Seeking Comfort from Moms All Over!

There are pros and cons to being a young mom and an older mom. I've been both and inbetween! LOL I became a first time mom at 21, although I was single. 8 years later I became a mom again at 29. 8 years later I was pregnant again but lost that pregnancy. I became pregnant the following year and found they were triplets! I was 39 when they were born.

Now, with all of that said, my situation was different. When I was 21 I had no good examples growing up to raise my child and I was single so I was winging it on my own. I did a good job but surely knew by the time my second came 8 years later that I'd do things differently. I was in a better mind set by 29 to have a good idea of what I should do and not do. I also had a husband then and someone to lean on, discuss issues with and was able to take more breaks when he wasn't at sea. I was also able to be a stay at home where I had to work with my first child.

By the time the triplets came along I was 39. I think about if I only had one and life would be much easier. I think I would be doing just fine today at age 43 with one 4 year old. Sure I'm older and get tired easier because of my age but that would happen whether I had a child or a busy job. And if I took better care of myself I'm sure I'd feel better.

I think you have NO worries being a new mother at 36. You're more mature, more stable in life, and are smart enough to seek help if you have questions, can read books and go online for suggestions. Many young moms have no clue and ask some questions that even I knew at a young age. It's scary sometimes out there, lol. But you'll do just fine! It's going to be a great adventure and you need to cling to all the positive things that are and will be happening to you.

Congratulations!

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

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1 mom found this helpful

I was 37 when my youngest was born. My pregnancy was easier, although I did have aches and pains I hadn't had a number of eyars earlier. Other than that, all was and has been fine...a very healthy baby and mommy! Congrats and good luck!

I am 38 with perfectly healthy two year old twins!! I carried them full term with absolutely no problems at all!! In fact I was shopping and walking around Target the morning of the day they were born. Just take care of yourself - try to get rest, get proper nutrician, and chances are you will both be perfect!!!! Dont get yourself all stressed out about it - stress is not good for you or the baby :)

Dear F.,
I was almost 38 with my daughter, and 40 with my son. I had great pregnancies and have two healthy children!! My OB/Gyn said that he had more young mothers with babies with problems than his older moms. I think that it is sometimes more of a problem when you have your first child at an older age. This is your third pregnancy and you are NOT OLD!! You can have amniocentesis if you are worried, but there are some (minor) risks associated with the procedure, like infection and miscarriage. I chose to have the procedure with both my pregnancies. but I was older than you. It gave me peace of mind to know that everything was O.K. Good luck and I pray that you will ahve a healthy , safe pregnancy and baby!

I was pregnant at 41!!!! Other than being tired during pegnancy(which is normal for any age) all went well! I have a beautiful, healthy, normal 3 1/2 year old who keeps me young~! You fears are normal, but you'll be just fine. You know the routine, youve done it before. Good luck and enjoy your new baby and all the joys of being a "new" mom AGAIN!

i just want to tell you that i was pregnant with my boy when i was 37,he will be a year old this june.all was fine and he is a very healthy baby.the only problem i had was my blood pressure and a lot of stress from work and home,so basically i do think its all hype about the age.if ya did it twice you can do it again.congratulations and enjoy your new bundle of joy when he or she arrives.

It does get more risky being pregnant the older you get. When they say it is risky, they are referring to certain conditions during pregnancy such as gestational diabetes, which is manageable. The risks are also higher for certain birth defects such as Downs Syndrome. But, don't let that scare you. Being in your thirties doesn't guarantee that these things will happen. There is just a higher risk for it than in women who are much younger. Many women have successful pregnancies with no complications or birth defects when in their thirties. Just take care of yourself and do what your obstetrician tells you to do. And, always remember to take your prenatal vitamins.

I didn't have my first child until I was 27. Then my second child was five years later at age 32. My third and final child was born just two years ago when I was 34. All of my pregnancies were just fine...no complications or birth defects.

