get the result number until late tomorrow afternoon at the earliest



Here is the gist



we did the deed on 10/14 and I O'd 10/15

I took a test on 10/24 and got a negative and started my LMP on 10/27



In November we did the deed on 11/20 and I got a positive 2 days later



The doc is like NO way you should have gotten a positive 2 days after. Which is why he thinks I am further along. I got PG but had a period



I can't make heads or tails of this mess


Keep sending sticky vibes please!

[Toonces]

Jill ~ You'll be in my prayers! Did your doc think starting progesterone now would help? I hope your #s have doubled. Will look forward to hearing good news from you tomorrow.

[melissafromnc]

Just delurking to say to Jill-Can you get an ultrasound? I'd ask your doc for an ultrasound asap. If you get an ultrasound, and see something in the uterus, then that's really good news at this point. You should be able to see something in the uterus (yolk sac, etc) once your beta hcg level is over 2000, and you should see a heartbeat if you're over 6k. I still don't want to freak you out but I think an ultrasound would at least rule out an ectopic pregnancy. Hope you get some good news soon.

[Kimmiebride]

Melissa, so glad you posted that suggestion to Jill! Jill I hope you can get in for the u/s. Push them hard girl! We want everything to be ok almost as much as you do!

Mel, so great to see you and Christina last night! Thanks for making me break my rule. Hope you didn't spend too much - aw heck, who am I kidding! Sparkly things are something every girl deserves. I can't believe I had any restraint!!
Kimmie

[Jill1228]

Well I have an appt on Monday. My usual docs office does not have an ob gyn on-site. There is one that travels there once a week to start the patient up and then the other appts will be at his usual office. So yesterday's appt was to start me up and I go to his actual office on Monday (about 5-10 min away from my family docs office--right across from the hospital).

I am feeling fine now so I hope that is good news. No blood or anything like that

[Jill1228]

I guess I might as well join

APhiJill
Me: Jill, 39 (will be hitting the big 4-0 on 12/28)
DH: Dave, 47
Married: 12/11/01
TTC: not yet we got a surprise
BFP: November
EDD: I'll get back to you on that one, but we are thinking July
Gender Prediction: girl
Actual Gender:
Any other children: Stepson from DH's first marriage, Justin (will be 17 on 4/15)

[Kimmiebride]

Jill, we don't want to scare you, but if you feel any pain at all, please go to the ER ASAP. Your symptoms if you are indeed 8w could possibly indicate an ectopic, and it can be devastating to your fertility at best, and lifethreatening at worst. That's why we were hoping you could get an u/s sooner than Monday. Melissa's been through this twice, so she's a better authority unfortunately, but the thought had crossed my mind as well when you posted your beta and cycle info. So sad that us "experienced" women have to go and blow any pregnancy bliss with our difficult experiences, but better safe than sorry... I couldn't not post my worries, and then if, God forbid, something bad happens, wish I would have said something. Hopefully it will all be peachy keen, and we are just being worry warts.
Good luck,
Kimmie

PS here's a link on what to look out for specifically... http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancycomplications/ectopicpregnancy.html

[stars]

Jill I added your stats to the first page and I am sending you tons of sticky sticky vibes your way. At this point in the game, anything is possible. Try not to worry until your appointment on Monday (easier said then done I know) but that is what we are here for.

Hang in there hon!

[Jill1228]

Thanks Kimmie, Melissa and Stars and crew


I have no pain and no bleeding (that is a good thing). I am about 15 minutes from the hospital 8.5 miles and I got Dr. Lo on speed dial

The earliest he could get me in is Monday at 1PM. besides, he wants to wait to get the blood tests results and the earliest they will be in is late this afternoon


As far as exercise this weekend, i will just do walking and upper body weights

[ejs]

Jill, I'm sending positive thoughts your way. I hope that you soon get the answers you need and want.

You're a much more patient woman than I. I'd be on the phone demanding an u/s today. I don't deal well with the unknown. :)

[Jill1228]

Girl, me neither! You are talking to a person who opens the ends of Christmas presents and tapes them back up so no one knows :D

Jill, I'm sending positive thoughts your way. I hope that you soon get the answers you need and want.

You're a much more patient woman than I. I'd be on the phone demanding an u/s today. I don't deal well with the unknown. :)

[stars]

Jill Hope you are surviving your weekend without worry. Please let us know how your appointment goes tomorrow. Best of luck!

[Jill1228]

Had a little spotting today and if I said I was not worried I would be lying. So tomorrow I have my ob-gyn appointment. I will hope for the best but prepare for the worst. I just gotta hope for SBV

[ejs]

Jill, sorry to hear about the spotting. I hope it turns out to be nothing major. Please update us after your appointment! I have my fingers crossed for you.

