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over40fabulousandpregnant

🎙️ Believe pregnancy over 40 is possible through pregnancy stories.
Host @jamiesreed 43, donor eggs: FET1❌ FET2 👶🌈
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I turned 44 last week, and today I have a 9 month

I turned 44 last week, and today I have a 9 month old. 🤯 I was super pregnant on my 43rd birthday, and was just hoping to be pregnant on my 42nd birthday. What a wild ride it has been… some days I can hardly believe it.

Motherhood so far has been beautiful, joyful, exciting, scary and tiring. (All the emotions!) I feel so much comfort in journaling to my baby about our days and creating photo books. I’m still pumping 6 times a day, down one for about a month now. Yea- for more sleep. I feel like I could write a book on how NOT to breastfeed/pump. Honestly, I can’t wait to stop pumping.

My biggest advice to any first time mom? Find another woman going through it. I have found so much peace being able to talk about all of the little things being a first-time-mom brings. Knowing she’s only a text away, even if it’s 4am, has been a blessing!

I have been absent on here for a few months. Mostly, because I was on IG way too much. It was consuming too much of time and thoughts. The last few months I have been spending more time with friends, family, gardening and listening to audio books. Hopefully, I can be here more mindfully but always by DM. 💙

It’s not just about me but the community of wome

It’s not just about me but the community of women here that have been pregnant over 40! The comments are filled with evidence it’s possible. Love the convos in the comments!! 👊 💕

4 years ago today we cancelled our wedding and got

4 years ago today we cancelled our wedding and got married over zoom because my groom was sick with covid (the show must go on, am I right?). This day was also the day our trying to conceive journey began. What would I say to her now that I hold my almost 6-month-old baby boy in my arms at 43:

Try to be patient. It won’t happen on your timeline, and it will feel like endless heartbreak. You will eventually be lucky and get to complain about all the silly pregnancy problems. You will be lucky with a 24-hour induction even though you chickened out with meds. You will fall in love with your husband again and your baby who you don’t share DNA with, so be strong through this tough AF journey. Motherhood is your future.

I’ve always thought I’d have two girls. Maybe

I’ve always thought I’d have two girls. Maybe I’m just reflecting on my mom’s experience, idk. And when we had the transfer, having a boy NEVER crossed my mind.

I swear I saw it was a boy on the sonogram at our 10-week appointment even though our fertility doctor said it was impossible. I admit, I was disappointed and shocked. Then later with the midwives, I took the NIPT test that confirmed I was carrying a boy.

My baby boy is over 5-months old and I couldn’t be happier about it. I used to morn the loss of buying cute pink clothes with ruffles and makeup and all of the girl things. Now, I look at them and think I’m so glad we don’t have a girl: we’d be broke! Being a boy mom is exactly who I’m supposed to be. 💙

At 5 months postpartum, I finally tell the birth s

At 5 months postpartum, I finally tell the birth story of my first baby at 43 using donor eggs on the podcast. Listen on any podcast play or link in bio.

This is my pregnancy story at 43 using donor eggs

This is my pregnancy story at 43 using donor eggs via IVF. I share more details throughout the show in each episode. It was a three year journey and feel so lucky to have my rainbow baby.

To all the women who are trying to conceive during

To all the women who are trying to conceive during this Christmas, merry Christmas from Over 40 Fabulous and Pregnant Podcast. Hear women’s pregnancy stories over 40 to believe pregnancy is possible on any podcast player or the website.

Christmas 2021 was spent having my tube removed be

Christmas 2021 was spent having my tube removed because of an ectopic pregnancy. Christmas 2022 was spent looking for an egg donor after we didn’t make any viable embryos using my eggs. Christmas 2023 was full of anxiety while I was 10 weeks pregnant hoping this 5th pregnancy with our last embryo using donor eggs would stick! Christmas 2024 I have a 5-month-old rainbow baby and feel like the luckiest Mama!! 🎁 Merry Christmas and may all of your wishes come true! ✨

Christmas 2021 I had just had an ectopic pregnancy

Christmas 2021 I had just had an ectopic pregnancy where I had surgery to remove my tube. Christmas 2023 I was 10 weeks pregnant hoping this embryo would stick. Christmas 2024 here we are with our rainbow baby in tow and couldn’t be more thankful! 🎁

I used to think I was lying to people when I didn’t tell them we used an egg donor. Now, I usually just say ‘thank you’ when people say we look alike. It’s the best compliment, and I feel so lucky he grew inside my womb!

