38 and thinking about getting pregnant?

[bigsis1970]

Thanks so much for the support ladies - we talked a little about it and are getting ready to ask around about OB's (my cousin just had her 2nd baby and said her OB is wonderful) I am 5 foot and weigh 206 and will adapt to a healthier diet and find some folic acid. hugs to you all.. Michelle

 

[powellrj]

I am 49(almost 50) with a 12 year old and a 25 year old. You can do the math..... I was also large when I had my last child. I had no problem getting pregnant, but I will be honest, I notice now that she is older, its much harder keeping up with her than it was my older kids.

She is really a great kid, but its harder to stay awake and do the things with her that I did with her brothers at that age. It was also harder to bounce back after having her. It took me longer to recover.

She is a blessing, but I just wanted to give you a heads up to another thought.

 

[rotlex]

Just some more positive input here.

I'm 41, and my wife turned 39 in December. She gave birth to our 2nd child, a beautiful baby boy, this past October! We also have a beautiful healthy 6 year old daughter.

The pregnancy went absolutely wonderfully. No issues, no problems, and our son is PERFECT! Thank God. In fact, maybe because it was our 2nd child, things went much, much smoother than the first time around. No sicknesses, quick natural labor, and well, we could not have asked for a better experience.

 

[tinkerlisa]

I have known a few people that decided to have a baby after 35. My aunt has two daughters from a previous(25 and 21) and had two little boys(4 and 6) with her new husband.

My mom was pregnant with my sister at 38. I was 14. She was a high risk pregnancy though. Everyone's main concern was that my sister would be born with some sort of medical condition. Thankfully, my sister has no problems and is a straight A student. Only thing is she has bad allergies but that is from my mom smoking during her pregnancy(thats what i think anyway). My mom did have gestational diabetes though.

Also, my SIL has thought about it too. She is almost 39. Unfortunatly, she probably won't be able to because she has a medical condition.

All pregnancies have risks. But like I and other people have said: TALK TO YOUR OB!!! He/she can help you and your husband make an informed decision.

Also you can start taking prenatal vitamins right now. They recommend you take them before, during and after your pregnancy.

On the other hand, if you and your hubby decide that getting pregnant is not right, there is always adoption. I have a friend and her and her husband have been trying to conceive for years now. They both have underlying medical condition that prevent them from getting pregnant and they are now in the process of adopting two little boys!

GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!!!

 

[npmommie]

THANK YOU! My other preg's were just fine - I no reason to believe that it won't be the same other then the "nasty" stuff I read, no idea why I even hunted it down but anyway I did it then sent myself into a tizzy with the "what if's" I have to find an OB and go from there..

Don't dwell on all the nasty stuff. You read it you know, talk to your OB about your own personal situation, health etc.
there is no reason for a woman approaching 40 or even over 40 to not have a baby.
the majority of downs babies (75%) are actually born to woman under 35 yrs old.
just wanted to say that since that is the biggest "scare" put into an older mom.

good luck!

 

[rparmfamily]

I'm heading towards 36 and I'm pregnant w/#3 right now. This pregnancy has been a little harder, in that I'm more tired and sore than w/the others. But nonetheless, it's been fine!

Good luck!

 

[limace]

I'm 39, in my first trimester with pregnancy number 3. My oldest is almost 12 (she's had a hard time with the idea of the next baby, but that's our biggest problem right now). I feel good-lots of fatigue but less nausea. My husband and I met and married just a few years ago, had our daughter, and decided to try for one more. We got pregnant very quickly (but I always have). I'm happy...and I'm also pretty darn sure I'm done. Hey, I can't be pregnant any more because it totally interferes with Disney trips!!!!!

 

[Tigge50447]

wow I really liked reading this post. I'm going to be 35 in July and thought I had met prince charming to later find out he was not. I was worried I would never find someone in time to have another baby before I was too old. Thank you all for all your stories it makes me feel much better about having time to find the right person.

 

[rparmfamily]

You're only as old as you feel, KWIM? Even though now I'm technically "AMA" (advanced maternal age) I really don't feel different this pregnancy. I'm more tired but I also run around all day with my other 2 LOL.

I would say having a baby at 36 or 35 is no big deal, at least for me. I did get to talk to a genetic counselor,etc since I'm "so old" but otherwise, I'm the same mom I was with the younger ones! Actually, I feel "wiser" LOL...I don't stress and worry over everything like I did w/the other 2. (I had them at 27 and 29)

I wouldn't hesitate to have a 4th in a few years honestly!

Best of luck to you! And YES get on a prenatal right away if you are considering pregnancy.