[Jill1228]

My HCG numbers did not go up much (only by 100) and the progesterone levels are VERY low. They are only 1.5 and they should be at least 10

TRANSLATION: the pregnancy is not viable so it is only a matter of time.


I broke down on the phone talking to Dave. I thought I was going to be okay--I wasn't as prepared as much as I thought i would be

It is just a matter of time...

I thought I had prepared myself for the worst but I guess I didn't

I usually say some things happen for a reason but this sh*t sucks!

[stars]

Oh Jill I am so sorry. Are you on progesterone? Did you and your doctor discuss it at all? Did you have a sonogram? I know there is nothing I can say to make you feel better, but we are here to support you.

[Toonces]

I'm so sorry Jill.

[Jill1228]

They did an u/s and I have another one scheduled on Friday morning. I have another appt next Monday with Dr. Lo and I will talk to him about taking progesterone. Are they pills that you take?

I am kinda new at this :confused:

Thanks for the hugs

[ejs]

Jill, I'm so sorry that you got bad news. I hope you can get some answers at your appointment on Friday. Take good care and know that I'm thinking about you.

[melissafromnc]

Jill-I'm so sorry you didn't get better news at your appointment. Did they give you any info about your ultrasound (like they saw something in your uterus and they're hoping to see more on Friday? There are a couple of different forms of progesterone: pills, suppositories like one called Crinone, and progesterone in oil (aka PIO). Typically PIO is thought to be the best absorbed though sometimes docs will have you use pills as suppositories. It's thought that the pills alone taken orally won't be absorbed as readily and won't get to where you need the progesterone (in your uterus). I'm so very very sorry.

[Fireside Girl]

Jill,
I am very sorry you didn't get better news at your appointment.:(

[stars]

I took progesterone with both of my pregnancies. With my DS it was a pill 4 times a day. With this pregnancy I did a pill & vaginal suppository. It is something I strongly believe in and don't think I could have stayed pregnant without it.

My RE put me on it the minute he found out that I had ovulated, but it's still not too late for you. I've read about gals that had a progesterone around 5 and still made it through and had babies. If I were you, put a call into your doctor and don't wait until Friday.

[Jill1228]

They said the stuff that they saw was very small. It was pretty much beyond help. I guess Friday's u/s is to see if some of the stuff has passed

My progesterone was at 1.5 so that is WAY beyond help...especially if I am supposed to be 7-8 wks along

Thanks for the hugs and shoulder to cry on

[stars]

Jill Just trying to help hon, don't want to give up on you just yet! Again I'm so sorry.

[tsmom]

Jill - so so sorry. I wish there was something that I could say or do to make it better.

[Kimmiebride]

Jill, so very sorry that you didn't get the news we all hoped for. Take care of yourself, and cry on us all you need to...
Kimmie

[Jill1228]

Stars, I know you are trying to help hon. But as far as the PG being viable, I would have a better chance of drawing a royal flush in poker :D

Thanks for the condolences y'all. I have my sad moments (mostly at night) but I am doing okay.

I have my u/s on Friday (again). On Monday, there wasn't any sign of a fetus in the sac. Mom is taking it harder than I am

DH has been really good with me. I know I will join y'all back here soon :)

[stars]

Very quiet thread lately ... hope everyone is doing great. Had a great sonogram last week. The baby weighs over 4 lbs., she is a buttaball and has the pudgiest cheeks. My placenta moved up so the Peri was pleased about that. She is also breech which explains why walking is not always fun. Other then that can't believe that she is going to be here in 7(ish) weeks. I hope to get this section booked at my next OB appt.

Thinking of you guys and want to wish everyone a HAPPY HOLIDAY.

[Toonces]

stars ~ Glad things are going well. :)

Happy Holidays everyone!:D

[mobox]

I just want you all to know that on December 5th at 5:57pm, I gave birth to Samuel Lee. All is well in our world! He did have to spend 6 days in the NICU for various reasons including a miconium blockage, respitory apnia (the scariest thing), blood glucose levels were too low and red blood cells too high (probably because of my PIH). BUt he is doing wonderfully now and back up over birth weight. We are so thrilled!!! I also spent extra days in the high risk ward because my blood pressure shot even higher after labor. But it came down to a reasonable, albeit still high, level over the next couple days. I"m on some blood pressure medication now but hopefully will be able to ween off of them at my 6 week check up.

Success does come over 35!!! :) I'll be sticking around to see how everyone is doing.

