Is is safe to conceive a baby after 40 ?

Question

I married a younger man and we both want to start to conceive a baby, this will be my 3rd pregnancy if it works, the only problem is im worried about all the difficulties in conceiving and carring to full term, and then having a child that has no health problems. My periods are also somewhat irregular as well. don't know what to do. please advise. thanks

Answer 1

There are always risks, no matter what age, when it comes to pregnancy. I think in today's world, with all the advances, its acceptable and a lot more safe to have a baby in your early 40s than it was 10, 20 years ago. It's actually becoming quite common among woman. You're health and your baby's heath are still at risk, but as long as youre a healthy, active woman, I'm sure you won't have any major problems. I would speak to your doctor though and discuss the issue and go over your history. He/She might choose to monitor a little closer or ask you to do certain things during your pregnancy. Best wishes and good luck! =]

Answer 2

Your chances of having a miscarriage or a child born with birth defects is definitely older when you reach 40. Increasing age increases the risk of miscarriage.

"Miscarriage rates for 20 to 30 year olds - 9 to 17%, 35 year olds - 20%, 40 year olds - 40%, and 45 year olds - 80%. Older women more commonly miscarry because the mechanism for chromosome division in the egg does not work as efficiently as it does in younger women."
http://www.drdecker.net/miscarriage%20information.htm
This rate is even higher if you are a smoker.

Your risk of certain chromosomal defects are higher, also. For instance, your chance of having a baby with Down's is only 1 in 1400 at age 25, but that risk goes up to 1 in 100 by age 40 and 1 in 35 by age 45. That said, out of 100 40-year-old moms, only 1 will have a baby with Down's Syndrome, so the odds are not that daunting. http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/downssyndrome1.shtml. There are several other less well-known defects that can also occur due to advanced maternal age.

So what it comes down to is that you can try, but there are inherent risks that you need to be aware of. If it sounds too scary to face the idea of raising a disabled child or facing a miscarriage, you may want to consider doing IVF with donor eggs. You would still carry the pregnancy, but since the eggs would come from a donor, you would not have to be so concerned about chromosomal abnormalities.

I hope you can get pregnant ASAP and that you do not have to face any of these scary scenarios.

Answer 3

I know 2 women who has conceive after 40
both of them now in their 60's and their 1st child is just 18
now it may not be the same for all women but you can make sure that you take good care of yourself and follow your doc advise
my thing about having babie late in life is not because the child can be handicap (that can happen to anyone at any age)
it is more do we want to deal with raisin children in this world
you know time to travel and all
Like me I am at the moment pregnant find out 2 days ago
I am happy so is my husband ( I am 38)
but I have 3 children already 18/14/10
I travel a lot with them but now that things has change at the airport (all the rules)
I am thinking that will I have the strengt to do it again
I hope your dream come true soon
Go to GNC and get fertile aid for women and you can also buy Pre-seed
to other pre seed go to babyhope.com
Good luck

Answer 4

Over 40, conceiving is harder. Assuming you're in good health though, it's possible to get pregnant and carry to term. The risks however past 35 for down syndrom are highly increased. Best thing you can do, is visit your doctor and talk about trying to conceive with them. Take prenatal vitamins even while trying. Try to eat healthy. And mostly, take care of yourself.

Answer 5

After a woman turns 35 there is a much greater risk that the child will be born with down syndrome. You can have a healthy baby but remember all of the risks.

Answer 6

It depends on how far after 40 you're talking about. At 40/41, the risks are still minimal. If you're talking about 46, your chances are slim and the risks are much higher. In the 40s, just a few years can make all the difference.

Answer 7

Although you will be at risk for having a baby that is born prematurely, or a baby with chromosomal abnormailities, you still have a good chance of having a normal baby. If I were you I would meet with my OB and have a pre-pregnancy visit so she'he can tell you what you need to do.

Answer 8

I'm not going to lie...it's not the SAFEST...because eggs tend to be "older", but I will definitely not discourage you from this...I would, however, talk it over with you OB/GYN thoroughly before making a decision...he/she is going to be able to cover EVERY aspect, good and bad, of conceiving this late on...but with today's medical advances, I would say "Why not?" I put a site down in the "source" part that I thought might be helpful to you...it's a support group of older women that are having babies....good luck!

Answer 9

I would consult a doctor for safety measures. You should be able to carry a child, but I have heard it is harder on the body the older you get so you may fall under a high risk category. Which I think only means they will monitor you more. good Luck!

Answer 10

There have been many normal babys born to woman over 40. Good luck!