Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

Anyone Preggers over 40?



Recommended Posts

I am not over 40 yet, but anecdotally . . . I have several friends that have had children in their 40's and not one of them has had a child with an issue.

The risks go up after 40, but the majority of people do have healthy infants.

I also wanted to mention that medical knowledge doubles every 10 years or less. It is so easy to do screenings anymore and they are par for the course after a certain age. You can easily determine early in the pregnancy if there are any significant issues of which to be concerned.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I know of 2 experiences on each side of my family.. my g'mother had her youngest (my aunt) at 45; and she is mentally retarded.

An aunt had her first (and only) at 44, perfectly healthy.

----

Echoing what Heather said, especially in the 40's their triple screen test would be helpful, although then you'd have to make a decision to continue or terminate the pregnancy (which is why I didn't do the test..).

Just to throw it out there, ever thought about adoption?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi there, I am 44 [turning 45 this year] and found myself to be unexpectantly pregnant! Which was a lovely surprise, but worried me a LOT in regards to my age and the high risk of Chromosomal abnormalities associated with being pregnant at this age.

I had numerous scans in the early stages, for dating etc, because I seriously HAD NO IDEA that I was pregnant, so I had no idea how far along I was.

I decided to skip the nucal transparency test and go straight for the CVS testing in the 11th week of my pregnancy. We had excellent results and have been reassured that all is well.

Now that we have had the testing, I have really settled in to enjoying the pregnancy and I feel fantastic!!

I don't feel any more tired than I did with my previous pregnancies. If anything, due to losing so much weight with my lapband, I feel better in some ways. I am lighter, more healthy and have more energy than previous pregnancies.

I have had a child every decade of my fertile life so far and I don't feel that bearing a child at this age [so far] is more difficult or taxing. My other daughters are 26 24 and 13.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

As for me I am 34 but will be 35 for the baby's due date thus they call me 'of advanced maternal age'.

People in 30's and 40's have children all the time but the risks do greatly go up for many different diagnoses. I work in Occupational Therapy and have worked with many pedicatrics who have had very difficult lives.....as have the parents dealing with the disabilities.

My risks were even higher because my sister had died of spina bifida when she was 4 weeks old and when I got pregnant I was taking a medication that increases your risks for spina bifida.

I am very thankful to God that through all the ultrasounds (I've had 10 during this pregnancy) they have not found any serious abnormalities........I am due for a c-section in 6 days because of a fibroid tumor but all looks well with baby.

So, no I'm not over 40 but, I am still in that age range they consider advanced. I think each person has to pray about it, decide if something is wrong with your child are you willing to take care of him/her. Disabled children can be a huge joy in your life (I know they are in mine working with them in my job) but, they are a ton of work, emotional stress, financial strain, ect...........but, like I said well worth it.

I just hate how many times in the beginning of my pregnancy that the OB asked me if I want to abort if something is wrong. I finally said nothing will ever be so wrong that I would abort, so don't ask me again...........and he didn't.

I wish you the best!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

That's why I opted out of all the tests, but also due to my age I figured I am not high risk for anything, and I don't want to run into the apparently common false-positives and worry and have to go out of town for further testing, etc.. and ultimately, I would not have aborted, so it didn't matter.

I think if I was in any kind of 'risk' like older age, I would have considered it, but again ultimately I wouldn't abort, so not sure why I would care.. unless to prepare i guess.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks everyone. I am 42 on 5/28. If I do have another child it most likely will be between 44-45 as that is the timeline we have. I have had 2 great pregnancies, 17 and 8 years old now. I would have to have a tubal ligation reversal however they san it is up to 90% success rate to get pregnant. My main concern would be birth defects. Thanks again.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I will be 40 in July. My husband and I are currently trying to have a baby. Our baby girl turned 1 on May 29th. When I was pregnant with my daughter some of my tests came back with not so good results and they told me that I had a 1 in 13 chance of having a baby with down's. I had them do an ultrasound but declined the amnio because I heard that it could cause complications and everything seemed to be going good, no indications that the baby was having problems. I also gave it to God and on May 29th, 2008 I gave birth to a healthy, beautiful little girl. I am not worried about having another baby but this will be my last pregnancy (I have an 18 yr. old son and my baby girl).

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This is heavy on my mind I am 39 and wouldn't mind having a child for my now hubby but even with weight loss my cycles have not returned to normal might have to seek help due to having PCOS. This post was encouraging!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I myself am not in my 40's, but I will share as well. My cousin and his wife are both 43. They got pregnant no problems first time at age 39 and had a healthy boy. Last 2 years following that birth, they have had 3 miscarriages and 1 sucessful pregancy. Their 2nd child has mild case of Autism called Asperger's syndrome, and was born with a deformed limb. Since they knew that no birth defect would cause them to terminate, they had no extra pregnancy screening, but they did catch the deformed limb in a few ultrasounds.

I did several years working in a genetic counselor's office. Having a baby over the age of about 38 raises your chances of birth defects higher than that of having a child with a first cousin, up to around 11% of all sucessful births. I would advise you to keep a few things in mind. That 11% figure is only a measure of all sucessful births. Ones that end in termination or miscarriage may make the number even higher. However, this is the year 2009. Many of the statisics we have are the results of the 1970's thru the 1990's when we didn't know as much about carrying for women of advanced maternal age, nutrition, genetic screening, fertility, medical risk factors, etc.

If you are in good health, not on high-risk medications, and seek out early, high-rate care for yourself and baby, then I think you'll have good luck.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×