Pregnant at 38

[Nonamesallowed]

Hi all. New here so be gentle lol. Nearly 4 weeks ago I found out I was 5 weeks gone at 38! My other is 13 so bit of an age gap too. I am really struggling with deciding what to do as it was unplanned. Has anyone else been in this situation at the same age? Any advice would be really appreciated.

Congratulations! 38 is not old at all. I wish I'd tried at 38. I had a surprise pregnancy at 40, my mental health was shot due to the pandemic, health anxiety off the scale, I panicked and terminated. That was is 2022. I cried this morning over it, the regret has never left me. I fell pregnant again 6 months later at 41, but our baby was extremely poorly and we had to terminate. I'm now 43 and wishing I'd done everything differently and much earlier in life.

Only you can make the right decision for you and your circumstances. My only advice would be really think it through and don't rush it. Looking back I know my health had to come first for our other child and it was probably the right decision but I wish I'd been stronger and sought the right support and advice.

Whatever you do, take your time and really think this through. Sometimes the best things in life are not what we planned. I think most parents of only children consider many times whether they are happy or not with not giving their child a sibling, so this is a crossroads you have most likely at least debated in your mind a few times. As someone who has recently gone into the "empty nest" stage of life, I'm surprised how different it is! There are nice things about it, but life is a lot more low-key when it's just you and your husband. I guess you should think about if you'd be happy if that stage in your life came in the next ten years, as you never know at what age your child will move out. I hope you'll be able to think through this with clear heart and mind, and have peace in your life.