I did the same thing! I searched the internet to f

I did the same thing! I searched the internet to figure out what to do to make my transfer stick?! How do I get pregnant? We go deep on this topic on episode 80 and 81 where 4 women, including myself talk about our IVF experience over 40. Listen to the two episodes on Over 40 Fabulous and Pregnant Podcast where ever you listen to podcasts.

I get DM’s of women saying things like, “I don

I get DM’s of women saying things like, “I don’t have much time.” Or “I’m too old to have a baby.” Or “My clock is ticking.” I was in a hurry too to have a baby at 40 until I heard the stories of other women over 40 having babies on the podcast. It took almost three years to have a baby and realized I didn’t need to be in such a hurry. I’m so lucky to say he’s here!!!

I get a lot of comments from friends that they wou

I get a lot of comments from friends that they would never want a baby in their 40’s, so here’s what I regret about having a baby at 43…

I worried what I would feel for my donor egg conce

I worried what I would feel for my donor egg conceived baby before I gave birth. I think it’s normal to worry. But once he was here and I breastfed and could smooth him like no else could, those worries disappeared… I love him more than I thought possible… and don’t get me started on those smiles that feel like they are only for you…

BREASTFEEDING UPDATE: exclusively breastfeeding wa

BREASTFEEDING UPDATE: exclusively breastfeeding was my goal before I gave birth. I don’t think I’ll ever get there. First, after getting his ties corrected, I don’t have the pain I once had which is amazing. BF in bed for a few more hours of sleep is amazing. And my fears of lack of supply are gone. I have enough in the freezer that I offered some to an adoptive mother. Oatmeal has helped my supply, and I’m making lactation cookies today.

Unfortunately, my baby can’t empty my breasts, and quite frankly I have a hard emptying them with the pump myself. I envy the woman who sits at the pump for only 20 minutes or if she can BF and call it good. I ALWAYS have to pump after a feed. It usually takes me at least 30 minutes with VERY aggressive massaging to empty them. If I get lazy or not pump for too long, I get rocks that will take HOURS to remove. My husband worked for over 2 hours helping me get what I guess are clogged ducts out. It wasn’t easy sitting through the physical and emotional pain, so I try to be diligent to empty them myself often.

Not pumping 6-7 times a day with 2 night pumps feels reckless and irresponsible. Here’s what helps when it does happen. It has happened 3x now, and I couldn’t have done it myself. Here’s what helped me with engorgement and clogged ducts:

1. Partner helping massaging the milk out.
2. Extreme massaging and squeezing
3. Leaning over for gravity assistance
4. Alternating the pump settings from high to low with highest suctioning.
5. Focusing on one breast at a time

My baby is 15 weeks old and gets only a little bit of formula each week some nights, so about 98% breastmilk. We usually just feed the breastmilk with a bottle and sometimes nurse afterwards depending when I pumped. I’d still love to BF for a year, but I’d be proud of myself if I made it six months.

Has anyone else had this problem? What has helped?

LET ME EXPLAIN! We are NOT trying to conceive! Rig

LET ME EXPLAIN! We are NOT trying to conceive! Right after birth I told myself I was NEVER doing that again, but everyone told me that thought would fade away. I didn’t believe it, yet here I am thinking one more wouldn’t be so bad….

ONE YEAR AGO we transferred our second and last em

ONE YEAR AGO we transferred our second and last embryo we created with donor eggs that became our rainbow baby we call Carver. The first embryo was a chemical pregnancy, so I was so scared and excited for this transfer. This would be my 5th pregnancy.

No fries, no special socks or any IVF rituals.

We ran a few errands afterwards. And on our way home from our last stop, my husband hit a curb that I was sure knocked the embryo around for it to not work!! I reacted as if we had a car accident! But sure enough, this little boy embryo (we didn’t know the sex at the time) stuck! Feeling extra lucky remembering this day….

