Unexpectedly pregnant @ 43; extremely nervous

[terez]

Well ladies - having no where else to go to vent - I most definitely did not expect to get pregnant.  Was taking clonazepam 2 mg/day... of course; it's on the FDA class 4 list as a drug known to be harmful to the fetus.  I never had the urge to have a baby before; but, Murphy's Law, I want this one.
1st ultrasound @ 11 wks was normal; going in for more testing... intitial testing, well - up in the air.
Anyone w. experience w. this, let me know.

[kelly65]

I became pregnant unintentionally in August 09 at 44.  The pregnancy seemed to be going very well until 16 weeks when i began to have some spotting.  My ultrasound showed that my little girl had died around 13 weeks.  We had done a cvs test at 9 weeks which showed all normal genetics.  Ask your doctor to monitor your progesterone level often.  I suspect that something may have gone wrong for me around the 12 week time when the placenta should take over progesterone production from the corpus luteum.  I was not being monitored closely enough.  Maybe my theory is all wrong, but better safe than sorry.

[teddybearkit]

WOW!!   Was I ever extremely happy to come upon your post terez!!  I just discovered this site and this afternoon I posted a post regarding clonazepam and pregnancy.   I am 40 years old and just got married 4 months ago for the first time and neither of us have children and we just started trying to conceive but are seeing a fertilty doctor because we can't afford to try much longer because time is crutial at our age as it becomes SO much harder to get pregnant.
My concern about clonazepam was that I have been taking 2mg's every day for about 7 years for severe panic attacks but I stopped taking it on our honeymoon knowing that we were going to start to try to conceive.
My concern also was if anybody knew if clonazepam could cause infertility because I feel it perhaps has messed up my hormones for taking it for so long.
But I'm happy to see that you actually got pregnant while taking it.
When you say "it's on the FDA class 4 list as a drug known to be harmful to the fetus"....what sort of things are they saying that could happen to the fetus?
Also...would you mind if I asked why you were taking it?  I just want to compare your story to mine.  Also how long were you taking it?  Because I really suffered when I had to go off of it.  Bad withdrawl.  You?  I must say though that I still have to take it from time to time for anxiety or a panic attack.  Wow, I wish I could talk to you personally about this!!  
sorry for all the questions but I was so excited to read something on clonazepam and pregnancy on this site!!
CONGRATS ON YOUR PREGNANCY AND PLEASE REPLY TO LET ME KNOW HOW THINGS ARE GOING AND PERHAPS GIVE ME SOME INSIGHT IN TO MY QUESTIONS!!  THANK YOU!!
I'm keeping lots of faith for you!!

[Ecologic]

When was the last time you took the Clonazepam? I used to take Zanax (mostly for sleep) and I stopped right after my missed periods, I have never taken it again since.

Speak to your doctor about Clonazepam and your pregnancy. You probably will need additional ultrasounds to follow your pregnancy, and the need to be followed by a high risk pregnancy doctor. I am followed by both my regular Ob-gyn and a high risk group of doctors and I really appreciate the high risk doctors: they always have time to answer my questions.

You may also need to take an antidepressant to replace the Clonazepam if you're very anxious, some antidepressants are approved for pregnancy.

The first ultrasound was normal so don't worry too much, it's very good news!

[PamelaBee]

Congratulations on your pregnancy and welcome to the forum!  I have been in your shoes twice actually.  Delivered 2 healthy babies at 43 and 45.  I was nervous, scared excited and happy!!  Your are approaching a major hurdle passing the 1st trimester.  So far, this indicates a pretty great sign.  Once most women get through their first trimester, miscarriage drops significantly.

Do you have other children, or would this be your first?  You will find at 43...many tests and procedures will be available to you, and probably suggested to you by your OB, to detect any complications along the way...but I can assure you, most of the "neg" results you will receive are strictly based on your age...once we reach +35, all the scary statistics factor in, so take everything with a grain of salt, follow your instincts, and know that you have just reached out to the best group of women to help and support you along the way.  Please keep us posted, as your pregnancy progresses, and here's to a happy, healthy and uneventful 9 months!  Pam