 

[ktlm]

I thought of one other thing. When you pick your OB, it would be a good idea for your husband to do a sperm analysis right off the bat since he has been on epilepsy drugs for a long period of time. I have read that those drugs, and sometimes even epilepsy itself, can sometimes cause some fertility problems for men. That doesn't mean he won't be able to have kids, just that you might need a little help. By help, I'm not necessarily talking IVF either. It could be as simple as changing his drug, or doing some IUIs (I know they sound scary, but I had several and they are not a big deal) Because you are 38, you don't want to try for several months only to later realize that you were just throwing your time away because you were never going to get pregnant without some help. Believe me, I know. I started trying to have that baby I got pregnant with at 38, when I was 34. We wasted way too much time before getting to the doctor.

 

[raysnkaysmom]

Like others have said...a doctor will know your health (and your husbands health is of importance too), and they will give you the pros and cons. I think if you both are ready....dont' do the depo shot! You can go on the pill or use other contraceptives until you have decided 100%. There are so many women your age and older who are having kids now. I'm pregnant with my last (at 34), and this one definitely showed a difference to me than my others, but I partially blame it on not enough recovery time between this one and my last....lol (He'll be one on Saturday). There are always increased risks with age and medical history, but without great risk, there are no great rewards

Good Luck

 

[mom2meiko]

i don't think there is any reason why you shouldn't TTC but i would speak to your ob/gyn just to be sure you are giving the depo enough time to get out of your system, etc. also - talk about genetic concerns and the risks for a later pregnancy. good luck!

 

[Debbie7452]

Hi, I was 38 when I got pregnant (planned) with my fourth, so I've been there, done that. The pregnancy was easy for me, like my others. In fact, I conceived just as fast (it took, like, two weeks!!) much to my surprise.

I ended up being a "high risk" case though because of unrelated auto-immune problems which could affect the baby (nothing to do with my Advanced Maternal Age, hate that term!) So I spent the majority of my 9 months in OB waiting rooms...NO FUN.

Baby boy turned out fat and sassy and is such a joy. One point I have to add is that because of my age I was offered a lot of "extra" tests. Since termination was never an option for us, I declined the extra tests. You don't HAVE to take all the tests if you don't wish to, so I didn't. Some of them give false positives and I would have spent the rest of the pregnancy more stressed and I didn't want that.

As an older Mom, I find that he keeps me feeling young...or maybe I just don't have the time or energy to worry about a few wrinkles, sags?? Not sure!

Good Luck with your decision!

 

[bigsis1970]

Again thank you all - I am feeling better, less nervous about everything. I am a firm believer in everything happens for a reason so we'll go with the flow and see how it ends up.
My DD and DS both are telling me I should have a baby - matter of fact DD has been saying this for a few years even before there was even the possibility of my DH. I am hoping that they will still feel that way when the day arrives

 

[3boys4me]

I agree see your ob and have fun. i delivered my last baby at 38. I would do it one more time but dh says NO . If your health is good don't let your age stop you. This last pregnancy was no harder than my first when i was 28/29. Keep us posted.

 

[dbmarie]

I just saw an OB/GYN on tv over the weekend who said that if you think you're going to try to get pg within a year, you shouldn't do the depot shot. The effects can last up to a year.

Yes, it took exactly a year for me to conceive after the depo shot so that is something to take into account.

 

[bigsis1970]

Yes, it took exactly a year for me to conceive after the depo shot so that is something to take into account.

can I ask how old you are?? you can PM me if you don't want to say - I was just wondering if you are around my same age or not (it might take me longer if I am older then you )

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

I know several people that had a baby in their late 30's-mid 40's. All are healthy and actually much calmer patient parents. Way more patient than I was at 21. If you are healthy and don't have any issues talk to your doctor. If the first one says that you are too old..get a new one.

 

[dbmarie]

can I ask how old you are?? you can PM me if you don't want to say - I was just wondering if you are around my same age or not (it might take me longer if I am older then you )

I was 26 when I had my dd, she's 9 now. I've heard from other people that they had difficulty after the depo shot but I got pregnant exactly 1 year and 2 days after receiving my last shot. I'm not sure if it makes any difference how old you are or not.

 

[dyna]

To FUNNY when I had my last one at 30 she was such a breeze i thought HEY I can do this again in 10 yrs at 40.

At 40 I also had a 20 yr old an a 19 yr old an decided I could handle the baby but not the 20 yr old in 20 yrs.

That was just me tho. Had I not had my older ones I prolly would have done another at 40.