Hi F.,

I just had a baby girl, she is a little over 2mos now, and I am 37. I will be honest, Downs Syndrome is a real possibility. I had the First Trimester test done at 12 weeks and they told us we had a 1 in 44 chance of Downs. It really freaked me and my husband out. We had the amnio done and luckily our results were good. Our daughter is perfectly healthy and beautiful but it was a really tough 2 weeks while waiting for the results.

Good luck and I hope your baby will be perfect.

Hi F.!
CONGRATS on your pregnancy!!! I was 37 years old when I delivered my third child--a beautiful 9 lb., 6 oz. baby girl! She is 5 now and just graduated from preschool today! Your older kids are going to love him/her!!! Your little girl will be a little mom! The new baby will be a welcome addition to the family! I was scared too, but just keep the faith and pray and everything will be fine! I can tell you that my third delivery was so easy too!! Don't worry about what they say about moms over 35. Look how many movie stars do that! Besides, they have to give you all the statistics to cover themselves! May God bless you and your family and best of luck!

There are concerns about having kids when you are of "advanced maternal age" as the doctors say, however there are many of those moms, including me, who have uneventful pregnancies and healthy children. I had my daughter (my second child) 10 days shy of my 36th birthday. I had no difficulties with my pregnancy and my daughter is healthy. I had one extra ultrasound with a doctor present due to protocol for my being "older". Follow your doctors advice, lead a healthy lifestyle and have faith that everything will go smoothly. Don't think about what you can't control - you'll give yourself undue stress which is not good for your pregnancy. Deal with a situation IF it arises. Best wishes to you!

I was 35, almost 36 when I had my first child and he was and is a perfectly healthy 3 year old, who by the way has hardly been sick in 3 years. I did deliver early, but that was primarily an issue that had nothing to do with age. I plan to have more and I'm not really concerned about my age. I know we all hear about age being a factor and maybe it is, but if you really want another child, I don't think worrying about your age should stop you. Plus, you're not that old in my opinion! :)

Try not to worry too much. I had my youngest (last year) at 37, and am pregnant again at 38. I refused all testing with the last one, but this time they kept pushing the tests, making me feel really old. My one year old is perfectly fine. So far, after 1st trimester screen, the chances of this baby having Down's or Trisomy 13 or 18 are no different than any other pregnancy. I also have an early GD test coming up this week, even though I didn't have GD previously. Anyway, they will recommend every test they can think of for you, but it's your choice whether to do them or not. Hope all goes well for you!

It's hype. I had my first and only son at age 35 1/2. I had no complications and he was born 2 days before his due date. I am an attorney and I was in court on Monday and I went into labor Tuesday morning. I refused all genetic testing and I vaginally delivered (with an epidural) a gorgeous, healthy 8 lb. 8 oz son. My grandmother had her last child age 45 (my mother). My mother had her last child at 36 and my sister is 35 and pregnant now. None of us had any genetic testing and/or problems.

Hi F.,

You are still young to have a baby. Lots of women have babies over the age of 40 and everything works out fine.

Lucille Ball had both her children when she was over 40 years old and they are fine.

Take care of yourself by not being stress out.

Good luck. D.