May you all have a wonderful holiday and a blessed and fabulous new year. Here's to 2007!

[ejs]

....

[Toonces]

mobox ~ "Official" congratulations to you (even though we've chatted in BFing thread)!! :D I'm glad to hear that things are going well despite the rocky start. I can't even imagine how scary all of that was!

ejs ~ Congrats on scheduling your c-section date!! :)

[Jill1228]

Congrats to you Mobox

[stars]

mobox Congrats, I am so glad that everything turned out okay. Would love to see a pic if you have one downloaded.

ejs How exciting that you have your section booked. Hang in there hon, don't be nervous because everything is going to turn out great.

Glad to be home over here. We had a very eventful trip to Virginia. Avoided a very serious car accident ... the backtire on my SUV flew right off the truck going 60 mph. A series of events got us off a MAJOR highway and it happened on a rural road with very light traffic. All I have to say is THANK GOD that my dad was driving because I would not have had the control over the truck like he did. I truly believe that we had a guardian angel watching over us.

Then my DS ended up in the ER with another asthma attack, they were great and took such good car of him. He is feeling much better, slept 13 hours last night so I believe he is on the mend. He was so excited about Santa and Christmas, looking into those innocent eyes I wish they can stay that way forever. It's enough to make an adult believe all over again.

Take care girls and I'll be back soon.

[Kimmiebride]

Stars, OMG!!! Guardian angels indeed! So glad you are all ok, and that you were not on a busy highway...
Take care guys!
Kimmie

[Toonces]

Stars ~ I'm so glad everyone is okay! That must have been very scary. I'm glad your DS is feeling better, too. I know... seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child makes it that much more special.

[stars]

kimmie I saw over in the high-risk thread that you passed your 3 hour GTT. So happy for ya.

[mobox]

Thanks for the congrats everyone!

Stars - Scary! So glad that you were all unharmed and that DH is on the mend from his attack. My mom has asthma that has put her in the ER many times, it's quite scary.

I will come back and post a pic of the little one as soon as I get my Flickr account back up and running...something is up and I can't seem to log in.

[ejs]

Checking in to see how everyone is doing.

mobox: we're still waiting for you to post pics. :)

I have 3 1/2 weeks to go. I'm still throwing up practically daily, and now I have a yucky cold on top of that! I'm really not loving life these days.

I'd love to hear how everyone else is doing!

[ellybelle]

Hi all! I'm lurking here and rooting for you all. Some of you know me, but for those who don't, I'm a 41 y.o. mother of an amazing 3 y.o. daughter, hoping to give her a little sis or brother (though she insists she ONLY wants a little sister! ;P ).

Wishing you all the best, and hoping to join you soon!

[stars]

elly Yes I remember you, it is so great to read your post and do hope that you join this thread soon.

Tons going on over here.

Was in L&D Wednesday night with contractions, went for the NST early that day and they were coming pretty frequent. I just chalked the menstraul type cramps I was feeling to the babies positioning, well I was wrong. It is so different the second time around because I'm waiting for the real "big ones" and they may not be the same type of contraction. Anyway, the nurses were amazing and my 4 hours in triage were entertaining. I was not dialated so they hooked me up to 1 1/2 bags of IV and 2 shots of Terbutaline later and was released at 8:30 p.m.

I have been having contractions on/off since then, some pretty good ones last night. They seem to go away once I drink tons of water and lie down. I have my second NST Tuesday and she will probably check my cervix again and we will take it from there. This may be a somewhat uncomfortable last month with this happening on/off or this little girl may be ready to join us soon.

Thinking of you guys and hope all is well.

[mobox]

EJS and Stars-- hope you are both hanging in there!

Here are two pics of Samuel. He's hard to catch awake and happy...
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/129/356016639_7798cf46b4_m.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/166/356016644_a171b4fea4_m.jpg

These are about at the three week mark and he's just now hitting 5 weeks.

[stars]

mobox I can't see your pics :(

[ejs]

.....

[Toonces]

How in the heck will DH and I be able to keep up with this baby when he becomes a toddler?

Red Bull. ;) :)

[stars]

mobox I can see the pics, he is ADORABLE. How are you doing?

ejs I don't know where you get it, but you will get it. I'm so nervous about having 2 kids under 3 and being 40.

To heck with the red bull, drink wine ;)

[tsmom]

Mobox - what a beauty he is!! I must go check your journal!

Stars - how you feeling over there, have the contractions calmed down?

ejs - like starts said - you just do it... I agree with the wine toon :)

Elly - any news?

