Please or to access all these features

Miscarriage/pregnancy loss

Find support and share your experiences on our Miscarriage forum. See also legal rights and support after baby loss.

Am I too old to try again - please be honest x

33 replies

georgiepie · 30/09/2010 15:41

Hi,

I have just had a MMC at the age 41.(9 weeks) I had the ERPC last week and like so many others I feel so sad.

I already have a DD who is 3 and we had been TTC for 18 months. Eventually we tried clomid and IUI and it worked. I really wanted another baby both for myself and DH but also for my DD so she would not be alone when we are really old!

We are thinking of trying again but really dont know if we should just give up as I will be 42 in January and DH is 41. I dont think we would do the IUI again but maybe see what happens naturally.

Please tell me if I am too old to consider TTC again when I will be 42. Maybe I had the MMC because of my age?

If you were or are in the same situation and it worked out that would be nice to know too.

I just dont know what to do....

Thank you

OP posts:
BosomsByTheSea · 30/09/2010 15:48

Hi Georgiepie,

So, so sorry to hear about your loss ((())).
I am not in quite the same position - we tried for 6 years, had a number of mcs; I am 35, also had clomid, then Ovulation induction, immune treatments etc. Happily we have now been successful.

But wanted to share a hopeful story of friends of ours. She's 42 or 43, they had been trying for DC2 for nearly 5 years and had several rounds of IVF and a number of mcs. Conceived last year without treatment and now have a baby boy.

So in summary, I don't think you are too old. The very, very best of luck to you.

LunaticFringe · 30/09/2010 22:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

randomimposter · 30/09/2010 22:31

hey georgie
echo what the lovely Lunatic said about the 40+ thread - come over and have a peek.

We all know of success stories in 40+ woment; we don't always know what lies behind it. Only you can answer if TTC another is right for your own situation.

FWIW I bloody hope you're not. I have just had my 3rd MMC in 12 months, am 42, with a DS of 2y4m, and am SO keen to give him a sibling. Had my last ERPC 5 weeks ago. Still deciding what to do next.

One MC is SO common, and it's frustrating that whilst it might be because of your age it might be nothing to do with it at all.

I wish you all the best - and pop over and see us.

loopyloops · 30/09/2010 22:32

No, 40ish is fine IMO. 50, hmmm, not so good I think.

georgiepie · 01/10/2010 08:59

Thanks girls - that has given me some hope. Is it possible for you to send the link to the thread as I cant find it!

Sorry to hear of your losses too xx It just so hard isnt it? xx

OP posts:
randomimposter · 01/10/2010 09:04

40+ gang Look forward to seeing you there...

loopy FWIW I have a friend who has had 2 children with donor eggs in her early 50s; she's fit healthy and young in outlook. The 2 children are lovely. Hard to say that shouldn't happen when you have real life evidence to the contrary...

loopyloops · 02/10/2010 22:52

Sorry jollster, didn't mean to offend.

hellymelly · 02/10/2010 22:56

I had my youngest child at 43,(I was 42 when I got pregnant) I got pregnant the first night we tried so all very easy.I know plenty of women who have had babies in their early-to-mid 40's with no trouble at all,so don't give up.I am 46 and have a breastfeeding toddler now! Good luck .x

randomimposter · 03/10/2010 07:13

loopy you didn't, no worries. Just putting the other side to the 50+ mum to the one you'd read in the Daily Mail! x

KBarns39 · 05/10/2010 14:23

Hope not! I am 40 in March and mc last week. We would love another but feel we'd like to wait a little before trying again.
Best of luck.xx

lucy101 · 05/10/2010 14:25

The average age in my part of London for first time mothers contacting my Doula is 41... so you aren't. My GP pointed out that his mum was 46 when she had him to reassure me!

oldmum42 · 05/10/2010 15:31

Sadly MC rate does rise steeply as you get older - even from around 35, and by the early 40's it's about 50% or more.