My baby turned 3 months yesterday! I love watching

My baby turned 3 months yesterday! I love watching him grow and seeing my husband in him. But we also look at what we think is the egg donor. I could NOT write a letter to her while I was pregnant, but I feel like writing a letter to now… now that he’s here and I know him. It took three to make him. 💙

Being about 13 weeks postpartum, I’ve had so muc

Being about 13 weeks postpartum, I’ve had so much time to reflect on my pregnancy at 43 using donor eggs. This is what I would tell myself. What would you tell your pregnant self? 💙

Today, I’m almost 12 weeks postpartum at 43 afte

Today, I’m almost 12 weeks postpartum at 43 after 3 years of TTC. Being over 40 isn’t too old to have a baby!

Q: How is motherhood going? A: I silently said to

Q: How is motherhood going?
A: I silently said to myself I don’t even feel like a mother. Before my son, people called me a mother after my pregnancy losses which I never felt. No judgement to any woman that call themselves a mother after pregnancy loss... I just never felt that way. Then after my son was born, for the first month or so, I felt like just a caretaker and not a mother, yet I yearned to feel like other women that called themselves a mother on the internet.

When making an appointment one day, the other person on the other end asked me if this was ‘Carver’s Mom,’ and I immediately said yes. That brought a huge smile to my face, but I still didn’t feel THAT feeling. Later, my husband continually said that the baby stopped crying when I picked him up. I completely blew it off thinking he was just trying to make me feel better. Then, I started to pay attention and sure enough, the baby stopped crying when I would pick him up. Ha! I had an easier time soothing him than others and my husband. That was the magical moment I finally started feeling like a mother.

Two years ago today, I published the first episode

Two years ago today, I published the first episode of Over 40 Fabulous and Pregnant Podcast! 🥳

While I’m almost 12 weeks postpartum, we have over 90 episodes of women’s pregnancy stories from age 40 to 57 and discuss a handful of topics like donor egg conception, single mother by choice, pregnancy loss, embryo adoption and more. It’s taken me a little longer to get back in the swing of things with my little one, but enjoy episodes wherever you listen to podcasts.

Our rainbow baby is 8 weeks old, and I feel so luc

Our rainbow baby is 8 weeks old, and I feel so lucky to have a healthy baby boy with the help of donor eggs. To hear more about my story and other stories from women over 40, listen to Over 40 Fabulous and Pregnant Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.

Q: How’s breastfeeding going? A: We are on our s

Q: How’s breastfeeding going? A: We are on our second lactation consultant, seeing a baby chiropractor and have an appointment with the pediatric dentist next week to look at correcting his lip and tongue tie. He seemed to have an amazing latch the day he was born but now in the last two days it’s not as strong. His ties are causing him to not efficiently get the milk out of my breast and it is causing me pain and supply issues. Let me tell you-OUCH! (I’ve never moved so fast to get him off!!) We continue to work on mouth stretches, his reflexes, and I’ve been pumping every two hours to work on increasing my supply and doing more bottles.

Why not just exclusively pump, someone asked? There’s nothing wrong with exclusively breastfeeding, but if the ties aren’t corrected, the lactation consultant told us there’s research linking ties to sinus issues, sleep apnea, ear tubes, allergies and more later in life. I wanted to be confident in our decision to see the dentist, so I wanted to know how he could be affected later in life if we didn’t correct the ties now. (no one likes fear based information!) EVERY issue was describing what my husband has dealt with.

I’m hoping all is better after next week’s appointment. 🙏🏻 🤞🏼

He is HERE!! I finally gave birth to our baby boy

He is HERE!! I finally gave birth to our baby boy on Monday, July 22nd weighing 9lbs 8oz. I was 41 weeks 3 days. I can’t wait to share all of the details soon because almost nothing happened according to my birth plan.

I was induced the night before with an epidural. The next night, I pushed for 2 hours. Once he was out, the cord was quickly cut because his color and lungs needed to be checked. I was laying there filled with relief, joy and just a little out of it. He tried to come with one hand first that cause a little tear. I hemorrhaged losing about a liter of blood.

We are home and our baby is over week old which is so hard to believe. The 4th trimester is already harder than expected but feel incredibly lucky. #43andpregnant #over40andpregnant #donoreggjourney

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