Pregnancy at at 40 - pro's and con's?

Question

I'm dating someone w/o children, and younger than I. He may want a child, but I don't expect it for 2, 3 maybe 5 years down the road. I told him I was leary, (due to my age) I do have 3 children of my own, whom he is very good to. I would give him one, because I love him enough, and I did love being pregnant. I take good care of myself physically, but alot of harmonal emotions come w/ having children and aging. Please only serious answers. This means alot to me and is a big decision that would affect alot of people. (me, my 3 sons, him, his family) I strongly believe they would love for him to be w/me, but they also strongly would love to see us have a child down the road. I am okay with it, but my age worries me.

Answer 1

I can not believe some of the negative answers that you have gotten! It is not like you asked about having a baby at 60! My gosh women are having babies in their 40's all the time now! Especially if you are a healthy person who has taken good care of herself! I am sure that you will be fine. There are no guarantees even if you were 21 years old and we know that.
Find a doctor that you like and who is really good, take the same quality of care of yourself that you have been doing and you will be fine! There is absolutely NO reason not to have a baby after 40 in this day and age.
The problem in this world today is one of babies having babies. You are not being in the least bit irresponsible.
I say Good luck. Have fun getting pregnant and enjoy your pregnancy.
Blessings
Lady Trinity~

Answer 2

Some of the more common chronic diseases that may be present in women over 35, and which may affect a pregnancy, are arthritis, hypertension, and diabetes. These can all be monitored, and technology helps in detecting and treating these diseases to assure a safe pregnancy. The risk that cannot be overcome by a healthy lifestyle is a chromosomal abnormality. It is not understood completely, but statistically, the genetic material within the egg is at a greater risk of being defective as the woman ages. The absence or addition of a chromosome can lead to Down syndrome.

Genetics testing is a standard of care offered to any woman 35 or older, due to potential increased risk. This should be a completely informed choice for the woman and her partner. The standard tests offered are chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and amniocentesis. CVS testing can be performed as early as nine weeks, with results within a few days, yet amniocentesis has been around longer and used much more extensively. Amniocentesis is usually not performed until the fourteenth to sixteenth week, with results in a week or two. Both tests carry the risks of triggering miscarriage in less than one percent of all the women having the procedures. With either test come emotional and psychological effects, which may increase fear and anxiety about the normalcy of the pregnancy. Other potential complications of pregnancy include a higher chance of twin pregnancy, gestational diabetes, pregnancy induced hypertension, and preterm labor.

Answer 3

cons - highly increased possibility of the child having Down Syndrome or other birth defects, higher risk pregnancy, dealing with aging questions from other parents may be tough on you, child could wear you out if your energy levels start lacking as you age.

pros - you are more financially secure to raise a baby, you have experience, more emotionally mature than other younger parents, a child could invigorate your life.

Basically, I would trust nature on this one. If, by the time you are ready for a baby with this man, you conceive with little to no effort, it must be meant to be. If you cannot conceive easily, or you miscarry a lot, it must not be meant to be. Nature isn't perfect, but there are a lot of genetic factors in place to make sure that we give birth to as healthy a child as possible, and if you are having difficulty with pregnancy, I would say that this is the reason.

Don't fret. You will have plenty of grandbabies to keep you company in no time :)

Answer 4

If you take care of your self during the Pregnancy you and the baby should be fine. I have had two children after age 40.

Here is some information:

What Are The Risks Of Pregnancy Over Age 40?
By : Admin


Becoming pregnant over the age of 40 is certainly not as shocking today as it was in the past. In fact, many women find themselves more prepared for motherhood after they have accomplished their own goals and are ready to commit themselves to a child. However, risks are associated with pregnancy over age 40 that are not as common with younger mothers. The following information will help you decide if pregnancy over age 40 is worth the risks involved or not.

Generally, doctors note that risks associated with pregnancy increase after age 35. These risks include genetic disorders, stillbirths, miscarriages, diabetes, high blood pressure, and others. Each year after age 35 the mother’s risks for each of these risks increases even more.

With today’s medical technology, prenatal care, and well educated doctors women have the best chances ever to become pregnant and have successful pregnancies after age 40. However, the risks are there and women in this age range should be aware of them.

One risk many women over the age of 40 are most concerned with is genetic disorders. As a woman ages her entire body does as well, including her eggs. Many times Down Syndrome results from an older woman’s egg simply not dividing like it might have when the woman was younger. Of course, if you are age 40 or more and you want to have a child you should not let the slightly higher risk of genetic disorders or birth defects scare you. A woman who becomes pregnant at age 35 has a risk of 1 in 365 of having a baby with Down’s Syndrome. That risk increases to 1 in 100 with a woman 40 years of age and approximately to 1 in 40 for women 45 years of age. Any woman who becomes pregnant has a risk of about 3% to have a child with a birth defect. This percentage more than doubles for women over 40, but still the 6-8% risk is still relatively low.

These statistics seem pretty scary to women who are 40 years old or older but want to have a baby. However, the statistics are just that and while one out of ever 100 babies has Down’s Syndrome there are 99 other babies that are perfect. The best thing to do is visit your doctor before you become pregnant. Your doctor will advise you of your risks and give you a plan to help reduce risks. This includes eating healthy, exercising, treating any current diseases or disorders, and simply being as healthy as possible before pregnancy begins. At that point you will be better prepared to have a baby, your pregnancy will go smoother, and you will more than likely have a perfectly healthy baby. There are tests that can be performed early in the pregnancy to see if your baby has a higher chance of having a genetic disorder or birth defect as well. As long as you work with your doctor and have prenatal care you will more than likely have a healthy baby at age 40 or older.

Answer 5

Every year after 35 there's a higher risk for downs syndrome and a whole bunch of other risks. It just depends on how healthy you are. If/when the time comes that he wants a baby, talk to your doctor about it and see what they say about having another at 40+. If they don't see any big concerns, then my guess is it would be a great thing for you to have another one :-)

Answer 6

it's more risky, but then there are women having babies at 60 and are perfectly healthy.

I know of this couple where the woman is over 40, her and husband are healthy.

she just had a baby 2 weeks ago and little baby has down syndrome..
they are so happy with the baby though.. it's a gift from God.

Answer 7

Many more women are having babies at in their 40's. It's safer then it used to be. When you do decide to to this, talk to your doctor, make sure you are in tip top shape and I bet you will end up having a beautiful baby!