First, CONGRATULATIONS!!!! I have to say it is quite annoying when the doc says "advanced maternal age"....which I've been hearing for my last 2 pregnancies. I had all 3 of my children in my 30's, my third son I was 35 and getting all of the tests concerning "high risk" pregnancy and one of the tests came back positive for trisomy 18 (babies are born and usually don't live longer than a week). I had to live with this knowledge for a month before they could do a level 2 ultrasound to confirm the baby was fine! He is a healthy little boy today! I am currently pregnant with my 4th, and final baby, and I'll be 39 when the baby is due end of October. I've declined ALL blood work and testing for downs and any other birth defects. I'm personally comfortable with that decision because I went through the genetic counseling with my 3rd son and because my husband and I have no family history of birth defects, the chances of any of our children not be perfectly healthy is slim to none. This of course, is a very personal decision! I can't tell you how many people, mostly women, say things about whether I'm getting genetic testing done and how I am high risk and what would I do with a "disabled" child!!! It can be quite annoying and they have no idea how insensitive they are being so I just chalk it up to the fact that they really don't mean any harm. I have my level 2 ultrasound scheduled for June 4 and once I have that I will be a lot less nervous about the health of the baby. Pregnancy is always nerve racking for me but this time around I'm a little more nervous because I had just miscarried 2 months prior to getting pregnant but I know deep down, all is well and my pregnancy, so far, is normal and no complications. So, don't stress, enjoy your pregnancy and take care of you and the little one you are carrying! Embrace the miracle inside you and enjoy every minute of the pregnancy...........I AM!! Good luck!!!

I had my first at 39 and my second at 43. I had no problems with either pregencies. If you are going to have an abortion if there are any signs of genitic or down symdoro I would not go to the counceling unless they make you and then tune them out. The scare you more then anything and most times things are fine. I also had a friend who had twins at 45 and both are great. I would not worry and just enjoy. My mom had me at 37 back in the early 60's and I'm fine.

My sister is 42 years old. She gave birth a month ago to a beautiful, healthy baby girl. She had problems with her blood pressure towards the end but they are both doing great now. Congratulations!

Hello F.,
I wouldn't be so concerned. I had my last baby at 36, and I had no problems, either with myself or my child. As long as you eat right, and take care of yourself, you should be fine. Good luck!!
M.

I was juts a few weeks shy of my 35th birthday when I delivered my second child. She is quite healthy. Like my first pregnancy, I had a few issues, but my age had nothing to do with them. The doctors watched me quite closely, but I did not have any extra tests performed. My OB told me that it is true age can be a factor, but that you also need to realize that with fewer babies born in later age brackets, the numbers look worse often due to the smaller number of overall births to off set the problem pregnancies. Good Luck.
ER

Congratulations on the great news!! Don't stress yourself worrying about it, that will do more harm than good. I had a miscarriage due to stress. My mother had me when she was 48 and this was back in the late 70's. I am the last of 10 children, we are all healthy and doing well.

Don't give it another thought! As an ex New Yorker who moved to the country, my husband and I were shocked to see how young the parents were out here! We go to the park here, and all the parents with kids our age could BE our kids, and we go back to the city and we're the young hip parents. I had my first at 35, and now at 39 am pregnant with #3. I'm on the YOUNG end of the spectrum with all our city friends who worked first or did other things before starting families. The only problem they're having at 40+ is GETTING pregnant, but all the new moms have healthy babies and pregnancies since they are sort of youngish and in shape for their ages anyway. There is always a risk at any age (moreso over 40 of course), but the odds are strongly in your favor to have a healthy baby. My dad's mom had him at 42 (woops!) and he's a brilliant lawyer who had straight A's form Harvard on full scholarship. Nature has been playing games with ladies since the beginning of time-there are tons of mature moms out there. Think positive and rejoice. You've got nothing to worry about in your mid 30's.

I had my first one at 31, second at 36 and third at 38. All are fine and wonderful kids. I had an amnio with the last 2 due to my age. I think all pregnancies are a risk and it's one worth taking. Many of my friends and my sister had babies past 35 and all are healthy, odds sound good to me!

PS - I have a brother who is mentally retarded and my mom gave birth to him at 21, so again, no guarentees. (sp!!!)

Good luck!

Hey F.
I had my first child when I was 28, second when I was 31 and last child when I was 36. I was more tired with my last, but likely do to the fact that I already had 2 kids busy with various activites. I did have 2 extra ultrasounds, but because he was breech and my due date was questionable, all 3 ultrasounds showed a different due date.
Our third (and last) child is a normal in every way, totally healthy, and a gift from God. He is the light of my life, very much Mommy's boy!
Congrats and enjoy the miracle growing inside you.

www.formykidssake.com

Congratulations F.!!!