[Jill1228]

mobox, he is adorable! I am still waiting to have my first normal cycle post D&C

[stars]

I hope ejs doesn't mind but she had her baby and I wanted to let you girls know.

We have a new February baby.... a bit early.

Baby Alexander was born this morning at 7:47am. My water broke at 5am, we came to the hospital, and then went ahead with the c-section.

Alex is 7lb, 9oz, and 20-inches long. He's doing great. I feel pretty good, too.

I still can't believe he's here

[Toonces]

Congratulations ejs and welcome to baby Alexander!! :D :)

[Kimmiebride]

Congrats to family EJS!!! Early babies all around makes me a bit nervous... :)
Kimmie

[Jill1228]

Congrats to EJs and family!

[mobox]

Hi girls, thanks for asking...we are doing well. Samuel passed his 6 month check with flying colors. That boy has gained 2 pounds in 6 weeks! I guess he loves mom's milk. But with all this sleeplessness, I'm starting to feel my age. UGH!

Congrats EJS!!! And welcome to Alex. That is great news, you made my day.

[Fireside Girl]

Beautiful pictures, mobox!

Congratulations EJS! Welcome Alex.

[melissafromnc]

Congrats ejs!!! Welcome to the world, Alexander.

mobox: Samuel is so adorable.

[stars]

Kimmie I just read your post over in the other thread about you being in the hospital on bedrest. Thinking of you and hope that baby stays put.

[Bastille]

Kimmie - Hope all is well with you. Perhaps you would like a visitor? I would love to come by and see you although I am not sure which hospital you are in.

STARS - Tomorrow is such a big day. Hope all will be well. So happy for you. You will have the "perfect" family - 2 kids a boy and a girl. WOW - wish you much happiness and a healthy delivery.

[Toonces]

Kimmie ~ Hang in there. I was on bed rest with my DD and know how it can get. I hope you're well.

Stars ~ Best wishes for tomorrow!! :D

[ejs]

Kimmie, I hope all is going well. Please keep us posted on how you're doing. IIRC, you're in the Bay Area, as am I, so if I can help with anything, please let me know.

Stars, tomorrow's the big day! yay! I look forward to "meeting" your baby!

[melissafromnc]

stars Thinking of you and sending you great thoughts for tomororw.

kimmie Can we come visit? Pretty please. I'm not sure if you're up for bastille and I together but it would be fun.

[Kimmiebride]

hey there! i'd love a visit from you guys! i'll call you tomorrow to tell you where i am & pick a time!
hugs,
kimmie

[Kimmiebride]

Hi everyone!
I can't quite believe it, but they let me come home last night. Every day they had been saying no way, but my doc came in yesterday morning, and said that I was doing so well that she could see no medical reason to keep me. She was so kind to let me know that I could stay if I wanted because of all I had been through (lost our first baby at 18.5 weeks), and she would support me either way. They are monitoring me really closely from home... 2 NSTs/week, a clinic appointment and several labs so it will kind of be like I am still there, but sleeping (gloriously) in my own bed. My protien went back below 300, my labs are still negative, and no further symptoms developed. My BP has been pretty stable, but if anything changes, back in I go! I think the plan is still to induce at 36 weeks. Baby is doing really well, and I am starting to have a few contractions a couple of times a day. I do miss the spot checks every 4 hours of baby's heart beat... it was so calming to hear it galloping away, but with 2 NST's each week, I think I can hang.

Sorry to not send shouts, but I am limited to 15 mins of computer time, and have a tiny bit to get done before I am back in bed. I am not going to screw this up and do too much, and have to go back... Even though the hospital was a wonderful and safe place, there's nothing like sleeping in my own bed!!!
hugs,
Kimmie

[ejs]

Kimmie: how are you doing?

[Kimmiebride]

Back in, and having a baby on Friday!!! Baby is breech, so they will try to flip it, and if it doesn't, then c-section!! sorry i haven't updated, but dial up sucks, and I am not supposed to sit out of bed for long...
Kimmie

[Bastille]

KIMMIE - Thinking of you and just praying all will go well tomorrow.

It is amazing to me that you are at this point and still do not know if you will be having a boy or a girl - I don't think I would be able to deal with that suspense.

Hugs to you Kimmie!! Can't wait for your update!

[ejs]

Kimmie: I hope you have a great experience tomorrow. I can't wait to hear about your new little one!

[tsmom]

Kimmie - thinking nice easy delivery vibes for you today!! So excited!

[Jill1228]

Hope things are okay

[stars]

kimmie OH MY GOD, where have I been?!?!?!?!? Thinking of you and hope everything goes fast and smoothly. Please post when you get a chance.

