AMA check in (35+) 2/26

Texafornian · February 2017

Hi ladies! Quick refresher intro for everyone...(age/location/how many kids do you have etc)

1) how far along are ya and how big is baby? (I challenge you to find a description other than fruit!)

2) big upcoming appointments!

3) rants/raves?

4) questions if any?

GTKY: any thoughts on how you want to decorate the nursery? Sharing a room with a sib? Colors? Etc.

Texafornian · February 2017

Hi ladies! I'm 43 (44 on 9/3), live in the Houston, TX area and have a 2.5yo DD.

1) how far along are ya and how big is baby? (I challenge you to find a description other than fruit!)
10+6 so today baby is the size of a mini cocktail sausage but tomorrow baby will be the size of. Ping pong ball lol

2) big upcoming appointments!
tuesday!! NT scan and genetics blood work

3) rants/raves?
I'm sooooo congested! Like, neither ear is popping and I feel like I'm dying. I've already tried the otc Sudafed that's on the approved list to no avail so calling and acupuncturist tomorrow first thing. Acupuncture worked to pop my ears/drain sinuses when I was pregnant last time so hoping it works. The pressure is killing me and I don't need ear infections!!

4) questions if any? Can't think of any...

GTKY: any thoughts on how you want to decorate the nursery? Sharing a room with a sib? Colors? Etc.
Thinking of going with black and white. That way I don't NEED to paint and it works with either sex lol. Right now the room is a guest room so we need to do some shifting around of rooms...but waiting until after the 20wk scan to do anything so I know baby is definitely sticking around (pgal brain). Something along the lines of these pics.

Hopefulmommy1980 · February 2017

i am 36 and live in Missouri.

1) how far along are ya and how big is baby? (I challenge you to find a description other than fruit!)
I am 9w6d. The baby is the size of a jack.

2) big upcoming appointments! Next appointment is march 7th. This will be my last ultrasound and appointment with my re. We will also be doing our screening for chromosomnal abnormalities.

3) rants/raves? I am so tired all the time. Hoping the second trimester I will have more energy.

4) questions if any? Nope

GTKY: any thoughts on how you want to decorate the nursery? Sharing a room with a sib? Colors? Etc.
this baby will share a bedroom with one of my step children at least for a bit. No thoughts on themes at this point

@texafornian black and white is a good idea for color. I agree with you about the pgal brain making you fear the baby won't stick around. Pgal brain sucks.

daisy62103 · February 2017

38, 3 kids, 3 angels, from NY

1) how far along are ya and how big is baby? (I challenge you to find a description other than fruit!) 13+1 the size of medium goldfish

2) big upcoming appointments! Wednesday. We decided to do the NT scan.

3) rants/raves? We heard the HBs last thursday. I didn't realize how anxious/stressed/worried/nervous I was for the appt and started crying like a baby before my OB even got in the room - then proceeded to cry while she talked to me. I was a mess and couldn't even stop. She found the HBs right away and could even tell they were in there kicking around and said she'd never seen almost 13 wk babies so active. agreed @Texafornian @Hopefulmommy1980 pgal brain really sucks big time.

4) questions if any? The headaches are bad. Daily. OB suggested magnesium, but I'm having trouble swallowing the pills. I could look for a smaller or coated pill or liquid, but wondering if anyone has any other magical solutions? I've also tried full caffeine coke and that doesn't help at all. The only thing that helps is an excedrin tension headache that has tylenol and caffeine, but I hate to take that every day. The headaches are killlllllling me and leaves me utterly useless.

GTKY: any thoughts on how you want to decorate the nursery? Sharing a room with a sib? Colors? Etc. Oh boy. We have a 3 bedroom house. Funny story-not funny story- we gave a huge several thousand $ payment last summer to a contractor to begin work on a 4th bedroom addition then he died 2 weeks later. We have gotten NONE of our money back and have no idea how much we'll even get returned. Currently our three yr old likes sleeping with her 9 yr old sister (full bed) and our 7yr old ds sleeps on the top bunk. It's crazy. Our son will eventually move back to his room, so no clue where these 2 babies are going to go.

BecauseLove · February 2017

1) how far along are ya and how big is baby? (I challenge you to find a description other than fruit!)
Almost 10 weeks. Small butterfly
2) big upcoming appointments!
Week 11 I will be having my 1st OB appointment. I am transitioning out of RE care. The odd part is I have done Ultrasounds every week or every other week up to this point...its odd to imagine waiting months now to see the baby again on the screen. Hopeful that the OB will do a doppler reading when I go so I can hear her at least.
3) rants/raves? Starting to ween off of meds so that makes me nervous that as I transition that she might not get enough estrogen or progesterone and that something could happen-and that at this point it feels like I am mostly on my own with the transition.
4) questions if any? Have any of your Dr's so far brought up the Advanced Maternal Age and any impact on the pregnancy or monitoring?

GTKY: any thoughts on how you want to decorate the nursery? Sharing a room with a sib? Colors? Etc.
Colors: White, Yellow, Orange, Red, Teal, Blue, with vintage white furniture and natural wood, black font art and black frames. Calm yellow walls and a brighter yellow ceiling.

Honestly I think will mostly just be a baby storage area and possibly a diapering dressing area...we are getting a side car for a bed for sleeping for a least the 1st while with the baby (long as that works).

BecauseLove · February 2017

Daisy621 Wow...thats crazy about the renovations! Impressive that your able to stay so positive about it!

Becky012016 · February 2017

Lurker but @daisy621 the way it works in my mom's state when she died was there was a notice in the paper for anyone who felt they were owed money were supposed to contact the estate lawyer. After running the notice, people had 30 days to contact the lawyer or they forfeited their rights to claim any money. Have you looked at your local papers classified ads or talked to your own lawyer?

Texafornian · February 2017

@daisy621 no other headache suggestions other than washing pills down with fruit juice instead of water...it helps. Also, perhaps try acupuncture. I'm going in a couple hours to see if they can open my sinuses!

@BecauseLove no mention of my age other than in paperwork. I think last time they just added more spots near the end.
also...LOVE all the colors for your nursery! My first thought tho with the yellow is that I read ages ago (when picking colors for my own room) that yellow is actually not a calming wall color...it can make people irritated. Not sure if it's true lol...I didn't test the theory! I think the teal and blue in that palate are the "calm" colors....celery green was a top one if I recall as well.

Rhubarb7216 · February 2017

Hi everyone! I'm 36, live in Massachusetts, and this is my first pregnancy.

1) how far along are ya and how big is baby? (I challenge you to find a description other than fruit!)
13w3d - baby is size of an egg!

2) big upcoming appointments!
Tomorrow (2/28) for NT ultrasound and blood draw for cell free DNA test. Very excited/starting to get anxious about it today. This is the first ultrasound, so very excited to see baby!

3) rants/raves?
I've been having a lot of bloating/gas pains the past few days that are really uncomfortable.

4) questions if any? Does anyone have reliable information about what herbal teas are safe for pregnancy? I have read so much conflicting information.

GTKY: any thoughts on how you want to decorate the nursery? Sharing a room with a sib? Colors? Etc.
Haven't had too many ideas yet. Once we know the sex (hopefully in about a week), I'll probably start thinking of some ideas.

NicoleRN1979 · February 2017

Hello! I'm 37, live in Houston, TX and have a 2.5 y.o son

1) how far along are ya and how big is baby? 12w3d. According to the Ovia app, baby is about the size of a toy army man

2) big upcoming appointments! Tomorrow. Have my NT scan with the MFM doctor

3) rants/raves? Nausea is starting to subside but I have absolutely no appetite. I forgot what it feels like to enjoy food! :-(

4) questions if any? Wondering what to expect from the MFM. I was only referred by my OB because of my age. Sounds like if there's no other issues, I'll just go to him for the NTS and the 20 week anatomy scan. Anyone else have any insight on what to expect or what questions to ask??

GTKY: any thoughts on how you want to decorate the nursery? Sharing a room with a sib? Colors? Etc.
This is going to be tricky because we won't be able to decorate until right after the baby is born. We just signed a contract to start building a house and it won't be ready until September or October. I'm thinking this baby boy will just get his older brother's nursery decor!

daisy62103 · February 2017

Becky012016 said:

Lurker but @daisy621 the way it works in my mom's state when she died was there was a notice in the paper for anyone who felt they were owed money were supposed to contact the estate lawyer. After running the notice, people had 30 days to contact the lawyer or they forfeited their rights to claim any money. Have you looked at your local papers classified ads or talked to your own lawyer?

Yeah- thanks. We've been in contact with the man's ex-wife's lawyer handling his debts since he died. Our money was supposed to be put in an escrow account and not touched except for our work (which he didn't begin). And a whoooooole bunch of other people have come forward saying he owes them for work he didn't do, yet the money he owes everyone exceeds the amount in the account. So most of our money we gave him magically disappeared within 2 weeks. We also talked to a lawyer which, if we retain him, will run us up near the amount he owes us when all is said and done, and he wasn't feeling optimistic we could get much money back since it's seemingly nonexistent. It's a sucky, unfair situation.

Becky012016 · February 2017

@daisy621 That's a really crappy situation to be in. I'm sorry you have to deal with that

BecauseLove · February 2017

Texafornian Yeah I had heard that about yellows too...of course after the bedroom was finished being painted (2 years ago). Oh well. The funnier thing is almost every other room in the house has a teal or blue color wall.

NicoleRN1979 so exciting about getting a new house!!

daisy62103 · February 2017

BecauseLove said:

Daisy621 Wow...thats crazy about the renovations! Impressive that your able to stay so positive about it!

@becauselove HAha... no, I'm not positive at all about any of it. It's been very depressing to lose so much money and now not know if we'll have enough money to add the 4th bedroom. It's a sad situation and the sleeping arrangements are far from ideal.

Texafornian · February 2017

@NicoleRN1979 hey fellow Houstonian...getting my NT scan today as well. You're by the galleria no? I'm actually at the Women's Hospital right now waiting on my appt...
oh...and my DD is also 2.5!

BecauseLove · February 2017

Daisy621 I am sorry...the whole situation seems frustrating and upsetting.

IsItTacoTuesday · February 2017

Hola from Texas! I'm 36, FTM with 2 step kiddos.

1) how far along are ya and how big is baby? (I challenge you to find a description other than fruit!)
12+4 baby is as big as a shopkins season 6 shopping bag

2) big upcoming appointments!
Friday 3/3 should have ultrasound and fetal free cell results (including sex!). Hubby can't go with me because he has his own appointment, I'm a bit nervous...but might plan a baby's sex reveal for him before we go see Logan.

3) rants/raves?
Still soooo tired! I finally got my bare necessities order in with both a sports bra and bathing suit that fits!

Went for a slow, turtle in molasses run for the first time in a few weeks and it was glorious.

4) questions if any? Does anyone really feel glorious and glowing while pregnant? I'm so excited, I wanted to be a mom for 10 years but it took forever to finish school, build a career and find my person...pregnancy so far is something to endure to get the child I want so much. Acne, rashes, massive boob growth that makes me feel like I'm not in my own skin, and out of control emotions that I feel like I witness from afar has been my non-glowing experience. And I feel guilt about that to top it off!

GTKY: any thoughts on how you want to decorate the nursery? Sharing a room with a sib? Colors? Etc.
We're meeting with builders on Saturday, we have a 3 bedroom with an 11 and 9 year old step-kids, so baby will need their own spot. I'm really not a fan of pink or blue, so will find something once we know what the baby's sex is...and will make do until we're able to move.

mc123mc · March 2017

@BecauseLove I hear you on weening off the RE and the transition to a med free pregnancy. I was petrified to do so with my first because I had a lot of complications with IVF, staying preg etc. It's very hard to just trust, but you have to and once you're off you'll actually feel great!

The downside of transitioning from RE to OB is def the reduced ultrasounds! Once I was with OB I had 1 at 12 weeks for NT scan, 1 at 20 weeks for anatomy and then one at like 35 or 36 weeks to see head position. I didn't even see the baby that time, just a round top of a head! Kinda stinks but once you feel them moving, you worry less.

AMA with my doctor is a non-issue. I'm 37 now, will be 38 when this one is born and every time I bring it up she tells me to relax and nicely tells me that I am not that old! HA. I feel ancient in the waiting room. Here in the midwest, it seems people have babies really young.

BecauseLove · March 2017

mc123mc yeah my clinic dr said the same thing that as soon as you feel the baby moving you feel better...but isn't that around like week 16....that is 6 weeks uff da! I am use to having a check in every other week (if not more often). They said they wouldn't be doing the 12 week US on me because I am 37 and that they aren't valid on women over the age of 35 and instead recommend the blood genetic testing.

Totally about the trying to trust that all is well is challenging after what we have gone through. I really don't know how other women do it with so much less info.

Glad the AMA part is a non issue for your Dr. It seems like the benefit of it is that I am considered high risk by my insurance company allowing for some more coverage of things.

I hear ya about being in the Midwest and everyone having kiddos young. All my friends have kids that are school age.

Oh well...glad we waited. The right time for me and my DH.

Texafornian · March 2017

Omg @becauselove I could just HUG you and your doctor right now. I LOVE that your OB thinks the NT scan isn't valid for over age 35. Did he/she say why? I'd be curious. I'm seriously praying like a mad woman (between freak outs of course) that my shitty NT scan results mean nothing and that the blood genetic testing says otherwise. I have read that some offices have mixed the 12w scan altogether in favor of the genetics but hadn't heard that it could be invalid over a certain age...this gives me GREAT hope!

As for the AMA thing...no biggy this pregnancy or my last i and I was 41 and will be 44 when this LO will be born. Only mention was yesterday and it was more like...you're totally healthy, have perfect blood pressure, and no other risk factors OTHER than age. Yea yeah i know. Sheesh. But treatment has been the same other than more gets covered by insurance. Maybe a tad more monitoring at the tail end of the pregnancy and I think you are listened to a little more in terms of concerns. Like they're more apt to triple check stuff to be "safe." I think it's an added bonus.

BecauseLove · March 2017

Texafornian I haven't seen my OB yet (that is next week) just my local family practice but the Dr there was very adamant that they wouldn't be doing a week 12 US. She said they give false results (she didn't say good or bad) and that the genetic testing is better over 35. She also said that the genetic testing isn't as good for under 35 and that they recommend the 12 week US for those under that age as it seems more accurate. Next time I can ask more if you like. Hugs to you that all is ok.

By the way one of my friends from college had a bad NT scan and they passed on doing the additional screening and she has a total ok kiddo...while another friend from college had a perfectly ok NT (at 34) and they didn't catch that her son had DS until he was born because they didn't recommend further testing for her.

Pretty sure the genetic testing is way more accurate. We are having the genetic testing done again (after CCS/PGS testing that already did genetic testing before we transferred the eggo into me)...so we can be super in the know.

I mean I don't love being high risk because of age..but I do love more stuff being covered by insurance.

Texafornian · March 2017

@becauselove yea it's a crap shoot...the ONLY things that can tell you if there's definitive issues is CVS and Amnio. Last time I had a great NT scan and my MaternitI21 test came back with low risk factors so we opted to wing it and trust the odds. They found a velamentous cord insertion at 20w but that had nothing to do with chromosomes etc.

i keep trying to think of this as the same...like ok one test was spotty and less then stellar so let's see what the next one tells us and go from there. It's definitely spooked me...I mean now it's in the back of my head so even if the blood shows low risk...amnio might be in the cards merely for piece of mind although I'd really rather not go that route.

IsItTacoTuesday · March 2017

@Texafornian, keep us posted! Sending positive thoughts your way. It took 8 days to get my genetic test results, and while that is forever I'm hoping is quicker for you so you can rest your mind!!

lilpoots · March 2017

This is my first AMA check in; Hi! I'm from Northern California and I'll be 35 in 12 weeks. I'm a STM with a 2 yr old son.