Wow! You have received so many wonderful responses already. I just wanted to say that I had my son at 36 and my daughter at 39. They were both wonderful, uneventful pregnancies. Today I have an amazing almost 3 year old boy and an adorable 5 month old girl. The only part that is annoying is all the over 35 tests you will be asked to take. To be honest, some younger women are being told to take these tests now too. Enjoy this time in your life!!!!!

S.

Listen, sweetheart, let me tell you something about your "advanced maternal age", I was 39 when I had my first and only child, six years ago. The first time my OB/GYN uttered the phrase "advanced maternal age", I almost decked him and it never happened again! LOL

I wasn't even slightly considered "high risk" by my doctors. I had NO problems with my pregnancy, NO health issues and NO tests for abnormalities. (They cannot guarantee the results and I figured what's the point b/c this was my CHILD for better or worse!)

IMO, there are many younger women out there with riskier lifestyles & behaviors than I had so take my advice: You are ONLY 36 years old. Eat healthy, get your rest, keep your pre-natal visits and you will be fine. Enjoy your pregnancy. After all, it IS "YOUR" pregnancy and it is yours alone--don't compare yourself to others in any way. Best of luck to you!

I had my daughter when I was 36 and my son when I was 39. Both are healthy and strong! To top it off I have high risk pregnancies - 50/50 that they will be viable and of the viable 50/50 that they will be without a handicapp. Since I am pro life I do not do any extra tests to see the health of the baby. As I said before both of my children are fabulous and we're thinking about trying again and I am now 41.
Enjoy your pregnancy - congratulations!

Hi F., I became pregnant for the first time at age 39. The only problems I had during my pregnancy were some anemia, a few charley horses in my calves and fluid retention from my calves on down in the last 3 months. I took pre-natal vitamins by the company Enzymatic Therapy and ate really healthfully. Once I corrected the anemia problem I was feeling better than I had before I got pregnant! You stated that you're healthy - just keep up your good habits. Drink plenty of good bottled or filtered water - I probably didn't drink enough. That might be why I retained fluid near the end. Relax and enjoy yourself. Don't fret! I delivered a healthy baby girl!
J.

Felcia... Like the others that I have read I too had my last daughter at 36..It was a wonderful experience.. Yes I was more tired but heck I was alot older..There was 16 years between my children.. I did do something I would highly recomend if at all possible for you. I looked until I found an OB that had children later in life.. She was very understanding and knew what I was going through. She highly recomended a # of tests but didnt push them when I told her I was having the baby no matter if there was anything wrong with it or not.. Though I must admit when I was in labor I was wishing I knew if everything was ok..Turned out it was.. Good luck with your new bundle of joy..

Hello. Don't sweat it about being over 35. I just had my second at 35 (almost 36) and no problems. Yeah, they make you take a few more tests but, and you get the option of an amnio but they can't make you have one. Don't worry about it and just take care of your self. -NancyJ

Hi,I was 36 yrs. almost 37yrs. old when I had my son 13years ago. I didn't have any problems carry my only child. My suggest is just to keep an eye on much weight you and get as much exerisce as you can like walking, etc. You can relax there is lots of as moms over 30th having babies. Don't forget to ask and listen to your doctor's tells you , hope you have a girl but a boy would be nice. Hopefully you might have twins -it;s a possiblitly. K. S.

Just hype? Yes and no.

Typical peak breeding age for a human female is in later teens to throughout the twenties, that's when the typical human female body is best able to support and sustain a little itty bitty life inside her. After 35 and progressively onwards, the human female body becomes incrementally less and less likely - particularly if you have any pre-existing conditions or addictions - to sustain a healthy life inside it.