[mobox]

Kimmie, please come and let us know how you are! Sending you such wonderful wishes.

[melissafromnc]

I know kimmie will probably be here soon to update y'all but wanted to put your minds at ease. I heard through the grapevine she had a boy, Joshua, 4 lbs 12 oz. Both are doing well.

[ejs]

I know kimmie will probably be here soon to update y'all but wanted to put your minds at ease. I heard through the grapevine she had a boy, Joshua, 4 lbs 12 oz. Both are doing well.

Thanks for the update! I'm so happy to hear everyone is doing well.

[stars]

Congrats Kimmie. Can't wait for you to take some amazing pictures of your lil man.

[Kimmiebride]

Hi ladies,
I am so sorry that I havent posted, but it's been hectic, and we only came home a couple of hours in the past couple of days. X-posting cuz I must pump!!

Yes!! I did have my gorgeous baby boy!!! Joshua Michael was born at 9:12AM on 3/3/2007 via c-section at 36 weeks. He weighed in at 4 pounds, 12 oz, and measured 19.6 inches. Birth story was hilarious, painful, scary, and wonderful, starting with a breech presentation for which we scheduled a version on 3/2 to be followed by a c-section if not successful. When they were prepping the OR for the version/possible delivery, they scanned me and he had gone head down, so no version, time for induction. Labored with cytotec at first, then pitocin (man, that hurts), and the all natural girl just caved when it came to pain meds, and epidural was given after about 10 hours. I was only dialated 1.5CM. Baby did not like the ctx, so at about 6AM after some really wicked de-cels, we said we'd wait for the new shift of docs, and do a c-section. It was not too bad, and it was so glad to have him out, and finally know that he is a boy, and he's healthy. We did have a bit of unexpected IUGR due to the pre-eclampsia, and he was much smaller than any of us expected. He went to the ICN, but never needed help to breathe or regulate his temp. He just needs to grow and be able to eat. So far, my milk has only come in in drops, so last night after agonizing about our decision, we gave him formula, and decided we just want him home, which should be within the next few days if we continue to supplement and pray that my milk comes in soon. I just felt so bad, not being able to give him any more than a few drops, and we know he's hungry, despite being on an IV for sugar and hydration. Last night we came home to sleep and pump, and will go back this morning. DH and I are so completely in love with him, and are thanking God that he is safely delivered. Hormonal shifts have been a little tough from time to time, but the hardest thing is not having him with us all the time, and he should be coming home in the next couple of days now that we are feeding him formula. Recovery from the surgery has been uncomfortable, but not unbearable, and sleeping in our own bed after being the hospital for almost a month is glorious. Here he is right as they are showing him to me at delivery!!! Hugs,
Kimmie

http://www.millcottagebridal.com/1615727-joshua.jpg

[ejs]

Kimmie, congratulations!! I am so happy for you. Your son is beautiful. And it sounds like he's doing great.

Please try not to feel guilty about the breastmilk/supplement situation. Alex refused to take to the breast. On day 3, we were told he needed to get nutrition, so we decided to give him formula. Fortunately since we've been home, I've been able to pump enough for him.

[Toonces]

Congratulations Kimmie & welcome Joshua! What a handsome little guy! :D I hope he gets to come home soon.

[mobox]

Congrats again Kimmie! I agree with ejs...just take the BFing one day at a time. Samuel was in NICU for 6 days with lots of problems and never took to BFing. But I pumped and he gets LOTs of BM still. :)

Joshua is so adorable! He looks so alert in that photo...wants to see momma and daddy I bet. :)

[Jenn (and Bill)]

hey girls....I don't know if I'm joining or just visiting. I'm 9 weeks along and my due date is 3 months past my 35th birthday. So the doctor today strongly encouraged the amnio and I just wondered how you guys all felt about it. I've skimmed the whole thread and I know some of you had it and felt relief and some of you skipped it. Just hoping for some guidance for people that have been through it.

And just so you know, you're all quite inspiring and I thank you for it!

[ejs]

hey girls....I don't know if I'm joining or just visiting. I'm 9 weeks along and my due date is 3 months past my 35th birthday. So the doctor today strongly encouraged the amnio and I just wondered how you guys all felt about it. I've skimmed the whole thread and I know some of you had it and felt relief and some of you skipped it. Just hoping for some guidance for people that have been through it.

And just so you know, you're all quite inspiring and I thank you for it!

Congratulations, Jenn!!

I'll share my feelings about amnios with you. Before DH and I decided to TTC, we had a long talk about the amnio and what we would do with the results. We agreed that there were some cases for which we would choose to terminate. We also had many conversations with my OB about it. We also are the type of people who wanted to have as much information as possible. We even had genetic testing done pre-TTC.

