Getting pregnant end of your 40s?

[Osmosis Mom]

Has anyone successfully gotten pregnant and carried a healthy baby to full term end of their 40s? After trying for 16 months, I conceived what was a healthy pregnancy, but it stopped growing around 8 weeks and I had a d and c at 11 weeks. This was around 5 months ago and as the due date gets closer I am feeling even more sad. Anyways, should I assume that window has closed or might there still be a glimmer of hope? Am I setting myself up for potential heartache with a low chance of getting pregnant and an even lower chance of delivering at term? I am healthy and have had multiple pregnancies. My youngest child is 8.

[City Mouse]

My MIL had the last of her 9 kids at 45, but that was 50 years ago. In real, current life- no. I know a fre people who had a child in their early 40's, but no one older than 42.

[teachermom2834]

I know someone who recently had baby #6 at 48. Everyone was healthy. 

I have known many in early 40s but this last one at 48 is the oldest person I have personally known to give birth. There was no fertility treatment or intervention. 

[mommyoffive]

The oldest person I know was in her 50s.  But she did it not with her own eggs because of cancer. 

[nixpix5]

Someone who has had multiple pregnancies will have a higher chance of conceiving as pregnancies tend to keep the reproductive machinery viable longer. With that said though, rate of conception is low past 40 and even lower carrying to full term. The fact you had a viable embryo and carried it as long as you did is a good sign though. For implantation to occur the uterine bed needs to be thick but not too thick. Sometimes fluctuations in hormones can disrupt this and it sounds as if that was successful. Obviously some people have been successful but chances are incredibly low. You could, however, speak with a reproductive endocrinologist to determine if there is any steps you can take to successfully carry a high risk pregnancy. Often times if you can achieve conception then supports can be put in place to help you carry it. My good friend had her last at 47 after 3 miscarriages. She did so with the help of her doctors. 

[Ann.without.an.e]

The oldest I have known was 45 and she seems the exception.  I, personally, had no luck after 35 for the same reason you stated.  Three pregnancies in a row at 35, 37, 38 and the baby just stopped growing.  This is often because of genetic issues.  I am sorry, I wish I could be more positive.  It does happen though and if you can handle the heartache of more miscarriages then trying might be good.  Your risk of a genetic disorder after 40 is super high though. Just being honest ❤️   Hang in there.  It is tough.

[Osmosis Mom]

7 minutes ago, nixpix5 said:

Someone who has had multiple pregnancies will have a higher chance of conceiving as pregnancies tend to keep the reproductive machinery viable longer. With that said though, rate of conception is low past 40 and even lower carrying to full term. The fact you had a viable embryo and carried it as long as you did is a good sign though. For implantation to occur the uterine bed needs to be thick but not too thick. Sometimes fluctuations in hormones can disrupt this and it sounds as if that was successful. Obviously some people have been successful but chances are incredibly low. You could, however, speak with a reproductive endocrinologist to determine if there is any steps you can take to successfully carry a high risk pregnancy. Often times if you can achieve conception then supports can be put in place to help you carry it. My good friend had her last at 47 after 3 miscarriages. She did so with the help of her doctors. 

Yeah, thinking of getting my hormones checked. Seems there is something that can be done in that regard. 

[ktgrok]

No, but to boost your odds there has been research on DHEA and CoQ10, used together, to return the ovarian maturation cycle to that of a younger woman, for lack of a better scientific description. It seems it isn't that the eggs are old, but that they are maturing in an poor ovarian environment, and those supplements seem to return it to "normal" so that the eggs mature properly. In some fertility clinics/trials this returns the odds of miscarriage back to the lower odds that a younger woman might face by reducing the odds of genetic mutations/abnormalities. But it takes 3-4 months, as that is how long it takes for a follicle to ripen. We did this and got pregnant the first month trying, but that was at age 41 with a history of being very fertile. 

[Osmosis Mom]

2 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

No, but to boost your odds there has been research on DHEA and CoQ10, used together, to return the ovarian maturation cycle to that of a younger woman, for lack of a better scientific description. It seems it isn't that the eggs are old, but that they are maturing in an poor ovarian environment, and those supplements seem to return it to "normal" so that the eggs mature properly. In some fertility clinics/trials this returns the odds of miscarriage back to the lower odds that a younger woman might face by reducing the odds of genetic mutations/abnormalities. But it takes 3-4 months, as that is how long it takes for a follicle to ripen. We did this and got pregnant the first month trying, but that was at age 41 with a history of being very fertile. 