But don't worry, you aren't 60, you're only 36, so don't wring yourself into a fit m'dear. ;)

Pregnant at 36, gave birth at 37 to an amazing healthy, smart, happy baby boy. My first. You've had others and I've heard that that is better than the way I did it. I hope to have another and share your concerns, but, I know a lot of women for whom over 35 was absolutely no issue. Congratulations and good luck!

Hi F.!
First of all congratulations!
I was 42 when I had my first child (she's now 2 years old) and I am now 44 expecting our second child. You'll do just fine with the right doctors on board. Switch to a High Risk OB/GYN if not already. Get a Perinatologist (specialist in the the pregnant woman and her fetus) involved seeing them both monthly in the beginning. As you know late in the third trimester appointments become weekly with the OB/GYN but perhaps add every three weeks with the Perinatologist. It also won't hurt getting your Primary Doctor in the loop as well. Having high-risk Doctors is HUGE!!! You'll feel better because you'll be in better hands.
God bless!
M
(feel free to email me if you would like recommendations or to talk more)

I am a healthy 45 year old mom and had my first one when I was 43 years old...no fertility just natural. I delivered vaginnaly with no problems and have a healthy 17 month old boy. I think that if your doc says you're ok and healthy then you should be ok. My ob-gyn told me that I wasn't high risk at all and that age doesn't make you high risk but health factors. Good luck and enjoy being pregnant.

Congratulations!!!!!!!

I had my first children in my 20s and then took more than a decade off. Then in my 40s, I had 2 more!!! One is in elementary school now and the other about to start kindergarten, and they are wonderful, healthy, bright, and lovely children. I had no complications during pregnancy or delivery. I took good care of myself during and after pregnancy. The only difference between those pregnancies and my earlier ones was that I was more tired with my older ones during pregnancy and my body was a bit "saggier"! :) It has taken a lot longer to get rid of the "baby fat" after they were born. That's it! But I am an older and wiser mom with these little ones, and I couldn't be happier!

Best wishes! You got some excellent advice from the other moms so far, so I won't repeat all that same stuff.

I was 30 when i had my first child, 38 when i had my second and 42 when i had my third.
good luck and god bless you.
T.

F.,

I had my first at 36 and we are trying this summer for our second. I'll be 39 when the next one comes along (if I get pregnant right away). I didn't have any complications with my pregnancy, just the normal morning sickness that other moms have to face. I'm hoping I don't have much of that with the next one. I refused all tests that went above and beyond the normal as I didn't want to know anything more than the basic information- no amniocentesis, no chorionic villus biopsy, etc. Ultrasounds were all I needed to see our little blessing and that is exactly what she is- a blessing. I delivered a healthy little girl- 8 pounds and 8 ounces.

Enjoy your pregnancy and don't let anyone steal your joy.

Jen

I always was told your risks are higher,etc. when your first child is born after 35. You already have two other children, and this is your third pregnancy, so I wouldn't group you there. Although every pregnancy has its risks, and everyone worries, I'm sure you and your baby will be fine - relax and enjoy yourself.

This is the comfort mom. I had two kids prior to age 30, and then two kids, one at 39 and one at 41. These days (as opposed to 26 years ago) the ob's put you thru a TON of tests, whether they need to or not, in order to avoid malpractice suits. So be prepared for that. And don't let the tests scare you.

Admittedly, our second set of kids were "surprise packages" but we love having them. And I loved having two teens and two toddlers at the same time. It was GREAT !

So just pay attention to doing healthy things, and enjoy the next 7 months (as much as you can, being pregnant). There are lots of statistics out there, but what's important is being healthy, eating healthy, and taking care of yourself and the baby inside. If your other pregnancies were healthy ones, expect more of the same. :-)

Congratulations! I once asked my doctor about this since they make it seem like some switch flips magically at 35. This is not the case. Everyone is different. Enjoy being pregnant, it is truly amazing!!!

