Over 40 and pregnancy

[Sunwyse 1]

I could put this elsewhere, but I specifically want to hear from women 40 and over who have had the band and then gotten pregnant.

I'm 41 and will be getting banded in October. Next year I plan to have my first baby. I know 41/42 is leaving it a bit late, but it can be done. Just wanted to hear from any other women in my shoes.

Michelle

[hopelives124 0]

Well I had two children in my 40's pre-lap band. When I got pregnant with my daughter I was 42 and 43 with my son. They are healthy active 4 and 5 year olds! I had lost a lot of weight without a lap band right before I got pregnant with my daughter. I was about 200 pounds. When I got pregnant with my son six months after my daughter was born,and I was heavier about 240. I do have an older child who was born when I was 30. So pregnancy is possible at all ages and weights but a lower weight helps. The very best of luck to you in the wonderful mother hood journey

[Sunwyse 1]

Thank you Hopelives124, its nice to hear about women who have been there done that. I'm very much looking forward to having a child at some point next year.

[charlie4171 0]

Pregnancy is my second reason for getting banded. I am also looking at (hopefully) getting pg next year. I get banded on Aug. 14th.

[pvtash61 1]

Well, girls, I can tell you that the 40's have been great for me! Second marriage, had my son at 42 and second child, daughter at 46yrs and both are perfect and healthy. So that brings me to now, getting the band.... I want to grow with my children, see them go to college, I want to play with them at their level. I hit the weight of 227lbs, and not able to move as quickly as l would like, the kids have so much energy, and i want some of that. I wish you all my best, your pregnancy will bring you such joy, just take good care of yourself.

[Totallytater 1]

I had my son at 36. My doctors acted like I had one foot in the grave. The biggest problem you will have over 40 is that your eggs are old. The previous posters had healthy babies, but statistically you have a much greater chance of a down syndrome baby and some other problems. It is a crap shoot really. You may get a good egg or an egg that is too old. Some women over 40 use donor eggs from younger women. And many women use their own eggs over 40 and have perfect babies. I wish you much luck. I would like to have another child myself, but at almost 41 I think I'm past my prime.

[sandiegokate 0]

I plan on getting pregnant also at some point!! I am single, and since chances are very low using my own eggs at 46 (the age I will start trying, after losing weight with the band) using IVF or IUI with donor sperm, I will most likely be using donor eggs and donor sperm. I have friends who have done the same.

Great to hear about the successful pregnacies over 40!

If I had a beau and could try naturally.. I would! I always seem to find the guys who are divorced "and don't want to do it all over again", which I respect. If someone comes along in the meantime on my journey.. we'll see what happens!

I wish you all luck! FYI.. a great forum for over 40's pregnancy is: fertilityover40.com A lot of good info and ladies there!

[yozimm 0]

I was banded July 9, 2008. I was told 3 years prior I was premenapausal and would not have kids. At that time I had no kids.

In early August of 2008 I found out I was pregnant. I had one fill by then and went back to have all saline removed during my pregnancy. I had absolutely no problems with my band and my pregnancy. I have a beautiful girl, Zoey who was born on 4/13. I had my first fill in May, then June and again last week in August.

[Arthemise 1]

I had my son at 37, before the band. Let me tell you, it is rough being fat and pregnant. I had gestational diabetes and just about every uncomfortable side effect there is, other than nausea past the first trimester. My OB/GYN was of the opinion that it was better to be older than heavy. I wish I had listened to him! I have the band now so that I can actually do things with my two-year-old. It's very sad for your son to prefer your husband or your mother because they can do the things you can't.

Do invest in ovulation tests when you're trying to get pregnant. We tried for a year before I used an ovulation test. Apparently I am not on the same schedule most women are. The first time we tried an ovulation test, I got pregnant! Good luck.

[CutieBJMR 0]

Hello, I am 41 and will be turning 42 in july and I plan to start trying to get pregnant summer of 2011. This is my second marriage for me and my husband and he does not have any children either, also that was one of the reasons for me getting banded as well. Band date March 19, 2010. Wishing us all blessings and healthy babies!!!!

[bunkie68 6]

I had my first son in 2002, pre-band, at age 34. Even though I was heavy, the pregnancy was pretty uneventful - the only problem I had was that my blood pressure jumped up in the last 3 1/2 weeks, and my doctor didn't let me go past my due date.

I got the band in 2003, had revision surgery after an overfill in 2004, and proceeded to neglect my band until, well, now. So I gained back all the weight I'd lost before my second pregnancy.

My second son was a surprise in 2009, when I was 40 (I turned 41 just a couple of months after he was born). I'm the example of how things can go right, regardless of weight and age. With my first son, I got pregnant with the help of Clomid and IUI. With my second, I figured I was so hormonally screwed up that it wasn't going to happen, and when you threw in my age, I figured it was pretty much a lost cause without more medical intervention. So we weren't trying - weren't preventing, but weren't trying. The Friday before I found out on a Monday that I was pregnant, I had a margarita with my dinner - that's how much I never expected to be pregnant. :wink2: At 40 years old and 270 pounds, give or take, my pregnancy was absolutely uneventful. My blood sugar was fine, my blood pressure was fine, no problems at all. And unlike with my first son, where I never went into labor on my own, I'd started having contractions the day I went in for my scheduled c-section with my second (scheduled because of the failed induction with my first).

I'm not sure if my experience helps much, and I know there's an increased risk of a whole host of problems with "advanced maternal age". But with the band and with a good bit of extra weight, it can still turn out just fine. Good luck!

(And now I'm finding the motivation to go back to my surgeon after being a lap-band slacker for lo, these many years and get myself back on track - I have two boys who need their mama! :biggrin: )