39/40 Too Old to Be Pregnant?

No, 39/40 is definitely not too old! My last baby was born when I was 39. It was my best pregnancy/delivery of them all. I still would like more, but haven't conceived yet. Also, I find that I cherish each moment with my littles now more than I did when I was in my 20s (I have 6 children from 18-4 years old). Go for it!

I am 42 and just had my first child, a beautiful little girl. You are never too old to love a child. She is truely a miracle and helped complete my life. I would not have changed a thing. I also have a co-worker who had her two children in her early 40's.

Just to add one more 40's story for you to mull over. I didn't get married until later (engaged forever, though) and waited until my 40's to start trying. I was 42 with my first baby, a girl with ten fingers and toes and 44 with my second baby, a boy with ten fingers and toes. Both pregnancies were easy and so was getting pregnant. Apparently it was the right time for us. I'm exhausted but loving chasing around a 3 and 5 year old at the ripe ole age of 47. I feel that I have more patience and I still can keep up, though they do wear me out. But that is true of any age.

I wish you good luck and don't let the doctors freak you out about the genetic testing. I didn't know there were a ton of false positives when you reach older ages, so I stressed until I could have an amnio. Then my hubby really wanted me to do an amnio for the second and I wish I had said no, it is my body.

Your body has done this before and knows what to do. We have even formed a Toddler Parent over 40 (or close to) meet up group on Meetup.com. Do it if you want, it is your life and don't let anyone talk you out of it if it is what you want.

People are having babies much later these days and everything goes great.

Good luck to you,
D.

I had my first (and only) child at 39. I had a completely uncomplicated pregnancy (unless you count the time I almost decked the dr who used the term "advanced maternal age!) and delivery (unless you count my husband being 500 miles away, golfing, when my water broke!).
I love being a more mature mom! I enjoy my kid. I feel very ready to deal with a child. I've done (almost) everything I've wanted to do in life and am really enjoying my "mom role" now. I say you should go for it if you want another.
**Your pregnancy won't be automatically considered "high risk"!***

I had my children at 36 and 38. MANY friends and family members have had babies at 40 and in their 40s and actually there haven't really been any complications -fewer even than others I know in their 20s and early 30s. Your doctor may do more ultrasounds and you should have the testing they suggest in order to be prepared (both you and your doctor) for any problems, but 40 isn't too old!

My SIL had a "caboose" baby at 40. He was a surprise, but she thought it was funny that there were 3 other women her same age that were pregnant at the same time, just at church! And, they all had blond little boys.

Some people actually choose not to have babies until their late 30's or early 40's. I personally want to be done before that, but I have that luxury because I got married on the young side. My sister got married when she was a month shy of 30, so she was planning on having kids into her 40's, but the way things turned out, they only had two kids.

Anyway, I don't see that it's a problem in this day and age. You'll be termed high-risk, but that won't mean anything bad will happen.

From what I hear, the risk is first-time pregnancies after forty. Since you have already given birth (I am assuming...you didn't specify if your children were his before you got married or if you adopted), your body already "knows what to do," so there should be no problems. Happy trying! :)

I would say it depends on you and your health. We all know some people at 40 are more like 50 and some are more like 30. Also some people's family history leads them to believe that they will die younger and some older. I am the daughter of a mother who had me at 40 and I am also the mother of a 5 year old that I had at 38 and a 3 year old son I had at almost 41. I had no problem with pregnancies and have as much energy as the younger mothers I know. It was a good decision for me, but if I was a smoker who may well die in my 60's I don't know if I would have made the same decision. I am lucky to still have my mother who is now 84 and many of the younger moms of my friends have already died. I must admit though that I am jealous of people who are older and still have parents. I never thought much about it until my dad died 3 years ago when my son was only 4 months old and now that I am looking at a limited time left with my mother. If I could have done things differently I would have had my children younger, but it is better older than never as I can't go back and do it differently. Now I feel a very strong responsibility to my children to live healthfully so I will be around for as long as possible.

I would have loved to have had my children earlier, but I didn't get married until I was 35. I had my first daughter at 36 and second at 39. I'm due with my third child in 3 weeks and will have the baby at age 41. I didn't have any special screenings or tests, just a level 2 ultrasound with all of my pregnancies. My first two daughters are completely healthy. They haven't seen anything to be concerned about with the baby I'm carrying now either. I say go for it. I also don't care whether or not this baby is a boy or girl (we never find out beforehand). I always wanted to be a mom. I feel so fortunate to have this experience even if it is later in life than I wanted it to be.

