Late 30's/40's pregnancies

[Anonymous]

Currently 40 and pregnancy with our first. I'll be 41 at delivery. Planned pregnancy, FWIW (always seems to be the big question). Surprisingly, I thought I would be considered a high risk pregnancy due to age and first pregnancy, but I'm not. Obviously, some extra care put into ensuring NIPT testing done, but other than that, it's like any one else's pregnancy.

[Anonymous]

One and done at 41. Very easy pregnancy.

[Anonymous]

First and only pregnancy at 40, planned. My son was born a month premature and is now a healthy happy four-year-old.

[Anonymous]

The problem with these threads is self selection. The women who want you to believe they had easy conceptions and pregnancies will chime in, while the more typical women who had great difficulty conceiving, multiple failed rounds of in vitro, tried donor eggs only to have miscarriages before one finally took, and then suffered through a rough pregnancy will be silent.

[Anonymous]

The current birth rate for women in their 40s is the highest is has been since, wait for it, before birth control was widely available. It is not a freak of nature to have a healthy pregnancy in your 40s.

I had my first at 40 (got pregnant at 39) and second at 43 (two months before turning 44). Both perfectly healthy, amazing and thriving girls.

The only downside is that if my girls wait as long as I did, I will be a really old grandma.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The current birth rate for women in their 40s is the highest is has been since, wait for it, before birth control was widely available. It is not a freak of nature to have a healthy pregnancy in your 40s.

I had my first at 40 (got pregnant at 39) and second at 43 (two months before turning 44). Both perfectly healthy, amazing and thriving girls.

The only downside is that if my girls wait as long as I did, I will be a really old grandma.

Good for you! I'm surprised the trolls haven't emerged about how awful people are for having kids that "late". I think its great.

[Anonymous]

This is kind of an odd question for this area. At my employer the average age of a FTM is 38 years old (verified fact - they tell us this at orientation). The people having kids at younger ages, especially younger than say 31-32 stick out in the DC metro area. Therefore, there are lots of resources for advanced-maternal age support. It is incredibly common. 44 is definitely on the high side, and most of my friends above 42 having their first are IVF. About half having their second above 42 are IVF. Of course this is just anecdotal. I had mine at 37 and 39.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2 kids in early 40s. No difficulties, no problems.

Clearly, it is a problem for a significant number of people , but it's also not a problem for a significant number of people.

So true!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem with these threads is self selection. The women who want you to believe they had easy conceptions and pregnancies will chime in, while the more typical women who had great difficulty conceiving, multiple failed rounds of in vitro, tried donor eggs only to have miscarriages before one finally took, and then suffered through a rough pregnancy will be silent.

I'm an older mother who had it easy (no interventions or complications) compared to my younger friends. Many friends 10 years younger and those who had kids in their 20s and 30s had to rely on interventions. One needed donor eggs b/c of premature menopause. It's not always about age.

[Anonymous]

I had my twins when I was 44, just shy of my 45th birthday. I used donor eggs to do it, but I had a totally healthy, full-term pregnancy. Easy birth, easy recovery (scheduled c-section) and healthy kids.

I'm chronically tired and maybe that wouldn't be as true if I were 10 years younger. I'm also hugely better off financially now than when I was younger so I'm much less stressed (and I can afford really good childcare.)

It can be done OP. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Just had my third at 39.5. Had kidney stones during pregnancy (don't recommend), but otherwise easy and baby is very healthy. First two arrived at 35 and 36 (almost 37). Conceived all three on the first try. Easy vaginal deliveries and recoveries for all three.

The stats on conception through late 30s are pretty good; most women don't need ART. 40s is more precarious, but many women find their fertility is still preserved.

[Anonymous]

Pregnant now w/my 2nd. I am 39. Had my first at 36. I am a LOT more tired now than I was even 3 years ago. Can't tell if its because Im tired from chasing a 3 year old around or because it is just harder being a pregnant 39 year old than a pregnant 36 year old.

Regardless, I also have many friends in my age group pregnant/with small children.

[Anonymous]

Had my kids at 35 and 37. I had zero problems getting pregnant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pregnant now w/my 2nd. I am 39. Had my first at 36. I am a LOT more tired now than I was even 3 years ago. Can't tell if its because Im tired from chasing a 3 year old around or because it is just harder being a pregnant 39 year old than a pregnant 36 year old.

Regardless, I also have many friends in my age group pregnant/with small children.

PP again. Didn't need ART. Both babies conceived naturally. First one took 4 months, second took about 7-8 months. I had just started meeting w/my dr and getting testing for my husband and I when I got pregnant with #2.

I have friends my age who got pregnant more quickly. I also have friends my age who did not get pregnant easily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is kind of an odd question for this area. At my employer the average age of a FTM is 38 years old (verified fact - they tell us this at orientation). The people having kids at younger ages, especially younger than say 31-32 stick out in the DC metro area. Therefore, there are lots of resources for advanced-maternal age support. It is incredibly common. 44 is definitely on the high side, and most of my friends above 42 having their first are IVF. About half having their second above 42 are IVF. Of course this is just anecdotal. I had mine at 37 and 39.

Depends on your crowd, I guess. Most of my friends had their first babies in the 28-32 range. I am 42 and just can't imagine being in that newborn stage again, but then again I have spent the last decade sleep-deprived. Might feel more energetic if I had spent my 30s doing something else. There were always a lot of older mothers in the birth care waiting rooms so there are a lot of moms around here having healthy low-risk 40s pregnancies.