Risks with advanced maternal age v. close-together pregnancies

[Anonymous]

We are considering having a 3rd child, and I'm wondering whether it is safer to wait until our 2nd is over 2 or 3 years old before TTC or to get started sooner b/c I'm now 35. I had preterm labor with both of my prior pregnancies and ended up giving birth a month early each time. I understand that the risk of that happening again might decrease if I give my body more of a break before trying again (or not). Both of our kids are perfectly healthy, but it is scary to deliver early. And I know that 35/36 isn't very old nowadays, but the tests etc. increase dramatically from what I experienced with the first 2. I know I should ask my doctor, but I wondered how other folks have worked through this.

[Anonymous]

I can only tell you that I didn't get married until I was 35 and will deliver our first child in August at age 36. We plan to wait until I'm at least 38 or 39 for #2. While I did the nuchal screening at 12 weeks (which is now offered regardless of maternal age), I chose not to do an amnio (based on the great numbers on the nuchal). I have a mild case of gestational diabetes at 28 weeks which age is one factor of, but certainly not the only as I have many post-35 friends who never had it. Presumably your first 2 children are healthy, so I think it's not so much an issue of your age vs. when are you and your family ready for #3.

[Anonymous]

OP, probably neither risk is that great for most women.

But I will definitely weigh in in favor of waiting AT LEAST ONE YEAR between pregnancies. I didn't do that and lost the second baby very far into the pregnancy. (There were apparently no genetic or chromosonal problems). I firmly believe that I just hadn't allowed my body enough time to recover from the first pregnancy -- and I was in pretty good shape, I thought.

That's just one anecdote, but you can easily find plenty of statistics to support waiting a year between pregnancies. My own OB was ignorant of the studies -- but I wish I had seen them before proceeding with the second pregnancy, instead of reading them after the very preterm birth.

[Anonymous]

Everything I have read said to wait one year so that your body can recover from the last pregnancy. You're still young! I'm 39 and pregnant with my third!

[Anonymous]

Thank you. I assumed it makes more sense to wait longer - I'm now 9 months from the last birth. Ideally, I'd like to wait another year or 2 and just not be pregnant for awhile. My husband, on the other hand, is very worried about the "old eggs" issue, and I wondered which is more of a problem in terms of risk to the baby. I suppose there really isn't any foolproof plan, but I KNOW that I will be a better mom if I have a little break, which is probably the most important consideration.

[Anonymous]

SO many women around here are over 35 and having babies. I would bet that 90% of the women on this board have had a baby when they were 35 or older (maybe we should take a poll....). I really wouldn't worry about the age so much as making sure that your family is ready for #3. If your doctor (or your research) indicates that waiting a little longer between pregnancies reduces the risk of preterm labor, then I would say that it is smart to give your body a rest! Good luck to you.

[Anonymous]

My OB recommended waiting a year between babies to reduce risk of stillbirth but also indicated that lots of women have healthy babies spaced closer together than that. There's no magic formula for a perfectly healthy baby. I would just go with whatever your family is ready for.

[Anonymous]

My high risk OB at Georgetown said that they recommend 6 months between births. I had an extremely high risk multiple birth and then got pregnant six months later with my son. Totally healthy and full term.

[Anonymous]

I had my first at 37 and my second at 39, but in between I had one miscarriage after becoming pregnant when our first was one. So I would favor waiting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, probably neither risk is that great for most women.

But I will definitely weigh in in favor of waiting AT LEAST ONE YEAR between pregnancies. I didn't do that and lost the second baby very far into the pregnancy. (There were apparently no genetic or chromosonal problems). I firmly believe that I just hadn't allowed my body enough time to recover from the first pregnancy -- and I was in pretty good shape, I thought.

That's just one anecdote, but you can easily find plenty of statistics to support waiting a year between pregnancies. My own OB was ignorant of the studies -- but I wish I had seen them before proceeding with the second pregnancy, instead of reading them after the very preterm birth.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I have had multiple early miscarriages from age 36-38 after having successful pregnancies. This makes me think what-if's about the spacing my children. Should I had moved faster? You are thinking you should have moved slower... there's no right answer sometimes...

[Anonymous]

I am newly married, 38 and expecting my first in January 2010 when I will still be 38. Of course with getting older I'd prefer not to wait and knock the last one out before I am 40....though I do want to give my body a break in between so I am also curious about the 6 month vs. 1 year suggestion.

[Anonymous]

I had my first at 37 (a few months before turning 38) and am having my second at age 39 (in 3 weeks). They will be 16 months apart. No issues (hopefully!) with the close spacing.

[Anonymous]

Mine were 16 months apart and I had c sections both times. No one ever said anything about them being to close together.

[Anonymous]

I am 40 and got pregnant the first time via IVF (and will be 41 at delivery). I was told to wait 6 months after the birth of this baby before starting back on fertility treatments.