Is 38 and 42 too old to have a healthy pregnancy?

[SisterAct123]

I'm second guessing myself and thinking he's too old and so am I. Would be a first for me and he's got three grown up children.
I'm nervous.

@HistoryFanatic congrats to you both 😊 wishing you a healthy happy pregnancy and beyond.

I find I have more knowledge of life and more patience with them,
bit on the downside less energy am in bed by 9.40 mist nights

My MIL had my husband when she was 43, no problems at all. It was also her first (and only) pregnancy. She thought she was menopausal lol

Forgot to add my FIL was 21 years older than her so he was 64.

I was 39 when I had my second. DH is 4 years older than me. You aren’t young but not too old for sure.

As long as you are ovulating and your partner is producing sperm, then I’m not sure how it can be too late/early. Some ages aren’t ideal (hate to have one when I started my periods and there are moral issues there as I wasn’t an adult, but biologically able). Are you questioning it biologically or morally, as you only have control over the latter.

I had my DS 6 weeks before my 40th birthday, following a 6 year fertility struggle with mc, failed IVF and other delights along the way. Text book pregnancy followed by healthy baby boy. I had consultant care as he was an IVF baby but that was the only reason, my pregnancy was not otherwise considered to be high risk and consultant would have been quite happy for me to give birth in a birthing pool in the midwife-led birthing centre (didn’t happen as was ultimately induced but that was due to DS’s tardiness in entering the world, not a medical concern related to my age!).

I would say go for it, but urgh these threads, your just going to get a load of people who had successful pregnancies at those ages replying that it’s fine because they clicked on the thread…there are stats on the nhs website about your statistical chances of a healthy pregnancy. I can’t remember the stats but they are surprisingly good, just there is more risk of going through a few miscarriages and the chance of chromosomal issues shoots up from memory

Whereas my dad was 42 when I was born and I don’t ever remember thinking about his age when I was growing up. Yes, I remember feeling embarrassed about my uncool parents in the way that teenagers are, but not because he was older than some of my friends’ dads. He’s 83 now, swims and cycles regularly and is generally fit as a fiddle. During a very long, hard fertility struggle that started when I was 33 and ended when I gave birth to DS when I was pushing 40, it was a source of hope/encouragement to me that my dad had been a good parent and was an older dad.

I had my second at 40

Thank you.

I'm 38 and dying for a child..... and he's 42.

It’s probably too late for a big family (unless you have twins twice or whatever), but it’s fine for a baby or two. Go for it. I’d get the Harmony test though.

My second child was born when I was 40, and everything was textbook and very easy.

I had older parents, bit older than you OP. They had more money by that stage in their lives, so we had a good standard of living when I was growing up. They were fully retired by the time I had my children, so could help. Both been dead for quite a while now and I'm in my fifties, so I don't have any caring obligations apart from for my own family any more. It was tough for the last few years of their lives looking after them, but that is behind me now

@NoodleQueen90 Thank you. This is actually a surprise natural after a long time with infertility and IVF. My youngest was born last year via IVF when DH was 51. Finger's crosses it goes well.

Had my first at 39. DP was the same.age.

Pregnancy was average - no harder or easier than women ten years younger than me.

Childbirth was very easy. I think I had the best experience in my NCT class.

Child is perfectly healthy.

IvE just turned 38 and currently 6m pregnant. DH is 40 in a couple of weeks. So far so good pregnancy

Had mine at 41 and 43. Now 17 snd 19. It's not too old at all. I'm also seeing a friend who has hers at 46 - her son is now 20 and all are fut and healthy.

I hope not. I'm 36 and ttc our third.

I've been doing these tests... all seem to be good and getting darker so I guess my fertility is ok somewhat.

Crazy I've found him and not sure why I've waited so long.

I was 41 when dd was born, dh 44

I was 34 and 39. Both perfectly healthy and utterly gorgeous if I say so myself!