I have a healthy 19 month old son. I was 35 when I got pregnant with him and he was my first pregnancy. They will have you do some extra tests (for Down's syndrome, etc) But since you already have two healthy children you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Just do what the Doctor's ask as precautions and things should be fine. I was worried too especially since that was was only pregnancy, but it all worked out. On another note my mother was 35 when she had my brother and 42 when she had me. We were #6 and #7 of the 7 kids. We are all fine. And I am now 37 so back then they said my brother should've been born retarded and I should be dead. So attitudes have changed about age and pregnancy. As long as you are healthy there shouldn't be any need to worry.

F., Congratulations to you and your family! I got pregnant with my first at 37 and delivered, after a normal, uneventful pregnancy at 38. My bright, wonderful daughter will be turning 5 this summer! I wouldn't worry about your age, it's just the doctors trying to cover their butts! Admittedly, I did have a lot of testing in the last 2 months, but that was because of elevated blood pressure, not anything out of the ordinary.
Good luck!

I became pregnant at age 37 with my first child. It turned out they were twins (natural). I had no problems with my pregnancy, they just monitored me more than they would a younger person.

I gave birth 10 years ago to two healthy little boys (7.4 & 6.1 lbs) and they continue to be halthy and happy children.

Best wishes.

Kathy I.

Hi, F.. The fact that you have two healthy children is a great sign! I've heard the concern is greater when it's your first pregnancy, but I'm 44 & have a healthy 6-year old girl & a healthy 2-year old boy. I made it clear to my ob from the beginning that I did not want any tests beforehand due to the risk to the baby, false positives & impossible decisions. I just prayed for healthy babies & asked God to help me deal with whatever was in store, kept my fingers crossed for luck & took care of myself. The only thing that was different for me than a younger mom was the AMA (Advanced Maternal Age) stamp on my charts. Anything can happen during pregnancies at any age. Take your vitamins, kiss your husband, love your children & sing to your belly!

I had my fourth child at 36. All is well and he will be 2 in Aug.

Good luck and God bless !

I was two months shy of my 39th birthday when I delievered healthy natural twins. Had a lot of tests and unltrasounds. Viewed my ultrasounds as a way to see my girls every week

Hello F.,
I had my FIRST child at 38 and my second at 41. Thank GOD-both healthy baby boys...and aside from wishing I had just alittle more energy to keep up with the boys-I wouldnt trade it. Take good care of yourself throughout your preganancy and I bet everything will be just fine.
You are younger than I was when I had my first!! Its not so uncommon anymore-so try to relax and enjoy it!! Best of luck.

All my kids were born after I was thirty years of age, and my last when I was 41. All were normal, healthy pregnancies.
Take care of yourself, rest more, don't stress out about it.

I was more tired after the last two. I gained less weight while pregnant, which was a plus, but found it harder to lose weight after the pregnancy.

Some doctors will make a big deal about maternal age, and there are increased risks, but they are small.

F., I had my first baby when I was 37 & my second at 38! I know call me crazy. Everything went well. I had all the blood work that I needed and testing too. Towards the end I did have to have non-stress tests done 1x per week (because of age) and that got a little crazy towards the end especially with the second. But it all worked out. Share your concerns with your ob. They will understand. And keep all of your appts. Good luck

Hi F., I had my Son When I was 34, and my daughter at 37. I had gestational diabetes with both and both kids are healthy and smart and beautiful. I did not want all the testing they wanted to do, my child is my child no matter what so I declined that part of it, and put my faith in God, and prayed a prayer every day that they would be healthy and we would be safe. God Bless you. M.

F.,
Don't stress over your age! I had my third at 36, and if I had to hear the phrase "advanced maternal age" one more time, I was going to have to hurt someone - LOL! I even had a VBAC with #3 and everything went fine. A friend of mine just had #4 at age 40, and my cousin who is a doctor had her fourth at 42!

As I was in the process of moving during my first trimester, I missed the window for amnio and some of the other testing, but I probably would not have gotten it done anyway. Sounds like you are healthy and have healthy kids already, so just try not to stress. Take care of yourself and your baby and just take a deep breath when someone says 'advanced maternal age'!!

