Chances of a healthy baby at 40?

[babyat40]

I'm 39 this year. I have 2 children but wouldn't rule out a 3rd as I still have that nagging feeling that I'm not quite "done" yet.

My question is... what are my chances of conceiving a healthy baby at 39/40? Anyone got experience of this, or older? Any positive or negatives equally welcome!

Thank you.

*38-40+

At 40 there is a 5% chance of getting pregnant per cycle. Assuming you could get pregnant, at age 40 the risk of miscarriage is about 33% to 40%. Then there is a 1% risk of Down Syndrome at 40. The older you are too, the greater the risk of twins. I would have quite liked a third child, but my husband said that we were pushing our luck, we had two healthy children, there was a history of twins in my family and I was getting on. I pointed out that his parents had had three children. He pointed out that they got divorced.

We had our surprise 3rd dc after an 8yr gap when I was 45 (2 weeks off 46!) I remember thinking when I found out, after the shock had worn off, well, if Cherie Blair can do it, (a few years prior) why not me! Was problem-free until I started bleeding 5 weeks before due date, but had an emergency c-section and dc was fine. Over 7lbs even that early! Did wonder if dates were wrong! Was a more relaxed parent, I think, and I’ve loved having 3. I think it’s kept my outlook (if not appearance!) young. Good luck op!

The cliff edge of 35 myth originated when ppl studied church records in the 1700s and noticed a sudden decline in births from women over the age of 35....when the life expectancy was mid 30s due to lack of sanitation/vaccines/medicine/maternity care etc. This explains the sudden drop of births at 35 and very few after.

New studies have shown that fertility rates drop a few % between 35 and 40 that is all.

39 sounds young to me 😊. I adopted at 30 due to miscarriages but then fell pregnant at 40 and again at 45. Easy pregnancies for both of them and easy deliveries with no complications at all. All my children are healthy and no health issues at all. I loved being pregnant and would do it again tomorrow of if I could.

Interestingly, life expectancy being mid 30s doesn’t actually mean people in their mid 30s were dying in high numbers. If you survived childhood; you had a good chance of living a fairly long life. It’s just that infant and child mortality was so high that it dramatically decreased life expectancy overall.

I personally won’t try again beyond my mid 30s.

I have had 8 miscarriages and 2 ectopic pregnancies; the increased risks of both with age is enough to put me off.

I would be wary of downs. I know a few older mothers with children with downs syndrome. I just had a surprise baby at 42. She is fine but I know a few friends with children who will never live independently. In Ireland, downs screening isn't routine, and one friend didn't know her child had DS until she was born. It was a big shock. I decided to go ahead and thought 'what will be will be'. However, I only had one child already. If I had two healthy kids already like you, then no way would I take the chance.

No during that time ppl were dying in their 20s in high numbers.

Do you have a source?

Thank you to everyone replying to this thread. I'm nearly 35 and no children and I worry I am running out of time but right now I have no man! Its lovely hearing others had children late or conceived again later on in life.

Sorry op don't mean to take over just wanted to leave my 2cent

I think now it's pretty common for women to have kids in their early 40s. In my family my Grandma had my Mum aged 36, and her sister aged 42 (This was in the 40s!), and my Mum had me at 41. My next door neighbour has 2 kids aged under 6 and she's 45. All very happy and healthy. Of course every pregnancy is different but you should fully embrace it if you are willing and able to have another one.

Thank you for sharing, I'm sorry for your miscarriage but glad you had two more children healthy. Its so hopeful hearing these stories of other women

@Dontkillspiders I'm sad to hear you feel that way. "Running out of time" is something someone would say if they have been given a terminal cancer diagnosis! Even if you don't find the right man you can go about it without one as I'm sure you know. There is also fertility treatment. You have time.
Don't worry : )

Friend gave birth at 38, baby needed heart surgery, they said her only risk factor was mother's age.. she was monitored when pregnant and had extra tests for genetic stuff like Down syndrome and was aware of the heart condition before the baby was born. I'm approaching 40 and not sure if I should go for baby number 2.

My friend had her first by ivf at 40 and her second naturally at 43. The first is probably high functioning autistic, and started identifying as trans at 18, and the second is also high functioning autistic, but milder.

Two absolutely beautiful perfect children here, DS born when I was 39 and DD when I was 42.

I had my DD at 37 (very nearly 38) and DS at 42. Both very easy natural pregnancies (had amnio with DS, all fine) and have 2 healthy, happy young people, now 24 and 19. If I'd started earlier I might have had 3, but my 2 are wonderful and I wouldn't change a thing 😊

I'm 42 with a 12 week old baby girl x she's perfect x

No health conditions, pregnancy was okay, I suffered with really bad sickness until week 16.

I had a c section, bladder repair, scar reconstruction and was sterilised.... the recovery was horrendous. I s as Leo found breastfeeding challenging x

And for every nine " i was 43 and all was fine"
One other will have Sen
It could be you
So long as you happy wirh the risk whatever baby you get is fine
They can be happy

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7613205/

What?

@cestlavielife Please highlight the bit in this study that supports your claim that 10% of children born to 43yo mothers have SEN.

I had my 3rd baby at 40. Conceived first month of trying like my other pregnancies (I miscarried at 33).

First two, I was 22 and 34. Pregnancy was hell but the other two were as well as I suffer with HG from 5 weeks until birth that no drug will touch, hence the massive age gaps.

For what it’s worth, all the consultants and drs I saw, not one of them thought my age was a problem like I thought they would. Even when I mentioned it they would just shrug and say they had seen much older mums. A couple even sounded surprised when I said this would be my last baby and asked why 🤣 I even considered sterilisation during my section and the consultant was hesitant as I might want more - pointed out I was 40 and he said I was still young.

Even when I was on the table having my 3rd section, the doctor said, “I’d be happy for you to have one more section.” It’s like the whole hospital were egging me on to have more!

I honestly thought I would be up against a bit of ageism from HCP but I got the opposite.

I am more tired now but that’s just because she’s bloody hard work as a 3 year old and has always hated sleep. my other two napped and slept with no issues. I had to get the non sleeper in my 40s!

I had mine young. Two friends had healthy babies at 40 but one of them had a very distressing late miscarriage/ still birth a year before she conceived her daughter. The other had a miscarriage at 5 months before her healthy son and a further two miscarriages after, at which point they called it a day.

How old is your husband? If he is older than you that is a major consideration.

I had my first baby at 42, after two miscarriages.
Pregnancy was ok, though I had nausea all the way through and horrific SPD from about 6 months, which disappeared the instant my DD was born.
I had the standard NHS tests, which showed a low chance of chromosomal abnormalities for my age, so didn’t bother with NIPT.
DD was born at 34 weeks with Down’s syndrome and a severe heart defect.
She also has ADHD and autism. She’s absolutely brilliant and is the light of our lives, but it’s impossible not to worry about what will happen to her once we’re not around.

The sample included 12,081 children with data at both time points. The overall prevalence of SEN was 11.2%,

At any age there is a risk whether 43 or 23

And risks increase with maternal age

https://www.chop.edu/conditions-diseases/pregnancy-over-age-30