I'm wanting to try without IVF for the first bit, does anyone have any suggestions on other things they may have found helpful for getting pregnant and having a healthy baby when over 40? Thanks so much. I'm doing this one my own (sperm donor) and it's all pretty new right now.
Hi, just wanted to add my experience to your post... I got pregnant at 40 and turned 41 at Christmas and will be having my baby in 2 weeks from now planned c-section.
We conceived naturally after a long time trying and apart from some spotting at the very beggining the pregnancy went well in the first 6 months.
The screenings all went well with no markers for DS or Spina Bifida thankfully and baby has been growing and progressing well.
The past few months have been a bit troublesome... I developed high blood pressure at around 32 weeks and now have pre-eclamsia and on bedrest until I deliver.
I have found I am much more tired than I was with my other pregnancies but taking it all in my stride and trying not to grumble as forever grateful for the precious miracle growing in my belly!
Good luck hope all goes well for you =D
Hi Annie.
I'm 45 yrs young next month and 16 weeks pregnant,all done naturally.
I had my nuchal scan/blood results and risks of DS was 1:60.
Just had an amnio today which I was afraid to do but needed too for peace of mind.
I'm taking it easy and resting for the next few days,all ok so far after that.
I'm find this pregnancy very tiring and at times stressful due to these tests.
I have grown up children and never experienced any of these tests as I had them before I was 30 yrs.
I haven't had any remarks from my doctor about premature labor but I will be asking about that now.
Good luck with everything and let us know how you are going.
Take care. Erina
I got pregnant (and now almost 34 weeks) at 41 years old. Honestly, every DR visit was one drama after another. Every test led to another test and more DR's saying this and that were bad/behind/possibly wrong.
My son has gone from most "likely" (50%) having downs syndrome (he does not) to having one kidney (he does not) to being a dwarf (he is not) to having some major genetic issues (I doubt it..he is a short boy for christ sakes!) all he has (this was proven) is some fluid in his right lung which will be fixed after he is born. All these tests they made me go through put me in a financial mess ($15k for 20% of the uninsured part)
So...in short, please take it all with a grain of salt whent hese DR's worry you and make you feel like there "may be" something wrong. I went through an emotional pregnancy and it was nto fair. They will give you worse case scenario.
Relax and enjy your pregnancy
The tests are brutal, and I decided 2 weeks ago to stop
I just gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby boy at the age of 42. My pregnancy was relatively uneventful except for gestational diabetes which was managed easily through diet and insulin. It went away after I delivered. We conceived through IUI. Good luck!
I had my first child (by donor egg) when I was well past your age. Uneventful pregnancy with the exception of a vanished twin at the beginning. I was monitored a lot at the end by my nervous doctors, and went into labor naturally at 39 weeks 5 days. I wound up having a c-section though there was no difficulty with dilation (I had fully dilated). This was possibly because I have a bicorunate uterus. No sign of early labor or pre-eclampsia.
Good luck!
I am 31/32 weeks pregnant, I got pregnant 3 months before my 41st birthday - naturally. So far so good, the pregnancy has been quite uneventful even with my age and a blood clotting factor discovered history discovered during the pregnancy (MTHFR gene - make sure to have blood tests for blood clotting performed before the IVF, I had an IVF 2 years ago that ended up in miscarriage, could very well be because of the blood clotting problems, I had not been tested at the time).
Good luck!