That DOES NOT mean you are too old, or shouldn't try, and there are things you can do to reduce your chances of conceving a genetically unviable pregnancy (one which sadly just can't survive.

I think you need to be strong, and have a realistic view, and accept that you may have several losses before you get your baby.

I found my first mc at age 40 devastating (she stopped developing at 12 weeks), and went on to have several more losses between 4 and 9 weeks, about every 3rd month for 18 months (they were easier to handle as we had accepted we were doing something high risk), before I fell pregnant with a viable baby (he's due in 2 weeks, 2 days, and I am approaching my 43 birthday soon!).

We had genetic testing done on one of the m/c which showed an unusual trisomy, and my consultant told us older eggs often fail to divide properly due to either lack of folic acid or incorrect metabolism of folic acid, and this is a cause of rising rates of MC in older women (your body can't procces it as well as you get older), and he put me on a high dose suplement (5mg per day- more than 10 times the usual dose for non pregnant adults) of folic acid, and instructions to take mini asprin from the day I got a positive pregnancy test (to help the placenta embed and function). For me, it's worked!
It may be worth asking about both those supplemnets, though I think some consultants are less keen than others to encourage "old" women to keep trying (though tbh it's the midwives I found to be very judgemental with comments such as "you can't keep doing this" (because THEY said THEY didn't want to see me going through yet another m/c!), where as the Doctors were very much "if you feel able to keep trying theres no medical reason why you shouldn't").

Other things I was advised - daily multiviamin and pharmacutical grade fish oil (that's the expensive kind of course, as it reduces inflamation in the body), no Caffine (it reduces rates of conception), no pain killers (paracetamol is ok but not asprin or Ibuprofen) at around the time of ovulation, as they can cause the ripe folical to turn into a cyst instead of bursting to expel the egg - which means no chance of fertilisation. I found that one hard, as the older I get, the more ovulation pain I get, but I didn't take anything, not even Paracetamol.

I hope you find at least some of that information usefull. Maybe I will get flamed by some for pointing out the negatives, but ignoring the risks isn't sensible, knowing the risks, accepting them and doing what you can to reduce them is very sensible, and may help you get where you want to be Smile.

Good luck it you decide to try again.

Ragwort · 05/10/2010 15:36

Good luck - I conceived my first baby 'naturally' when I was 42 (whether or not I would recommend having a baby at this age is a different matter Grin).

lucy101 · 05/10/2010 16:50

Oldmum42 - I just wanted to thank you (not flame you!) for your posting, some really great info. there.

butterfly87 · 05/10/2010 17:39

So sorry about ur MC.
Your not too old, my Auntie and my mother are very oposite. My mum had kids in her 20's and Auntie had them in her 40's! Me and my sister are going to be the same for the same reasons. I would like to be 45 and have a empty ish house and then do some crazy stuff and have a midlife crisis and watch my kids cringe at what Im doing. I would like to have kids before Im 25 which is 2 years away and I have already had 1 MC. MY sister on the other hand is very susessful like my Auntie and wants to wait till she is 40 to even think about children. I think looking at my mother and Auntie that my Auntie is better at life my mum kinda sucks at having fun and will always groan and moan at us when we want to do something as us kids have killed her fun. My Auntie has had her life the way she wanted until she was 42 when she had her first child and she still loves fun and playing with her children... She is defiantly not too old to have children and I think the risks are more but if you look at how many people my age have MC its still high. What ever age you are I think youre always going to be the best mum regardless of age, but least the older you are the wiser you are!!!

mummymeister · 05/10/2010 23:35

If you have any doubts at all then you are not too old. When you ARE too old you will just know it. Your body will tell you, your mind will tell you and your heart will tell you! Until that happens take time to let your body recover. I too conceived 2 lovely girls on Clomid. My gynae gave me aspirin until the 12th week. Might not be trendy or the done thing now but it certainly worked for me. Then in my 40's I fell naturally pregnant with a son. So please, recognise that you are at your absolute lowest ebb at the moment and don't make any decisions until you are back to your old self. I love being an older mum - less stamina but miles more patience and the ability to pick my battles rather than nag all of the time. Eldest is just becoming a teenager as I hit the menopause and I will be retired before the boy leaves home but so what. Look after yourself and give yourself time and space. Clarity always follows!

