How safe is it to get pregnant after 40? Im turning 41 in Sept. and have decided to try.

Question

How safe is it to get pregnant after 40? Im turning 41 in Sept. and have decided to try.

Answer 1

They say that fertility decreases and risks increase after age 35, however many women have perfectly healthy pregnancies even at 40+. In order to determine how safe it may be for you, you should go to your doctor and discuss everything. They can take into account your specific medical history and give you their opinion. However, nobody other than a doctor can tell you how safe it is, because for one 40 year old it might be very unsafe based on her medical history, while for another it might be very safe.

Answer 2

Go for it! My mum got pregnant at 42 with my little sister! And she had one of the most quietest and simplilest pregnancies i have ever ever seen X x

Answer 3

it's not.

you have a higher chance of a miscarriage.

why did you decide now?!

have you ever considered adoption?

Answer 4

You can most certainly still give it a try....some people have no problem concieving at your age and have perfectly healthy babies.....however you should just be aware that the older you are when you have a child the greater the risk that you child could have a minor birth defect such as a hairlip upper cleft palate or even downs syndrome but if your prepared to deal with the hand you delt i say go for it.......There is nothing more exciting then being a mommy and while i would never want a child to suffer; something like downs syndrome or a supperficial birth defect is no reason not to have a baby.

Answer 5

It's not dangerous per say, but risks for things like down syndrome and such are greatly increased, so talk to your doctor beforehand and have some tests run, get prenatal vitamins, and make sure to get lots of check ups and get all the tests your doctor tells you to.  

Answer 6

I think I would rather know how dangerous it is. It is mildly more complicated to get preg after 40. There is a higher risk of mental and physical handicaps for the child. And your body will not heal as fast or as well than if you were younger

Answer 7

I just first want to say That I have many friends that are having babies in their forties and they are amazing great moms with healthy children.  Only one friend had a sad story of losing the baby at 5 months into the pregnancy but the year and a bit later had a healthy baby boy and two years after another beautiful boy,

Here is a part of an article I found

http://pregnancyandbaby.com/pregnancy/ba...

Your fertility declines as you age. Unlike men, who have the ability to manufacture sperm throughout their lives, women are born with all the eggs they're ever going to have. The quality of these eggs deteriorates over time, something that can lead to fertility problems as a woman ages.

Older mothers face an increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth or infant death. Because your eggs age along with all the other cells in your body, they are more likely to have chromosomal problems than the eggs of a younger woman, according to Ottawa, Canada obstetrician Andree Gruslin.

Older mothers are more likely to become pregnant with multiples. The risk of conceiving more than one baby increases with age, even if you're not taking fertility drugs. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, women over the age of 45 are 10 times as likely to become pregnant with multiples as women in their 20s.

Older mothers are more likely to develop certain types of pregnancy-related complications. These complications include diabetes, pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure), placenta previa, placental abruptions, preterm delivery and intrauterine growth retardation. And, according to a study reported in the January 1999 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a woman who is 40 years or older when she gives birth to her first child is almost four times as likely to develop gestational diabetes as a woman in her 20s.

Older mothers may have some age-related health conditions which could make their pregnancies more difficult to manage. Such conditions include hypertension, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Older mothers are more likely to require cesarean deliveries. One study found that women over the age of 44 are 7.5 times as likely to require a cesarean delivery as younger women.

Still, you needn't abandon your plans to have a baby just because you're no longer a spring chicken -- at least reproductively speaking. According to obstetrician John R Sussman, co-author of The Unofficial Guide to Having A Baby, there's plenty of reason to remain hopeful about your odds of taking home a healthy baby: "For the large majority of women, having a baby in their early 40s is safe and uncomplicated."PregnancyAndBaby.com

Here is more info

http://pregnancyandbaby.com/pregnancy/ba...

There are still some risks that increase with age related to pregnancy. The most obvious is the increase in risk of chromosome problems like Down syndrome. At your age, the risk of a chromosome problem is 1 in 42. With a normal level two ultrasound, the risk is reduced by half, to about 1 in 80. This is still a low risk (79 in 80 chances that the baby won't have a chromosome problem) but substantially increased from when you were younger. As such, we offer extra testing to see if the baby has a chromosome problem -- an amniocentesis. This carries a risk (1 in 200) of losing the baby, though, so you have to weigh the risks and benefits carefully before deciding.

Risks depend on your health. The healthier you are the better. Some studies have indicated an increased risk for growth problems, preterm labor, preeclampsia, high blood pressure, & diabetes. It is hard to factor out the effects of age alone from the increased chances of those diseases becoming evident as we go through life, which would then make the pregnancy higher risk just on the basis of the disease you have. So, if you are in good health, the risks appear to be minimally elevated over normal. We still would watch a little more closely for problems, but essentially you would have normal care unless something showed up on your routine visits.

Answer 8

Safe no your body might not be able to carry the baby since its about to go into menopause  

Answer 9

I don't think there is anything wrong with it if you are willing to do it.  You have to have the drive to be a mother to a newborn.  When women are over 35, pregnancies are considered high risk, but with the help of your obgyn, you should have a great pregnancy.  Good luck.

Answer 10

My mother had my brother at the age of 40 and hes a healthy boy

Answer 11

Well your risk of having a Down's baby do go up, but I think if you take care of yourself- follow doctors orders- try to stay away from stress- eat and drink well and have regular checkups your chances of having a healthy pregnancy, birth, and baby are more likely. My sister in law had her last baby at the age of 45 and she had a healthy girl and healthy pregnancy.

There are no guarantees regardless of you age. I was 33 when I had my Daughter and I had so many complications, sick my entire pregnancy, and a preemie. It is different for everyone.

Answer 12

you go girl

Answer 13

The risks increase with age but more and more women are having babies late in their lives. Nothing wrong with it. Get a Dr. checkup to make sure you are ok first. :) Good luck!!

Answer 14

My mom had me @ 40 and my TWIN siblings @ 42.  She obviously thought it was okay.  Plus, it's kinda funny because when you're kids are 14 (like me) they'll know all these golden oldie songs.  :)