I was a wreck before the amnio. I was scared of the procedure, possible complications, and the results. I have to say, the procedure was nothing like I expected. We had the 40-minute u/s beforehand and learned the gender. Then the dr came in and explained the procedure and asked if I had any questions. She then did the amnio. The needle was in me for less than 5 seconds. I didn't feel it go in my skin; I felt a slight pinch when it entered my uterus. Then it was done. I was shocked at how quick and painless it was. I didn't have any cramping after, but a few days later, I thought I might be leaking amniotic fluid. So I went to the dr, but all was fine.

The hardest part was waiting two weeks for the results. I was a wreck. I feel I prepared myself for whatever the results were; I just wanted to know what they were! When I got the phone call, I cried. Not only because all was ok, but because the wait was over.

The advice I've given my friends is that before committing to the amnio, they need to decide what they will do with the results and why they want the info. Some people know that they will terminate for certain conditions, others won't. Some want to know all the info so they can be prepared when their child arrives. Others say they won't do the amnio because the results won't matter to them, and if something is wrong, they'll deal with it at that time. Everyone is different. You and your DH need to do some soul-searching and talk about what is important to you two.

I wish you the best! Please feel free to ask any other questions.

[sue-bert]

Hi Jenn (and Bill),

I'm new to this thread. Here's my $0.02:

My ob/gyn is constantly pushing tests, tests, tests. She is really pushing the amnio hard, but I am resisting because I am concerned about the chances of the amnio causing problems. My reasoning was based strictly on probability:

I decided to do non-invasive testing and screening tests (genetic testing, nuchal translucency test, and in 2 weeks the AFP triple test), all of which so far showed that the chances of any genetic defects or Down's syndrome (the main worry for us older moms) was very low: lower than the chances of the amnio itself causing problems.

After the tests, I figured it makes no sense to take an invasive test which has a higher chance of causing a problem than detecting a problem.

Just keep in mind that if you decide to go this route, the screening tests are not diagnostic (i.e, they don't give a definitive yes/no answer; they just predict a probability), whereas amnio is.

[Kimmiebride]

Hi guys!
Popping in to update! Josh came home last Friday and is doing really well. He gained 1.5 oz at his appt on Monday (from weight on Friday before we left the NICU, and he's nursing well. My supply is getting better, and I hope we can eliminate the supplemental formula by the end of this week. So far when I pump I get about 15-20 ml, which isn't enough yet, but we're getting there. The nipple shields have helped him tremendously since he's still so tiny and sucking does tire him out.

Jenn, congrats! I have some pretty strong feelings about the amnio thing... I don't want to be alarmist at all, since most people do just fine, but we lost our first son because my water broke after our amnio. Even if the odds are 1,000,000 to 1, someone is always that one. I will be 42 in August... when we found out we were pregnant again with Josh, we talked at length about options, as I was understandably against another amnio. We chose to do the Nuchal Translucency and related bloodwork, and then the MS-AFP and level II u/s. We decided that if those tests indicated something to worry about, we'd then consider the amnio again, but luckily everything was really good, so we didn't need to worry through that again. I would have been a basket case. 9 people out of 10 or maybe even more statistically will tell the story that everything was much better than they had thought it would be (except for the waiting, which sucks no matter what - we got our normal results after Robert died... it was so tough to face) so if you decide to go that route, you will most likely be fine and so will the baby. Good luck!!
Kimmie

[ejs]

Kimmie, thanks for the update about Josh. I've been hoping you would post. That's great news about his weight gain. It sounds like he's on the right track. Please keep us posted.

Jenn, sue-bert's post reminded me of something I forgot to say. For me, the odds of having a child with a genetic disorder were higher than the odds of having complications from the amnio. So that also contributed to our decision to have the test.

[stars]

Hi girls, I guess it might be time for me to "pass the baton" to someone that is preggo. Let me know if anyone is interested.

Kimmie So happy that everything is going well for you. My advice is to eat tons of oatmeal and drink Mothers Milk tea which you can pick up at the health food store. They both helped tremendously for me. Can't wait to see the photographer in action and see some new pics of your lil man.

Jenn When I was preggo with DS I was 36 and turned down the amnio because my AFP results came back excellent. With my DD (who I just had in Feb.) I was 40, the results were completely different and decided to have the amnio. I was so scared about the procedure and the nurses/peri were so great relaxing me and it went really quick and I had the results within a week. After getting the great news I really relaxed and enjoyed the rest of my pregnancy.