hellymelly · 08/10/2010 21:12

What a lovely post mummymeister.

cerealqueen · 12/10/2010 17:46

georgiepie I am absolutely the same boat as you, but a bit older. I have just had a MC a the age of 42.6. I have a 23 month DD. DP is 44. I want another for DD but wonder if I am too old and can I go through what I just went through perhaps again.

On a positive, my mum had me and my brother (already having three at home under five) when she was 43!!

Even feeling as emotionally fragile as I am, I know deep down both DP and I want to try again. I found the advice oldmumat42 posted very enlightening (thank you for that inspiring post and good luck for the birth!).

I guess I just want to know we did all we could, and if it doesn't work out, I'll know we tried. I don't want to regret not trying. I hope this helps a bit! Smile.
Keep us posted on what you decide.

hellymelly · 13/10/2010 23:01

Do try cerealqueen,you still have a good chance of another baby.I personally think accupuncture is really helpful if you fancy trying it.I was having it anyway,not to conceive,but I did tell the practitioner that I was going to try for a baby and boom,pregnant straight after,both times,so i feel it may have been a helpful factor!

wannabeglam · 17/10/2010 20:57

If you want another, try again, but soon. Unfortunately when you're older you can't give yourself a lot of recovery time after your miscarriage. I wish you all the best.

cerealqueen · 22/10/2010 21:29

Thanks hellymelly, might try that! Smile

PercyPigPie · 23/10/2010 15:53

If you want to try again, so long as you are realistic, then try.

I have just started a miscarriage today and I am ... wait for it ... 45. I knew it was coming (as I hadn't been feeling properly pregnant and had a scan last week). I also knew the risks and have to take it on the chin, but am obviously really upset. We will try again, but again we know the risks of MC and that I will probably need an amnio etc.

My youngest was born when I was 41 and everything went swimmingly. Now all 3 are at school, I feel I have oodles of energy for just one more.

Good luck Smile.

ledkr · 23/10/2010 16:14

Hi. I just wanted to share my experiences.Have 3 ds i had at 17,19 and 23 all now grown up, had mc at 31 baby dies at 9 wks found out at 12 wk scan. Tries for 2 yrs to concieve again abd had dd now 8 at 34.
EX dh left me when she was 8 months and i was on my own for 4 yrs then met my now dh who is 10 yrs younger but my absolute soulmate we have never been apart since. I told him from the start there would be no babies for us as i was too old and had also had treatment for breast cancer he was ok with this and said he would never want to pput me thru ivf and it wasnt that important to him etc.We made plans to go travelling and both have good jobs and lives with dd who he dotes on.Last June i missed my af and thought little of it at 43. Two weeks later i did a tst and to my shock i was pg. Terrified at my oldness and fear of problems sent me into sheer panic and i seriously didnt know whtt to do. Mumsnet helped me enormously and i ended up at the foetal med centre in London for an early scan which showed my risk of having a child with adisability was very low.
I am now 25 wks and apart from spd i have so far had a dream pregnancy. No probs whatsoever and i feel better than when i was a teen. (lovely skin do you find ladies)I occasionally have abit of a panic but on the whole am very happy and so proud to be able to give my fab dh a child after all. He will just have to have the energy for both of us.
Really good luck to you and all of us on here x

ilovesprouts · 23/10/2010 21:16

im 42 my youngest is 3 ,would not have a nother one ,but its up to you good luck

cerealqueen · 23/10/2010 21:26

mudandmayhem so sorry to read you are miscarrying but still able to be encouraging, thank you.