Going on from the Late motherhood as ‘big a problem’ article.....How many late mothers on here did have major problems?.

[Ulysees]

Just wondering as it's seems to have hit a nerve?

[Blandmum]

What do you mean by big problems? With the pg, giving birth or after?

I was 34 with dd, 37 with ds. Both times I had pre eclampsia, both times a section. But I don't think that pre eclamsia is age related, Is it? Also ds was a footling breach....and that isn't age related either!

my mother had nme at 37 and had an uncomplicated pg and delivery.

Since the births, none of us have an medical problems, we are finacialy secure (luckily). We have had our ups and downs but nothing out of the ordinary. I have never felt I have given anything up for my kids, I was ready for a change in life.

[motherinferior]

I didn't. I had SPD in pregnancy and my first birth (at 37) wasn't particularly easy (my second, at 40, was an extremely smooth home birth) but my children are neither disabled nor unhealthy.

[Blandmum]

old farts toghter, eh MI?

[Iklboo]

I was 36 when I had DS. Sailed through the pregnancy. I was induced on my due date to to rising blood pressure - but I had HBP before I got pregnant anyway.
And it only took us 6 weeks to get PG (not boasting, just mentioning that we didn't have age-related fertility issues)

[Ulysees]

Yes I meant health problems, isnt' that what the article is talking about?

My mam had me at 38 and I was her easiest after 3 others.

[Ulysees]

I know plenty of younger mums who have had more health problems during pg and childbirth so this will be interesting.

[motherinferior]

MB.

Oh, and I had no fertility problems either. First baby was a sort of accident ('constructive carelessness', her father calls it) and the second took six months of not particularly energetic 'trying'.

[Mog]

Had problem free pregnancies - not even morning sickness - with all three at 37, 39 and 41. I am very fit though and ran while pregnant.

[Mog]

Same here, fell pregnant with all of them within a month of trying. Again not boasting but just trying to dispel the massive negativity of older mum health problems.

[Ulysees]

All good so far, keep 'em coming

[Iklboo]

MIL had BIL when she was 42. Apart from him being a twunt now, she had no problems and he was a healthy baby

[Blandmum]

I also had no fertility problems that were due to my age. Prior to conceiving dd I had a mc that left me needing surgery to correct. Once that was done it took us 3 ctles. I was 33 at the time and dh had been treated with chemotherapy for testicular cancer!

So all in all we were very fertile

[Overrun]

I have wondered if the reason for myself and most of my rl friends ending up having complications and usually ending up in c section was connected to our age. All in our thirties. I was 31 with first child, 32 with twins, was told by a junior dr that the reason why I had twins was because I was an older mother
I just don't know, for me, I have various other health problems, so probably why, or just bad luck. But I have wondered about it.
My mums generation who had babies in their twenties seemed to have less complications.
Conceived all too easily by the way

[prettybird]

Took a wee while, but not execssively so, to conceive ds (about 6 months). I was 38 when I concieved him.

I'm now 45 and have had two missed miscarriages in between, plus a course of Clomid (which resulted in the second missed miscarriage, which would have been twins).

[Anchovy]

I had DS at 37 and DD (who took 20 mins to conceive) at 39. When I went to see my doctor I asked him if there were any particular issues with my age and he said "For God's sake Anchovy, you are 37 not 47, don't be so dramatic!" And that was it - no further mention made of my age at any stage. Problem free pregnancies - commuted to the City and worked at a fairly demanding job until I was 37/38 weeks each time, still going to the gym up to about 33 weeks.

I did have (planned) C-sections with each but that was due to fairly obvious large head/small pelvis issues. I'm no medic but I don't believe my pelvis was getting smaller with age (I wish!).

[bendi]

i was 38 the week after birth of my 1st & only. no excercise, too much wine type, tho' i did AN yoga. Conceived double quick, home birth at suggestion of MW, but ended up in theatre 12 hours into labour for ventouse. Hard rim on the cervix or some such. No probs with anything though & other than jaundice for a couple of days after birth DS & I are fine & dandy. Newspapers have to fill the pages with something - must be the turn of the 'gummy mummy'for a change.

[Mog]

Overrun - birth is also more medicalised nowadays. In my mums day the first baby was born at hospital and all the rest would be homebirths. Midwives were more experienced in more difficult birthse.g breech and would just get on with it without calling in the consultant and CS. Birth is just much more interventionist now, continous monitoring makes staff more wary of letting things progress naturally.
Had a very quick (second midwife didn't get there in time) homebirth with my third at 41.

[Lua]

Not sure what is old, or what is a health problem...
I did have GD with my second pregnancy. I was 37, and baby is very healthy. Did use a lot of NHS money with a million appts to monitor baby....

[Blu]

First baby at 43.
Conceived instantly,
Very healthy uncomplicated pg
Long labour due to DS being OP, but I didn't get tired, everyone commented on how on top of it all I was. No pain relief..until
Eventual ventouse delivery, caused by DS being OP, my not having 'childbearing hips', and the obs said I had an extremely strong pelvic floor which wasn't helping (with better help from mw, it could have done, I understand!!)
Very good recovery, v easy bf etc.

Ds does have a 'congenital abnormality' - bones missing in his lower leg, differnt foot / ankle etc. Paediatrician, orthopaedic consultant, Harris birthright Trust feotal medecine specialists ALL said this is nothing to do with my age.

However I am suspicious that it is a result of dioxins and some other common pollutant, as the condition is so typical of their effects. As these accumulate throughout your life, it stands to reason that I (and / or dp) could well have a higher level than a younger person.

[jenkel]

1st 34 concevied through IVF, no complications with pregnancy, labour and a perfectly healthy little girl born.

2nd 36 conceived naturally, again no complications with anything and another perfectly healthy little girl,

[PigeonPie]

Ist pg at 34 with twins who died at 17 weeks from twin to twin transfusion syndrome (disease of placenta) which was nothing to do with age according to Consultant.

2nd pg at 35 - DS, discovered at 34 weeks that I have anti-E antibodies in blood (still not clear what that really means), waters broke at home and they had to help contractions with syntocinon, DS jaundiced because of my anti-E, but again, nothing to do with age.

[sfxmum]

had dd at 36 no problems due to age but do have pcos, needed no drugs. healthy normal pregnancy
long labour due to OP natural delivery

[tessasmum]

Had DD at 40, very easy pregnancy and relatively short and simple labour.

Had DS last November at 43, if anything it was an even easier pregnancy tho that could be because I was spending the time chasing a toddler and kept forgetting I was pregnant!
Shortish labour at home.

Both are fit and well, as am I, and both were conceived naturally without much trying

[scotlou]

Had ds at 34 after 4 years trying (including IUI treatment which resulted in 2 m/cs) and then had dd at 37 (after 1 year trying and 1 m/c) Both pregnancies and births normal and easy.