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pregnancy at 40 above

My wife wants a second child , I am affraid that she might be to old for it she will turn 40 soon.
Could you give me some feedback and some informations about risks does and do not , experiences.
Looking forward to your feedback.

Regards
9 Responses
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1066572 tn?1296240001
Hello -

I am 42 years old and 20 weeks pregnant - will turn 43 in 2 months.

This is my first pregnancy - all is going very well so far - no complications.

I am very healthy, eat right, and try to walk daily.  

I too was fearful about down syndrome, but really wanted a child and thought that the numbers (1 in 65 based on my age) was still in my favor.

I look forward to the next 20 weeks and the birth of my first son!

Best wishes...
Helpful - 0
1372516 tn?1297265962
HI! I am 40 years and currently 14 weeks pregnant. I will be 41 when i deliver my baby and everything is going smoothly so far and my baby is fine. Yes there are more complications for women at 40 but if you eat right and take it easy and take your vitamins your chances r slimmer. they also have so many tests and so much technology to determine early in the pregnancy if anything will be wrong w the baby. Just think positive and believe and you, your wife, and your baby will be ok.
Helpful - 0
176135 tn?1314752638
Hello,
There are a couple of things you and she can do to optimize your chances for a healthy pregnancy.  Both should eat well and take vitamins.  For your wife, she should especially be taking extra folic acid before conception because spina bifida occurs early in the pregnancy so it's best for the mother to have a good supply of folic acid at conception.  For you, I can't remember exactly how long it takes for a sperm to develop, but it's 30 days+, so the less you drink (or obviously take drugs, get x-rays, get exposed to carcinogens etc) the better chance you'll have a healthy embryo.
Your wife can get a blood test one week after ovulation (typically one week before her period starts) to see if she has adequate progesterone.  That is an easily remedied problem that can cause miscarriage if left untreated.  
One last thing- during pregnancy there are a couple of blood screening tests that are done to test for major genetic issues.  These are not diagnostic, they just give a 1 in ## chance.   They factor in the age of the mother, so the percentages always seem scarier for older mothers.  The nuchal translucency test is a diagnostic ultrasound done at around 12 weeks... and of course there is CVS or amnio if you need to be certain, although these carry a slight risk of miscarriage.
Before my current pregnancy (I was 41 at conception) my husband and I sat down and discussed what we would do if there were a genetic issue.  It's so important to be in agreement about that BEFOREHAND.  
Best wishes!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
here is some info i found, just a bit maybe some of us didnt know ;)

What causes Down syndrome?
Normally in reproduction, the egg cell of the mother and the sperm cell of the father start out with the usual number of 46 chromosomes. The egg and sperm cells undergo cell division where the 46 chromosomes are divided in half and the egg and the sperm cells end up with 23 chromosomes each. When a sperm with 23 chromosomes fertilizes an egg with 23 chromosomes, the baby ends up with a complete set of 46 chromosomes, half from the father and half from the mother.

Sometimes, an error occurs when the 46 chromosomes are being divided in half and an egg or sperm cell keeps both copies of the #21 chromosome instead of just one copy. If this egg or sperm is fertilized, the baby ends up with three copies of the #21 chromosome and this is called "trisomy 21" or Down syndrome. The features of Down syndrome result from having an extra copy of chromosome 21 in every cell in the body.

Ninety-five percent of Down syndrome results from trisomy 21. Occasionally, the extra chromosome 21 is attached to another chromosome in the egg or sperm; this may result in what is called "translocation" Down syndrome (3 to 4 percent of cases). This is the only form of Down syndrome that can sometimes be inherited from a parent. Some parents have a rearrangement called a balanced translocation, where the #21 chromosome is attached to another chromosome, but it does not affect his/her health. Rarely, a form of Down syndrome called "mosaic" Down syndrome may occur when an error in cell division occurs after fertilization (1 to 2 percent of cases). These persons have some cells with an extra chromosome 21 and others with the normal number
Helpful - 0
377493 tn?1356502149
Now I just learned something new...I did not know it could be impacted by sperm as well.  Still, my point is the same as yours...I have learned here that chromosonal issues such as DS are not something to be afraid of....those babies are perfect and beautiful!!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
down syndrome can come from an egg (any age not always just older) or it can come from the sperm.  its not the mother only. sure when you are 40 the risks to increase.

down syndrome isnt the only worry, there are other syndromes and issues to deal with as well.  id suggest having your wife discuss things with her dr and talk to a genetic councelor to find out what the what ifs are.  

a woman of 40 (or older) can have a happy and healthy pg with no problems same as a younger mom.  ask yourself what you would do if there was a problem?  would you terminate?  would you learn more about the situation before so you can make a very educated decision?  if you chose not to keep the baby would your wife be able to accept that?  i wish you guys luck!

btw, if i was having more kids id have more with down syndrome without a single hesitation!
Helpful - 0
377493 tn?1356502149
Hello there.  Pregnancy over 40 always comes with these sorts of questions.  First off, she is not too old.  If her cycles are still regular, she can conceive.  There are many of here who have done this successfully.  Primarily the increased risk involved an increased chance of miscarriage due to the fact that our eggs are older, increasing risk of chromosonal abnormality.  Now, it is not necessarily a huge risk, but it does happen a bit more frequently.  And then the risk of chromosonal abnormality such as Downs Syndrome is increased.  There are a few women here (actually, in there 30's) who have a baby with DS and those babies are just as perfect as can be, so it depends I guess on whether or not that is a worry for you.  

I had my first child at 40.  A typical, healthy little boy who is now 7 months old and the centre of my world.  If you have any specific questions, I am more then happy to answer them for you.  Good luck.
Helpful - 0
134578 tn?1693250592
If your wife is fit, does not have a heart problem, does not have diabetes, etc. she should be perfectly OK to bear another child.  If you are concerned about the risks of Downs Syndrome (that come from the egg being from an older mother), you and she should talk with the doctor about the odds of this.  They do increase with the mother's age.
Helpful - 0
1424416 tn?1330949459
Hey there, I hope you don't mind someone younger answering, I do have information though :)  Your wife is of course in the older age rage, but it is still entierly possiblle for her to carry and deliver perfectly healthy pregnancy. It may be harder to get pregnant with her being older, The general rule is, the older you are the less good quality eggs you produce. However, as long as your wife still has her periods, she should be able to concieve fine, especially if she is very fertile and hasn't had problems in the past. If your wife is a healthy person, then there shouldn't be any adverse affect on her body from being pregnant or giving birth. I hope this has been helpful, good luck to you and your wife for your next baby and I hope all goes well for you :)
Helpful - 0
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