M.

Hi F.! I'm 36 years old and just gave birth to our second son two months ago. He's completely healthy!! My older sister is 38 and gave birth to a healthy baby boy 1 month ago. I was anxious too, but through it all I dealt with some fear in my own heart -- my friend who was in her 20s when she gave birth had a Downs Syndrome baby. So, I knew that it could happen at any age. And, the beauty of it all was that Ryan was the most precious baby. Even if God gives you a a special needs baby, they are wonderful human beings that deserve love like anyone else. So, be encouraged!!!

p.s. (I do think there is a little bit of hype about the age thing. Just be healthy during your pregnancy and enjoy the miracle of life!)

Hi! I just had a baby 3 weeks before I turned 37. He's healthy and perfect! I know exactly what you mean about the hype surrounding expecting moms over 35. I asked my dr about the various tests I'd heard I should have and she said that the only reason to have them was if we would have planned to terminate if something was wrong with him. A lot of those tests have false positives leading to more tests that can be potentially dangerous to the baby. My aunt also had a baby at 43 and my sister in law had our nephew at 37 as well and everyone is fine. My cousin has actually received early admissions and a full ride to Columbia. Just think positive thoughts and take care of yourself and if you want to test you can, we didn't feel it was necessary. Best of luck to you and your growing family!!

Do not worry about what every one else says. make sure you go to a doctor that deals with high risk pregnancies. If you live in the Turnersville area,Dr. Nemah is awesome. I had my son when i was 38 and a half years old. He is perfect and is very smart and inquisitive. I had a lot of extra tests to make sure he did not have downs syndrome,cystic fibrosis and things of that nature. that is the test that scared me. I had gestational diabetes but took care of myself and did very well keeping blood sugars under control. I felt great and had a good delivery. If I had the money and the time I would have another. Everything will be fine. Congrats and relax. If you have any other questions let me know.

Hi F.,

Congratulations on your pregnancy!! How wonderful! I was 37 when I had my son. I am now 41 and I am still hoping for a 2nd baby. You will do great. There are some things that have a higher incidence of happening after age 35 - but they are still very rare. I went for the genetic screening (basically a questionairre, blood test and ultrasound) at 10 weeks and based on that our risk of having an abnormality was 1 in 300. This risk of miscarriage with an amniocentesis is 1 in 200 - so I felt my risk was lower than the procedure and opted not to do it. Enjoy your pregnancy and enjoy this time in your life! Before having any tests, you should decide what you would do if there were a negative outcome - if the answer is nothing different - then why bother having the tests? It's all up to you. Get lots of sleep while you can!

Congratulations again.

J.

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Hi F.,
I am currently 44. I had my first child at 36 and my second at 38. Both pregencies were problem free. I will admit the Drs. can make you very nervous. They suggest alot of extra tests sometimes. I opted not to have them. My reasons for this was because it took me 14 years to get preg. and stay preg. And my husband and I decided there was nothing they would discover that would change the way we felt about this baby.(birth defects or downs). I did have some problems the day my second child was delivered. Nothing age related though. She had a true not in her cord and my blood pressur went very high. They induced and 3 hours later she was born problem free.
I guess my point is if you have no prexisting condition other than age,enjoy this pregency, follow your drs. advice for preg. and know this is very common with people getting married later in life and waiting to start families.
Good Luck to you and your family!

Congratulations, F.!!! I would not worry if I were you. I was 35 when my first son was born, and I even fell down the stairs and broke my leg when I was 6 months pregnant with him. I had my second son close to my 40th birthday. Both times, the pregnancy was planned and I got pregnant the first try. You must be healthy to conceive right away!
You will most likely have a consult with a Doc to go over genetics and higher risk. I did. Don't let it scare you - it is fascinating though.
And most importantly.....relax, do not sweat it out, and enjoy being pregnant.
Take care,
~V.~