[Jenn (and Bill)]

Girls, I can't tell you how much I appreciate all your thoughts on this topic. So far my decision has been to not decide. I've scheduled the NT scan for April 4th and I'll get the results before I decide for sure about the amnio. At the moment, I'm still leaning towards it. As ejs may remember from the grieving thread, my brother died of a rare genetic disease and while I'm thrilled that I know my husband isn't a carrier for that particular disease, it does make me more aware of genetic issues.

So thanks again for your stories and thoughts and I'm sure I'll be back soon for more!

[Jenn (and Bill)]

Ok, I'm going to hijack for a moment to ask ejs another question...how do you deal with the grief over the loss of your mother at the same time you're dealing with the job of a new child? And what can you/have you done to keep your mother alive for your child?

Thanks for letting me hijack. If anyone else has thoughts on this subject, I'd appreciate it. The worst part of my pregnancy is knowing that my brother will never see his niece or nephew and that my child will never know their amazing and wonderful uncle.

[tenofcups]

Is anybody else still around?! I see this thread hasn't had any activity for about a month, but I'm hoping there's a new batch of over-35ers and maybe the already mom's will stop by once in a while too!

I'm 43 and really hoping to talk to with some others who are at least in my age range if not actually quite as old as me... ;) I know pregnant women have concerns at all ages, but seems like some of mine at least are pretty specific to being my age.

So...anyone out there?

[sue-bert]

I'm not new (I already posted here), but I'm still pregnant (and I'm still over 35 :D ).

So, how's it going?

Following up on the amnio discussion above: My AFP test came back with very good results, as had my earlier nuchal transculency test, so I decided to forgo amniocentesis. My ob/gyn is a testoholic, but even she agreed with my reasoning in the end.

I will enter my 6th month in less than a week. So far, so good...

I have yet another U/S scheduled in early May. I already had the "big U/S" in my 15th week (that's standard procedure around here). I don't know why they do 2 big ultrasounds so close together, but I enjoy the opportunity to see all the baby's anatomical details, so I'm not complaining.

[mobox]

Ten - Good luck with your TTC!
Sue - Congrats on making it to month 6...over half way there!

So, I read the US Weekly article about Marcia Cross yesterday. It was an interesting read since she was so up front about being a new mom at age 44. They tried for a bit before getting married and then did IVF right after they got hitched. I guess it's easy for someone with a ton of money eh? They did say that for someone 44, even with IVF the chance of it taking is only like 4-7% (if I remember that right). Go Marcia!

[wendalah]

I'm around--I'll be 36 and 3 months PG in May. I haven't been posting too much in the family forums except to b-tch about how much I hate being pregnant, so not sure how much help I'll be ;).

[sue-bert]

Thanks, mobox.

Hi wendalah! I didn't realize you were an old geezer like the rest of us. :) Welcome.

[Jenn (and Bill)]

I'm around too. Still 34 but will be 35 in July, 90 days before my EDD. I scheduled my amnio for May 14th. I'm not 100% sure i want to do it, but I couldn't argue against it enough to go against doctors orders. I'm trying to think positively about it, especially if it means I get to find out the gender earlier than I would have!

[pocahontas]

Well, I certainly belong here! LOL :rolleyes:

Pocahontas
Me: 37
DH: 34
Married: 9/3/05
TTC: Feb. 2006
BFP: 6/14/07
EDD: 2/23/08
Gender Prediction: No clue
Actual Gender: Won't be finding out
Any other children: None

Guess I will feel at home since I see many of the ladies from the 35+ TTC thread. :)

[Jill1228]

Pocohontas, I LOVE your icon! Congrats and sending sticky baby vibes

I hope to join you soon...we are pulling the goalie next week :)

[pocahontas]

Thanks ma'am...I try to pick icons that make me laugh and think of myself immediately! LOL :D

GOOD LUCK TO YOU!

[mobox]

Good luck Jill!

[Jill1228]

bumping up to see if there are any more

I am in the 2WW

[jesseybell]

Jill - I am crossing my fingers for you!

I am 37 now, 8w with #2. I go to the doctor for the first time in 2 weeks.

[mobox]

Good luck Jill!

So ladies, those of you who are out there and reading...we are considering #2. I am 37, turning 38 in April. We would want to be pregnant around April/May time frame. For those of you who are 38ish and pregnant...how are you doing with this pregnancy?

[pocahontas]

Good luck MO! :)

[jesseybell]

Good luck Jill!

So ladies, those of you who are out there and reading...we are considering #2. I am 37, turning 38 in April. We would want to be pregnant around April/May time frame. For those of you who are 38ish and pregnant...how are you doing with this pregnancy?

