Likelihood of Positive Outcome for Pregnancy after 45

[Lindy450]

I'm a 47 year old woman, and possibly pregnant.  I was not trying to become pregnant and am somewhat surprised.  I had planned to look into getting my tubes tied in January with my husband's new insurance.  I am very much aware of increased risks, chance of Down Syndrome, miscarriage, etc.  Most of the information I have read on pregnancy at my age is negative.  I also knew a mother who became pregnant at age 46 or 47, found out the child had Down Syndrome and aborted at 5 or 6 months.  The chances of naturally becoming pregnant are near zero, and there's a substantial chance of having a deformed, chromosomally abnormal fetus (with 2 heads or something weird), 90% of my eggs are now "damaged goods", etc.  I take good care of my health and am at a reasonable weight (140), plus women on my mother's side of the family go into menopause near age 60.  I've read these factors are a plus for my age.  

Where are the success stories?   I can't even find any statistics on the chances of naturally becoming pregnant at my age.  Is it really that rare?   The information out there makes me feel like some freak.   Can someone PLEASE give me  some encouraging news?

[momof8plus]

I am a 45 year old mother of 4, ranging in age from 21 to my almost 13 year old twin daughters.I am also the birth mother/ surrogate of 3 other children.  Last March I found myself divorced after 21 years of marriage, because my ex couldn't keep hiself out of other womans pants, including a family member ( but,that is another story entirely!!)  I met a man on a senior website (really?) and we married 3 months after we met. He had lost his wife to cancer a few months before, and was just looking for someone to talk to! Anyway, we have 8 children between us, with my 4 being the youngest of them. We are eagerly trying to have a baby of our own! I too, am getting discouraged with the negitivity and scare tactics that seem to accompany this endevor. As an educated woman, I have read and understand the risks and problems associated with our decision. Both my husband and myself each have a child with developmental issues (my son has autism and his son has an audiological processing disorder). Reading these comments has given me renewed hope in our decision. Good luck to each and everyone of you... I hope you all succeed in your wants and desires!!

[KTQH86]

Thanks for your post it has given me hope! I just turned 45 and have never been pregnant! I get my period every month. I was married for 17 years and now divorced. My husband was having problems with erectile for a lot longer than he let me know! I have met someone who is a lot younger than me and wants children.I am really hoping I have a chance to get pregnant!

[thisistheyear]

I'll be 42 next month and have been TTC for a couple years now.   After several failed IUIs and IVF's, we've decided that we need to try something different, and are now looking for donor embryos.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with me except that I'm older.  I've never been pregnant before, and that's the one thing that has me concerned that maybe I just can't for some reason.  Is there anyone on here who got pregnant at an "advanced" (don't you just love that??) age who had never been pregnant before?

Reading all the posts on here, I have hope that it could still happen naturally!  Good luck to all of you!

[4awhilenow]

To start off let me just say, Congratulations!  You are truly blessed!  You can do this, and I think the scare tactics that are used nowadays to discourage pregnancy after even 40 are evil.  Although at 39, with apparently nothing wrong with me, I can't seem to get pregnant.  Both of my grandmothers had children in their early to mid 40's and all of their children were perfectly healthy!  As I read through all of the posts here, I thought to myself, "Wow - I never realized how strong the pull to be a mom could be..." and the success stories outweighed the negative over and over.  Be strong - smile lots and have faith that it is all in the plan!  You give me hope!

[NYC666]

I'm 45 and pregnant. One shot. one time. The doctors told me at 40 that I had no eggs left. I knew better. Don't listen to the doctors, they'll just discourage you. Listen to your body.

[elizabeth4707]

Hello, I'm so anxious to hear how you are doing? I am 46 yrs old and remarried. My husband and I would like to have a child of our own together. I don't want to go medical route, so if I don't get pregnant on my own naturally, then so be it. But my gut instinct is telling me I am still capable of having a healthy baby naturally. I have not even talked to a doctor about it because I know they would laugh and say no way. Could you please update on how you are doing? I hope all is well. God bless. ~Elizabeth