I actually bought these four months back but was not sure if it was worth the gaggle to take them. Maybe I should do that for a few months, at least to get distracted and feel I am doing something. I should add that the pregnancy I lost was healthy so it was not a genetic issue, but a carrying issue.

All things considered, it is a longing, but life goes on. I never expected to have this strong urge at this age. My last two pregnancies at 36 and 39 were very easy but took a bit longer to conceive.

[PeachyDoodle]

A friend of mine had a healthy pregnancy and baby last year at 47. He will celebrate his first birthday in a few weeks.

Her other children were 13 and would have been 12. The younger one died in a car accident three years ago. AFAIK, she had no problems conceiving or carrying to term.

[Carrie12345]

Adam Ruins Pregnancy has me questioning everything!  (Not for myself. I'm done.)

I suspect it's difficult to get solid statistics when there isn't much tracking of women who choose to not have children later in life vs. those for whom it just doesn't happen.  Unless there's a database that can tell that I'm still in a monogamous relationship with my sterilized husband, no one knows whether or not I'm intentionally preventing.

[gardenmom5]

I'm sorry about your loss.

I was in my 40's and started perimenopause when I conceived dudeling.  I have friends who had perfectly healthy babies in their late 40s. (one might even have been 48).  both were conceived naturally.  this was years ago, so those babies have grown up and are now mothers . . . .

[umsami]

Sorry for your loss. ❤️

 

I had my last one at 42.  I'm 49, almost 50 now, and was wondering if I'm finally entering perimenopause.  So I had my hormones checked.  Was told to do it on the 3rd day of my cycle.  Ended up going through Walk In Labs due to insurance issues (I'd pay far more with insurance than cash pay).   Had results in 24 hours.  Hormone wise--I'm still fertile, and no signs of perimenopause.  Maybe that's a good place to start?

[Osmosis Mom]

2 minutes ago, umsami said:

Sorry for your loss. ❤️

 

I had my last one at 42.  I'm 49, almost 50 now, and was wondering if I'm finally entering perimenopause.  So I had my hormones checked.  Was told to do it on the 3rd day of my cycle.  Ended up going through Walk In Labs due to insurance issues (I'd pay far more with insurance than cash pay).   Had results in 24 hours.  Hormone wise--I'm still fertile, and no signs of perimenopause.  Maybe that's a good place to start?

I am getting my period and have an otc fertility testing set that I can  use at home. It has shown there are fertile days, or, well, open windows. Was more wondering about the probability of not only getting pregnant on our own, but carrying to term as well.

So are you thinking of getting pregnant or why test? You would be considered fertile theoretically speaking for up to a year after you had your last period.

[gardenmom5]

33 minutes ago, nixpix5 said:

Someone who has had multiple pregnancies will have a higher chance of conceiving as pregnancies tend to keep the reproductive machinery viable longer.

yes - pregnancy resets things.   I had been in peri - and pregnancy reset everything.  I was  54? before I finally hit menopause.

the gp I had at that time, refused to check my hormones until I had skipped at least three cycles.  I have read some things that otherwise you're just testing within a cycle and hormone levels normally changes within the cycle. -I did eventually fire this dr.  was never tested.

[Selkie]

One thing to remember is that it is not just your age that matters, but also the age of your partner. Sperm quality goes way down as men reach middle age. I was just reading recently (can't remember where) that older women who conceive with younger men have the same rate of birth defects as younger women, but older women who conceive with older men have a much higher rate of birth defects.

[mumto2]

One of my mother’s friends was 49 or 50 when she delivered a heathy baby boy.  This was around 1960 and at least her 7th, cannot remember.

[ktgrok]

1 hour ago, Osmosis Mom said:

I actually bought these four months back but was not sure if it was worth the gaggle to take them. Maybe I should do that for a few months, at least to get distracted and feel I am doing something. I should add that the pregnancy I lost was healthy so it was not a genetic issue, but a carrying issue.