I turned 37 right before I got pregnant. It definitely is kicking my ass more, but I think that has more to do with the fact that I have a toddler to tend to as well rather than my age. All I can say is thank god I work though - It is much easier to be dead-to-the-world at my desk than when I have to watch a learning-to-walk little girl.

[mobox]

LOL, I will have a toddler too...my son is 11 months now. it sonds like we have a lot in common.

Hey Poca...how are you feeling? I haven't seen you update in awhile and I would love to hear how you are doing. do you know what you are having?

[mcgwigan]

Well, this thread has escaped me for some reason....seems quiet in here, but I'll join!:)

mcgwigan
Me: 36
DH: 37
Married: 8/20/05
TTC: April 2005
BFP: 6/18/07 (Father's Day - whoo, hoo!)
EDD: 2/28/08
Gender Prediction: Girl
Actual Gender: ?
Any other children: DSS - Remi 9

Right now I'm 22w2d with no complications (knock on wood). We weren't able to find out the gender at the ultrasound because we had an uncooperative ultrasound tech :mad:, but it turns out I need another ultrasound in third trimester due to a low lying placenta.

[pocahontas]

LOL, I will have a toddler too...my son is 11 months now. it sonds like we have a lot in common.

Hey Poca...how are you feeling? I haven't seen you update in awhile and I would love to hear how you are doing. do you know what you are having?

Hey MO! Doing well after lots of bumps in the road. :rolleyes: I need to PM you our baby's "Totsite" and you can read all about it. DH and I try to journal every week and I even had the courage to post belly shots there. :D

(ETA...we have no clue what the gender is because at first we weren't going to find out until delivery. Now we are thinking since I have to have another u/s next month to check the size of my fibroid we might ask to find out.)

[jesseybell]

I had my first doctor's appointment today. I was glad to hear he wasn't strongly suggesting an amnio just because I am 37. We'll follow the course of action we took last time - first the nuchal test, see how that goes, if okay move on to the big u/s and see how that goes and make a decision then.

He so kindly said that with the pregnant women he sees these days, I am "really that old" :)

He updated me on my previous OB who moved away during my last pregnancy - she had had twins at 38 and now at almost 41 she's pregnant again, which is always good to hear.

[pocahontas]

Good for you JESSEY...I am the same age and approached amnio the same way. Got decent results from the Nuchal and AFP and didn't bother to entertain the idea of more tests after that.

[Bloomwood]

Hi ladies,
I am not ready to join b/c I am only 4w4d and won't have the pgcy confirmed by the doc for a couple of weeks. However, I am already stressing about being over 35 this time.

did anyone choose between the cvs and the amnio? A friend suggested the cvs over the amnio (she's had both) and I want to get other opinions. I like that the cvs can be done sooner. but, really I'm not convinced I'll do either.

Thank you.

[Jill1228]

Congrats Bloomwood! Sending SBVs

[mcgwigan]

Bloomwood Congrats! I'm 36, will turn 37 shortly after baby arrives and I just did the first trimester screening (nuchal screen) and the AFP screening. I decided that if I had great big huge red flags from them, then I may opt to have amnio, but the screenings came back really great so I didn't do it. The OB I was seeing really did want me to just go for the amnio though! He reassured me that the chance of miscarriage was extremely rare where I would have gone to get it, but I still didn't want to just volunteer unless I had a reason other than my "advance maternal age"!

[ginadc]

Why did I never join this thread? Oh well, hello all!

GinaDC (Gina)
Me: 40
DH: 37
Married: 5/17/03
TTC: Off and on since 1/07, but really seriously (with CBEFM) 6/07
BFP: 7/12/07 (Yep, the first month we really put things in gear)
EDD: 3/22/08
Gender Prediction: Boy (I always felt it was a boy, right from the start)
Actual Gender: Boy
Any other children: DD, Annika, 21 months, adopted through domestic open adoption

Bloomwood, sending lots of sticky vibes! I went nuts all through my first trimester, worrying that it was a chemical pregnancy or molar pregnancy or that I'd miscarry any second or...it was so hard to get through the days!

mobox, I don't have any previous pregnancies to compare this one to, but so far it's been pretty easy. I didn't have any M/S, and although I've been tired, other than that I feel pretty good, and everything looks great with our little boy. I keep telling people that if I weren't getting fat, I wouldn't know I was pregnant. I even told DH today that if things continue to go this well, and L&D does too (and, of course, we don't find ourselves totally off our rockers with two kids in the house), I'd maybe even consider trying for #3 at 42. :eek: