Calling All Older Moms - I Can't Wait for Another Unltrasound!

i wouldn't get a home heart monitor... if you can't hear anything which many people can't you'll panic. try and be patient. i think i kept taking pregnancy tests even though they prob didn't do anything either LOL

I was 39 when I was preg with my son. I had experiences two miscarriages and I didn't do anything out of the norm....no genetic tests, extra ultrasounds, etc. Your baby is in God's hands and if it will be, it will be! Relax and pray for strength. Best wishes! Relax, mama!

Remind yourself that even with older moms, the chances of something being wrong are slim. The odds really are in your favor the longer the pregnancy progresses. The best thing you can do is to relax and just enjoy the moment. Your pregnancy will fly by! (except, of course, if you go overdue as I did and then it seems to last forever ... ha!)

I'm not sure if you are far enough along for this to help, but maybe you could look into getting one of those home heartbeat monitors? My placenta was in the front, so I could never really hear anything with the home one, but I've had friends who loved it, and husbands who loved being able to listen to the heartbeat whenever they wanted.

My doctor did an ultra sound on my first appointment... I was only about 6 weeks along. The reason he did it was that I was having odd pains & he wanted to make sure it wasn't multiple or a tubal pregnacy... I did luck out & get to see a single heartbeat before I could hear it. Some doctors will do it, others will not, but you will not be able to see the sex of the baby for a little while. Talk to your doc & see.

BTW - Conratz on the pregnancy!

Hi S.,

You DO need to relax. Anxiety, whether positive or negative, can have it's affects on the baby. I didn't have my first little one until I was 33 so I guess you'd call me an older mom, lol. Go to http://www.unhinderedliving.com/pultra.html and really read up on ultrasounds before you decide definitely to do another one. The AMA actually recommends against it.

I agree with Denise. Your little one is in God's hands and THAT is a good thing. Take a deep breath and congratulations on your little one coming. I'm tickled for you!

M.

First of all, CONGRATS!

I know what you are going through. We've been blessed with two miracle pregnancies. I'm due with baby #2 at the end of April. I went through the same thing! My friends say I'm a worry wort!

We bought the home heart monitor and it is a joke! We've even pulled it out for this pregnancy and got fed up with it.

The first few months are the hardest and then once you can feel the baby move (around weeks 18-20...also the same time as the diagnostic ultra sound is done), you have that daily knowledge that the baby is fine.

You may get another ultra sound at the next apt. if they can't hear the baby's heartbeat on the doppler. Thereafter at every apt. the doctor will measure your stomach (pelvis to top of uterus....however many cm's you measure is how many weeks you are....cool, eh?) and use the doppler to check for baby's heartbeat. Then he/she will go over any questions you have (make sure you write them down before you go!) and tell you about any test or concern they are looking for. Around 24-27 weeks they will test your blood sugar by having you drink a glucose drink (either at the office or send it home with you the apt. before hand) and then have you wait an hour and then have your blood drawn.

I know I gave you a little more information than you were looking for, but I wish someone would have given me a better road map of what to expect. I did a lot of reading, but it was very general due to the difference in techniques and procedures around the country.

It is normal to be anxious when you've had complications previously, but you will also have to keep yourself in check. Ask your doctor if they have a number you should call in case you become really insecure. I was worried about the baby's movement and was given the birth center's number and told I could have a nonstress test done AT ANY TIME OF DAY. That was enough to calm me down and keep things in check, knowing that help was just a phone call away.

Good luck and best wishes!

I'm an older mom, too, not yet 40, but I'm knocking on that door. I can understand the anxiety, because even if something is wrong, there's nothing we can do to prevent it - it's nature's way of taking care of business. Try to relax and enjoy yourself. At your next appointment, they should be able to hear the heartbeat with the doppler. If not, then you may get another ultrasound. If you can hear the heartbeat, that's all you need to know that everything's A-OK! My doctor's always told me, if you aren't having spotting or cramping then don't worry, everything is fine.
Congratulations on your expanding family! Enjoy your pregnancy!

This doesn't allow you to see the baby, but you can hear the heartbeat with a "baby doppler". Google it -we rented one for most of my first pregnancy. It saved us countless trips to the ER and calls to my doctors! My first wasn't very active (not true once out of the womb!) and I would go a full 24 hours without feeling a movement -and all of the books and sites say to go to the hospital if that happens, but as long as I could hear a strong and steady heartbeat, I felt like he was ok. It's also just really nice to put it on and listen to the baby's heartbeat for fun!

I was 40 when I got pregnant with my last child. And year b4 that I had miscarriage.
My dr send me to specialist because of my age, but after just talk and blood test (came back all very good) I didn't want any other tests. I was nervous, had 4 ultrasounds all together, gain a lot of weight and became diabetic (what I wasn't with my 2 previous children). Yes, now when I think it was scary, but with prayers, with having to b strong for 2 other kids (not to make them worry) I end up being very discipline in what I eat and finally baby was born, healthy and normal. I did save his umbilical cord, just in case. Saving umbilical cord might sound expensive for the first year, but even I don't need it (my baby is almost a year old now), I do not regret spending that money, that gave me a peace. I did not save umbilical cord for my other kids (they are older and at that time I didn't even know about it), but for this baby I wanted because of my age. I listened positive music, spend time with positive people and as I said a lot of prayers. I hope you find something to calm you down. Don't read what can happened or what happened to some women. There are a lot of older women who had perfectly normal and healthy babies.

Congrats on the new baby:) I had my second son at 37 and my last son last August at 40-1/2 years old. My ob/gyn gave me the option to go to an internal fetal medicine clinic for extra testing because I was considered high risk due to my age at both pregnancies. Moms over 35 are considered high risk. It was a piece of cake and actually an enjoyable experience because I had an additional ultrasounds given to me which were more intense than the regular ultrasound (so they said). So, I had the extra security knowing that my babies were ok. I would definitely suggest talking to your doctor about having extra testing done. I didn't have an amniocentisis done because there was nothing in my family history that would indicate I needed that done.

Hope this helps you,

M.

I only had one ultrasound with two of my kids, halfway through the pregnancy. With my second I had two, one in the beginning as well to determine how far along I was, as I had never had a period. Then with #4 I had none, through the whole thing. Just chose not to do it cause there was no reason. Just relax. there is nothing that will change anything. What will be, will be. Put you LO in God's hands.

I would not worry too much about the ultrasound images right now, so long as the Doppler indicates a heartbeat. You will want to consider, however, either a CVS or an amnio if you are over 35...the risk of genetic conditions rises simply with age, and it literally shoots up steeply, never mind any other family risk factors you may have. If your religious beliefs are such that you will carry on with the pregnancy no matter what, then you can skip these tests because they do have a very small associated risk. But if you would possibly terminate based on the info they provide, or if you know that you will need a lot more emotional preparation if you eventually bear a child with a genetic issue, you will want to focus on scheduling them properly (esp CVS, as it happens earlier and in a narrower window) so you can get the information. The ultrasound is a lot less informative (although certainly a lot more fun.)

I know it can be so hard to wait. You'll likely have tons of ultrasounds later in your pregnancy. Keep in mind that they might not be able to tell very much from another ultrasound at this point. Concentrate on the things you have control over: eating well, your vitamins, pre-natal exercise if your OB says it's ok. Drink lots of water (I don't know if it makes a difference this early in pregnancy, but it can't hurt and it's good to be in the habit for later.) It can be so hard to wait, but try to enjoy this time now, before it gets harder to move, your legs swell up, etc.... And congrats!

Don't worry.... I had a miscarriage, then went on to have my son. Perfectly fine and normal pregnancy and healthy baby.
I am an older Mom.

Unless you have health issues or are a high-risk pregnancy, then you will have the ultrasound at the usual junctures.
Or unless your Doctor recommends one earlier.... or, if not really needed, then perhaps an extra ultrasound may not be covered by insurance. I don't know.

I know it can be nerve racking, but just take care, take your prenatal vitamins and pamper yourself.

All the best,
Susan