1) 10 weeks today, baby is size of a lego man

2) abdominal us on Wed to hear heartbeat and view the placenta. I had complete previa last time and they want to get an idea of the chance as early as possible. Will also discuss genetic testing, etc.

3) I'm having a lot of issues with my gallbladder and it's making eating as a whole unpleasant on top of 1st tri symptoms. It's calmed down some as progesterone levels have chilled out, but I'm wondering how it's going to be the rest of pregnancy.

4) I know so little about my options for genetic testing, because we didn't really discuss them last time and I really don't want to get pushed into an amnio or cvs. Is there a specific non invasive test I should look into as an alternative?

GTKY: I haven't thought much about the nursery, but the baby will eventually share a room with my son. We're planning to have baby in our room for a while, especially if breastfeeding works out.

lilpoots · March 2017

@Texafornian your nursery ideas are very tasteful and classy. I like them a lot.

@BecauseLove I'm barely AMA, but it has been mentioned. It seems like they are having me come in way more frequently, doing US and waiting to really confirm my pregnancy. We'll see what happens at my next appointment, because they want to discuss testing. My NP literally said at 9 weeks that they don't consider this a "real" pregnancy yet. It kind of hurt my heart a little to hear that.

@Rhubarb7216 I've had the same issue with teas as well. I believe chamomile was the only one I could confirm as safe, but I'll double check that. I've been drinking white teas for that little bit of caffiene.

@IsItTacoTuesday I did get that glowing feeling in 2nd tri with my first, but every pregnancy is different and I don't think my second one is going to play out that way. My skin and hair are horrible this time around, so no glow here.

Texafornian · March 2017

@lilpoots That is HORRIBLE that they'd say it's not a "real" pregnancy at 9weeks! It's absolutely REAL! I think they wait until that first ultrasound to confirm that it's "viable" but it's most certainly real.

Edited to say...regarding genetic testing: go with the blood test (Panorama, Materniti21, etc). It's non-invasive and like 96-99% accurate (depending on brand of test). It's also covered if you're over 35. THEN, if you get red flags from that or the NT scan...only then would I consider an Amnio or CVS. I just had a bad NT scan and am now waiting on the results of my blood work to see if I need/want to test further.

Also...I don't think Chamomile is a great tea to drink while pregnant...I've read that it's best to stay away from herbal teas and stick to green/black/white. I've been drinking iced tea and there's only 45mg of caffeine in 12oz vs say a grande starbucks (200mg). Tea during pregnancy is so confusing to me! Like don't drink caffeine but stay away from herbal teas (decaf)...sigh. @Rhubarb7216

Rhubarb7216 · March 2017

Yes, the herbal tea thing is confusing/annoying! I have always been a tea drinker, not a coffee drinker and prior to pregnancy would drink 2 cups of black tea per day. I like drinking hot beverages because I'm always cold, so I often like herbal tea in the afternoon. Now that I'm pregnant, I've cut down to 1 cup of black tea per day (although I use big mugs so it's more like 2 cups!) and cut out the herbal tea because I can't find any solid information about what's ok and what isn't. Some things I have read say anything sold in the grocery store is likely to be safe for pregnancy and just stay away from weird things. But I've also heard lemongrass is bad and plenty of herbal teas at the grocery store have lemongrass. I did read this week that peppermint tea is considered to be safe, so I may buy that.

BecauseLove · March 2017

Just a note that green tea can deplete folic acid so make sure your taking extra I guess if that is your tea of choice.

Inanigloo · March 2017

My first AMA check-in here. I'm 35 and live in Alberta, Canada. I have one daughter, an angel son and 12 miscarriages.

1) 14 weeks, so the size of a McNugget apparently.

2) Nothing till the end of March.

3) Just happy to have made it to the second trimester. And hoping that at some point this will feel real to me. I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop constantly.

4) None yet.

GTKY: any thoughts on how you want to decorate the nursery? Sharing a room with a sib? Colors? Etc.

Grey and very gender neutral is all I have right now. But I've been drooling over all the lumber jack plaid that I have seen lately so really I have no idea.

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