I was married at 33, tried at 35 to have babies, had 3 miscarriages, then 2 babies at 38 and 39yrs old. My son is autistic but I don't beleive it is because of my age. 40 is the new 30 so go ahead and have more babies.

I haven't read the other responses. I'll just tell you what I've seen.

My good friends found each other when she was 39 and he was 34. They married, and they had their first child when she was 41. Their daughter was beautiful, perfect, and wonderful! They wanted to have another but were afraid to try. Well, a few years later (when she was 43), they had an "oops" and gave birth to a second beautiful little girl! They are not sure if they're going to have more, but they weren't sure before, either. All I know (and all they know, too!) is that they were very blessed by the "oops" and cannot imagine life without her!

May I ask what fertility herbs you took to conceive?????

I am 41 & have a 2 yr old son. I became pregnant w/him the 1st mt at 38 while taking Clomid. After 5 unsuccessful IUI's we have quit going to the fertility Dr. I recently ordered Fertile Aid for women & for men so we will try that......Thank you!

in my opinion 40 isn't to old its about the perfect time to have kids because you have basically gotten all your teen energy out (traveling, having alone time that kind of thing) but your are more at risk of have a down syndrome baby, and maybe some other types of things. so if you do plan on having another one, make sure you opt for all the testing that needs to be done just incase so you know what your are getting into. Good luck and I wish the best for you and your family.

if 40 is to old to have a baby someone forgot to tell me. :) yours are closer in age than mine I say go for it. the positive side is you stay young longer and my 2 yr old is a blast. the fun part is getting asked if you are your own kids grandma :P or the look you get when you say my kids are 19 yrs apart. :) it is very interesting.

Just to add to the stories: I got married at 37, got pregnant right away and miscarried. Six months later I got pregnant again. The pregnancy was miserable. I threw up for 9 months, including during labor, was tired all the time, had the flu, colds and a hacking cough throughout and spent the last month on bed rest. They induced me, and after 52 hours of labor I had a C-section. I had a healthy 8 lb 8 oz baby boy a month before my 39th birthday.

We wanted another child two years apart. However because I was starting perio-menopause I had trouble conceiveing. After thirteen months and clomid, I gave up and immediately got pregnant. It was an easy, wonderful pregnancy, and I planned a C-section. My daughter came a day before my planned C-section (I had one anyway because I was not going to go thru more labor). She was 8 lbs 6 oz. I had her a couple of weeks before my 42 birthday. I also had amnios for both because I wanted to know the sex.

My SIL had her 12th child at age 44 with no problems.

So go for it. 40 is not too old. Each pregnancy is different. Several of the mothers in my children's classes are my age, although a few are young enough to be my child. lol

Good luck and don't worry.

I am 42 and have a 4 month old, 2.5 and 5 year old girl. The 4 month old was a surprise baby. We had gone through IUI to have our first two and I NEVER thought I could get pregnant naturally. I was happy with two girls. But having three has been the best experience.
My oldest doesn't have the jeaulosy she had with the first sibling and has been a big helper. I love watching my older girls with the baby. And, it is true the third is easier.
Ideally I would have liked to have children when I was younger and yes, sometimes it is harder because I am older. But, unless you have some major health issue don't let age be the deciding factor.
If you want another child and can afford it, go for it. You won't regret it.

My daughter-in-law was 40 when she had my granddaughter and it was a positive experience and no negatives at all! --R. H.

It depends what you define as old??? :) I had my 5th baby last January and I turned 40 in April. Yes, it's different being pregnant at 39 than it was at 25, but I have no regrets. Go For it!
Your doctor may make you do some extra testing, that you are allowed to deline, but otherwise, everything is the same.

I had our son at 35 and our daughter at 39. I'm now 41 chasing a 21-month old! If you and your hubby feel like having another child, now is the time to try, because you will always regret not trying because of worrying. And don't always believe what doc's tell you. I was 35, obese, and had PCOS and was told it would be very difficult to conceive. I got pregnant the first month off the pill. At 39 I was even heavier (never lost the 55 lbs. gained w/1st baby) but got pregnant 4 months after getting off the pill. We got married in our early 30's, so getting pregnant in my 20's wasn't an option for me either. Glad to hear so many women are sharing positive stories w/you. Every woman and every pregnancy is different. Know that you can come here for more encouragement if you need it. Good luck to you, your hubby, and your girls!

