Hi ladies. I have just turned 43 and found myself pregnant, purely by accident, last month. Unfortunately I miscarried at approximately 6 weeks. Just wondering, after having a miscarriage, and after reading so many sad stories on here, just wondering if there are any success stories of women over 40 having healthy babies? Thanks! ↓
Hi Karen - On another thread a woman gave a web address: www.tonguewag.com/journals/catherine6067 -----and I did go there and read some really encouraging stories. Hopefully this thread will be filled with success stories very soon (and my hope is that you and I will be included!). Take care Karen. ↑
I am turning 42 in March with my third and am due March 20 Monday I will be 37 weeks. Maybe check into taking pregestrone pills when you do get pg have to get dr's precription for it I believe. ↑
Nancy and Lisa - thanks for your replies. I have had an elevated temp for about a week now, and bad headaches so hope that is a good sign. How funny we all want to feel "lousy" when hoping to be pregnant lol! Trying to get pregnant can make one go a little nuts. ↑
Headaches are a very good sign - Karen! My fingers are crossed! - Lisa - Did you take pregesterone? I've heard women talk about taking it, but never asked my dr. He is not an RE, he's a regular obgyn and delivered my son. He told me of two women he personally delivered for and both were over 46. Healthy pregnancies too. ↑
I will be 45 mar 21 and I am 9 weeks preg with baby #13. Of those 13 pregnancies, I have had 3 misc. Since I was 35, I have had 6 preg and 3 healthy baby boys. My last baby was born two months before my 42nd bday. Read Dr John Lee's book What Your Dr won't tell you about Pre-menopause. Progesterone cream is essential to establishing good hormonal health for a pregnancy ↑
Hi Nancy - thanks for your kind wishes. And Tammy, thank you for sharing your stories with me. Wow, 13 pregnancies, that is amazing. So you have 10 children. Congratulations! Is progesterone cream something you started using after 35? Or something you used all along? I have heard mixed reviews on it. Some swear by it and say that it prevented miscarriages for them, while others say it just prolonged their miscarriages and that if you are meant to miscarry you will. What do you think? I also read that about 60 to 70% of miscarriages are choromisone related so I guess in that case progesterone cream wouldn't help. As well, just wondering if I get preganant again (or I am hoping I am right now) do you think I should get my progesterone level checked? I have read that headaches and elevated temps are as a result of progesterone, and those were 2 very big symptoms for me, so wouldn't that mean that I have plenty of that? Anyway, thanks for your replies ladies. ↑
Karen, I am 39 and pregnant (will be 40 when the baby is due). I have had two miscarriages in the last 3 years and three healthy babies prior to that. I am on progesterone now for the first time (pills 2x per day) and hoping for good results. There is a lengthy discussion on progesterone on this site (see "Progesterone Level") that has been very helpful to me. Good luck! ↑
Hi KaCee - thanks for your reply. Just curious, with your miscarriages, did they find a cause for them, or was it just bad luck. I know with my last pregnancy they thought it was a blighted ovum, so I guess progesterone wouldn't have helped anyway. I have now had 4 miscarriages (but not in a row), but also have 2 healthy kids. I had two miscarriages in my 20's, one before my daughter was born, and one after, and another one in my 30's, before my son was born, and the one I had last month. Not sure if they are related, or just bad luck since I did have 2 healthy kids. I will read all I can on progesterone though so I am fully informed. How far along are you? At what point in your pregnancy did you start taking progesterone? Thanks. ↑
I started using prog cream after my first miscarriage at age 38. Obviously, if you have a fetus that is genetically unviable, prog cream won't make a difference. However, the cream keeps your hormones balanced so everything works as well as your body should. It also keeps your eggs healthier so you are less likely to produce a genetically inferior fetus that will not survive or a down's syndrome baby. Also read the book, Coming to Term, its about miscarriage. One of the causes of misc or infertility is a short luteal phase, meaning your period starts within 10 days of ovulation. This is n ot long enuf for a successful pregnancy. Progesterone cream helps increase this luteal phase. ↑
Karen, they did tons of tests on me after my last miscarriage, but everything came back fine except for one of the MTHFR gene mutations, but they said it wouldn't affect any pregnancies. I guess it was bad luck (or old eggs?) Tammy - did you take progesterone in between pregnancies to keep the eggs healthy? ↑
Tammy, KaCee - thanks for your replies. I am really hoping I am pregnant right now. I miscarried Feb 2nd so not sure exactly when to expect my period, but probably the end of the week or this weekend if things are still on track (28 day cycle). Not sure when and if I ovulated either so I guess it's a waiting game. I tested yesterday and it was BFN so will wait a couple more days. Off to Disneyland today with my DH and DS so guess I will find out there!!! Thanks again for kind replies. ↑
Yes, I used the cream between pregnancies when my cycles started back up. Since I was nursing, my cycle did not start until the baby was about 7 months old. ↑
You should wait about 2 cycles after a misc to try again. Your uterus needs to build up a healthy layer for the new baby to implant. Though I do know several people who did get pregnant right away and had healthy babies. ↑
I have had 2 successful pregnancies in my 40s (1 at 40, 1 at 43) and 4 miscarriages (including one 5 months ago). Turned 48 last weekend and still trying though odds are small. Dr says I can still get pregnant and I'd love to have 1 more. So, who knows? Good luck to everyone and lots of baby dust! ↑
I am having a boy so theyy say. When I posted I was almost 37 weeks ...tomorrow I will be 38 weeks still going strong. This is my third. I usually visit another pg forum that is why I never posted before until now here is the link take out dashes in address but KEEP the = sign in......
http://www.forumshost.n-et/forums/index.php?mforum=family- ↑
I am so thankful for this site! I am 39 and have 4 kids (16,18,20,21) I remarried two years ago and found out that I was pregnant the end of Jan. with a due date of OCt 2nd. (exactly one month after my 40th b-day) My first Dr appt at 9wks showed no heartbeat.. so I will go in this coming Wed to confirm. Then D&C if no viable baby.. I'm optimistic though .. knowing that there is hope for a second try!
I'll keep everyone posted. ↑
Thanks for all your replies. I would have replied sooner but went to Disneyland with the family for a holiday. Well AF made her arrival during the flight to Disneyland. Actually was good timing as I could concentrate on having fun with with DH and DS. Our flight in LA ended up getting cancelled on our return trip home and we were stuck in the airport for 12 hours. Got a chance to see the parents with babies, and toddlers coping. Ugggh!! Sometimes I want another so bad and then something like that happens and it makes me wonder. I am scared to death I won't have the energy anymore. Anyway, my 7 yr old son was infatuated with one of the toddlers so it was nice to see how gentle and kind he was. Tammy thanks for the info. Renee, your post gave me hope. I am also 43. So you had 4 miscarriages and didn't give up. Do you have younger children also? Were your miscarriages just due to being older? Sorry, don't mean to be too nosy, just curious as I am in the same boat as you. Lisastar, congratulations. You must be so excited. May I ask you how old you are? Herewego, good luck to you. I hope all works out okay for you. ↑
I will be 45 in less than 2weeks. I am 11 weeks preg. Heard good strong heartbeat today! I rented a fetal doppler from Babybeat.com and I can listen to my baby's heartbeat anytime I want! ↑
Hi, Karen E. I'm sorry to hear about your loss. Maybe it'll help to know that I'm 47 and just had my fifth child last month (my sixth pregnancy). Except for having gestational diabetes, and not a bad case of it at that, my pregnancy was AWESOME and my beautiful baby boy was born on his due date weighing in at 9 lbs. 2.2 oz and was 21 1/2 in. long. By the way, as stated in the beginning, I've been pregnant six times, with five live births. I, too, miscarried at 6 weeks in my second pregnancy...and I was in my 20's at the time. So, yes, it's quite possible to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby later on! Best of luck to you!!! ↑
Congratulations to both of you - Tammy and Confused. I do feel much better after reading your comments, thank you. It seems on here there is so much bad news. Did you both get pregnant naturally? How long did it take you after you started trying this time around? When I tried with my son, 7 years ago, it only took a couple of months, but don't expect it to be that quick this time around. I got pregnant in January but wasn't trying so not sure if that was just a fluke. It was so bizare really as we never bd that fertile week in the middle. I am guessing I must have ovulated really early. I was in total shock that I was pregnant. I am so hoping it will be that easy. I keep seeing the months tick away and work out how old I will be when he or she is born. Every month I don't get pregnant I just see myself being that much older. I am sure that is how most older moms must feel too. Tick, tick, tick. It's scary. Thanks for sharing your pregnancy stories, they really help! ↑
Yes, Karen E, I got pregnant naturally. I had my periods regularly (since I just had the baby and am breastfeeding, I don't know what my periods may, or may not, come back like). All things considered, I got pregnant pretty quickly and easily (within a few months, though we weren't really "trying"). I can recall in my 20's getting pregnant on the first try. If it was like that for you, too, perhaps it'll be the same with you now as it was for me. Even so, we were in shock when we learned I was pregnant, and worried because so many negative risk statistics were thrown at us (because of my age). We almost considered something I'd rather not talk about, and are glad we never caved in to the fear factor. The way it is nowadays, we're under the distinct impression that doctors don't want to deal with pregnant women over age 35, and even less so over age 45. We felt the first OB/GYN unit we went with was trying to push us into a "decision", but wouldn't directly say so. Ultimately, the best decision we made was to switch our OB/GYN. While we were still given risk statistics, they weren't near as horrid sounding (either that, or the doctor did a much better job of explaining them) and the doctor performed an exam (an ultrasound and some bloodwork to confirm the pregnancy). All went very well from the start. I even commented to a co-worker that I wished I could take a pill to feel so good all the time. I've typically felt great, when I was pregnant, despite a few discomforts. ↑
All my conceptions hav e been natural. This last one was a bit of surprise because we only had sex twice that month! We were so busy--with 9 kids and all--and we did some "other" things too. ↑
There are so many conflicting stories. Sometimes I read that it's almost impossible for a woman over 40 to get pregnant, and then I read other stories of women getting pregnant nearly as easily as when they were in their 20's. I was also shocked when I found out I was pregnant because I beleived, from all I have heard, that it is virtually impossible to get pregnant naturally over 40. Well, we've proved that theory wrong. We have been trying the last few days as I expect to ovulate this week. Have any of you tried any ovulation predictors? I guess I am curious not so much to pin point the day I am most likely to ovulate, but if I in fact do ovulate. I heard that regular periods are not always an indication. And I can't imagine waking up every morning and taking my temperature. How do your older kids feel about your new babies? I am not sure how my 18 year old would take it. Confused - I am curious why you chose that as your nickname? Tammy, what are the age ranges of your 9 kids? Wow, I am surprised you found any time to get pregnant lol! ↑
Karen E, I chose the name "Confused" because in the beginning of my pregnancy, when I started posting on this board, that's what I was. I was in shock about being pregnant, and scared out of my wits with the risk statistics the original OB/GYN had given me. Anyway, your mention of getting pregnant over age 40 as though you were in your 20's...I've heard that, too, along with increased infertility. Probably for most women, the issue of infertility is what comes into play. In fact, one of the things I was told when I switched doctors, was that my chances of miscarrying, were over 50% within the first trimester, and my ability to have got pregnant in the first place was around 10% (I'm 47, though I would've been a late 46, when I conceived). The doctor said at my age, my eggs are dwindling in amount, and I probably would've had about 200 when I conceived; also, the quality of them is supposed to be lessened with age, due to environmental exposures over time. Anyway, insofar as how it affected the other children, since they're all older (ages range from 17-23, except for my stepson who's 13), it was mixed. After all those years of being the only kids I had, it was a big change, but I've ALWAYS let them know that no child could take away my love for them or change their place in the family. They just have another brother to love (and, of course, to pick on, when the time comes). I've found that, especially with my daughters (and one, in particular) it's brought out maternal feelings, which is nice. However, if it's setting their biological clocks into motion, I'd like to see some wedding bands first!!! ↑
Karen, I have older daughters also (19 and 16) and an almost 4-yr-old son. My kids are all very happy for me and wish me well. They know that I have had two MCs since my son was born and feel and really hope this one takes. My dauthers hope this one's a girl. However, I do believe it is putting my 19 yr old's biological clock in motion, and I too hope to hear wedding bells before I become a grandmother! By the way, my last MC was on Thanksgiving, and I was pregnant again by Valentine's Day. I am notw7 weeks along. I wish the same luck for you! ↑
I don't think my daughter will be wanting kids anytime soon. When she was 10 her brother was born, and he was a handful to say the least. I think it had the opposite affect on her. I guess you never know though. She is graduating in a few months. After reading the replies to my question I am a lot more hopeful about getting pregnant again. KaCee how far along are you? How is your pregnancy going? I guess I will find out in about 2 weeks. ↑
Still pregnant at 11 weeks today at almost 45- my b'day is Tuesday. My other kids ages are 21 (girl), 19 (g), 17 (g), 15 (boy), 13 (b), 12 (b), 9 (b), 5 (b), 3 (b). Ultrasound on Tues showed healthy baby with a 188 FHT. The high heartbeat scared me but my doc said it was okay. ↑