I'm young but my closest friend in town had two of her four children in her 40's. They are all two years apart. She couldn't be happier and all of her pregnancies went great. I'd say if you feel the urge to have one more child and your husband is on board...go for it. You'll only regret it for not doing it right away or always regret you never tried for number 3 down the road. Only you can know when your family is complete and if you don't feel that way....Complete your family! Her family member told her you have three healthy children why are you risking it. She felt the need to have that one last child and she couldn't be happier that she did. she always tells me how much harder 4 is than 3 but she still wouldn't change a thing.

if you are truly considering, do it NOW...... 40 in my opinion is NOT old.. especially nowadays when so many women are having babies at an older age.. 40 will look young to you when at 45 you look back and IF you didn't at least try to conceive, you 'll then come to realize that 40 wasn't old and perhaps wished you had... take it from someone who knows......
best of luck in whatever you decide

I had my daughter 4 days before I turned 41. She is the best thing in my life! The pregnancy, labor and delivery went perfectly. I don't regret a thing about the timing of her birth. Luckily, I had no fertility problems at all. I stopped taking "the pill" and got pregnant the old fashioned way. Good luck to you!

When I was 43, I found out I was 15 weeks pregnant (unplanned). I was 44 when I delivered my beautiful, healthy daughter. During my pregnancy my doctor kept referring to my advanced maternal age. I think he wanted to keep me aware that I was rather old to be having a baby and that there could be complications or problems. (After I delivered the baby, the doctor admitted his wife, also over 40, was pregnant and she also had a healthy baby.)

Because the labor for my first child (19 yrs. 7 mos. older than new baby) was just under 1.5 hrs., there was a concern that this delivery would be too quick. The week before my due date I was induced. Being induced allowed the doctor to have any possible medical needs ready to roll. I delivered a healthy 6 lb. 9 oz. baby girl 8 hours later. In the room during the delivery was the pediatrician with her staff ready for any problems the baby may have had. I also had student nurses.

The delivery itself was much tougher on me at the age of 44 than the delivery at 24, but worth every minute.

Not knowing I was pregnant for 15 weeks, I was not as conscience of healthy habits as I would have been had I known and still was blessed with a healthy baby.

My recommendation would be to talk to your doctor. Any medical issues you may have could affect the outcome of a pregnancy. But if you are healthy, go for it (with your doctor's blessing).

Good Luck! It is a wonderful experience at this age, quite different than when I was in my 20's. My now 9 year old is growing up with my grandchildren. Cool, huh!

I am not in my 30's yet but I wanted to tell you I have friends that are in the 40's who are trying for a baby and some who have been blessed. So as long as you are healthy and feel like it is time for another one go for it.

When I figured out I was pregnant I was 38 years old and 5.5 months along. I'm thinking "someone up there" wants me to have a baby. We had decided not to have kids and were very happy with our decision BUT having our son is, has and will be the BEST thing we have ever done. I say go for it! :)

I had her 2 months before my 42 birthday - my baby turns 1 today! If you're thinking about it I would just advise checking with your doctor for any concerns. I did not have the amnio & quad screen - just because I was high risk for other reasons besides age and didn't think I could handle the stress of more what if's and I knew it wouldn't change me having the baby.

can you tell me what kind of fertility herbs you took? I am 42, did acupuncture, got pregnant, had a miscarriage at 10 weeks, that was 11 months ago and I haven't been able to get pregnant again. I'm seeing a fertility doc but I'd love to know what herbs you took? Thanks!! And yes definitely try if it's what you want!!

As you can see, a lot of women have babies into their 40's. I work with a nurse who didn't think she could have babiies, got pregnant twice after 40 and delivered two healthy babies.
I had my surprise baby just a couple of months before I turned 40. Had a more complete ultrasound, had to see a maternal-fetal specialist who strongly encouraged me to have an amnio. Being AMA or advanced maternal age puts you at greater risk for a baby with birth defects. And I have seen more Down's Syndrome (I want to say it's like 1 in 100 births or something like that) or other Trisomy defects born to mom's who are older. But it's not 100%. Just realize you are at greater risk. Your eggs are older.
Good luck on your decision. Deciding whether to have another baby is never an easy decision, no matter how old you are.