All things considered, it is a longing, but life goes on. I never expected to have this strong urge at this age. My last two pregnancies at 36 and 39 were very easy but took a bit longer to conceive.

Have you talked to your Ob at least? They may be willing to run some base level labs to make sure you are healthy in general. Also, if no genetic abnormalities maybe it was a progesterone issue, which can be adressed fairly easily without much risk. I'd have a frank talk with an Ob you trust, or with a RE if you don't have a helpful OB. If you want to avoid a push towards IVF you can google for the St. Paul institute or Catholic fertility specialists, as they don't do IVF but work with your body.  https://www.naprotechnology.com

[maize]

I know several women who had successful pregnancies/births around 45, very few after that--most pregnancies seem to end in miscarriage.

I would talk with a fertility specialist. Miscarriages because of fetal anomalies yu can't do much about but if maternal hormones are in play they may be able to help.

[Farrar]

I have a friend who had her baby in her late 40's. And it was a surprise baby. I see other moms with babies who are older around here a lot - urban area. But I don't know what struggles they went through or what the back story is or their exact age, ya know?

I agree with a lot of the above. The deck is really stacked against you after about age 40, but it's unpredictable. You need a specialist.

[ashfern]

I had the exact scenario as you. Baby stopped growing but needed a D&C. I did conceive again about 3 months later. He was born a couple of weeks before I turned 42.

[sgo95]

My aunt had one DD at age 36 and one DD at age 48 without fertility help.  Very healthy pregnancies both times.

[DesertBlossom]

My grandmother had baby #10 at age 49. So her last 2 (possibly 3) kids were while she was in her 40s. She had her first baby at age 17, so there was quite the span. They were all 3-4 years apart. She had several grandchildren older than her youngest baby.

[Crimson Wife]

Platelet-Rich Plasma injections into the ovaries have been shown in trials to reverse menopause. It is *VERY* expensive, however. I looked into a clinic in San Diego that is doing a trial of PRP to boost fertility in peri-menopausal women and it would've cost me around $7k not including the cost of travel.

Another option is IV NAD+ to improve the mitochondrial DNA. Again very expensive (not sure of the exact cost).

I ended up getting pregnant naturally with nothing more than just regular dietary supplements (Coenzyme Q10, omega 3's, antioxidants, etc.), but I was only a month past my 41st birthday. That's very different than late 40's.

[LindaOz]

I had my last two at 44 and 46 - no intervention, both healthy.  I had high blood pressure during my pregnancy with the '46' baby but it wasn't age related because I had high bp in a number of my other pregnancies - including the first two. 

[Murphy101]

I know one woman who had a surprise baby at 50, pregnant at 49.  

I know several woman who have gotten pregnant naturally and given birth with few to no complications between 44-46.

I had my youngest at 43, with a 5 year gap between her and the previous. 

I don’t think it likely that I’ll have more now that I’m turning 45. Possible? Yes. Likely? Probably not.

I don’t know how I feel about it. And really, life doesn’t care how I feel so I mostly don’t dwell on it.  When I do, I fluctuate from REALLY wanting another and REALLY feeling sadly done.

 

[Katy]

I don't know anyone personally who didn't either have PCOS and have a great deal of trouble conceiving in their 20's & 30's whose fertility improved in their 40's as they reached closer to menopause or people who were using fertility specialists (and I suspect not using their own eggs), but I've heard of women in their early 50's having a healthy surprise baby.

I read recently that they have just discovered a new way that sperm can be abnormal, and they think it may explain many previously unexplained miscarriages.  By which I mean, don't blame your age for your loss.

[happypamama]

(((Hugs))) — I am sorry for your loss. It’s really hard to want another baby and not be guaranteed one. I would have your doctor check your FSH levels to see what your ovarian reserve is. That might help you decide whether trying again is likely to yield anything or not. I’d also heavily suggest consulting with a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist because older moms have higher risks of birth defects, preeclampsia, and other problems, so you’ll want to be monitored carefully. 

[Murphy101]

Never blame age or much of anything else for your loss. 

Miscarriages are sad, but especially in the first trimester, they are also a brutal part of nature. Iirc, the estimate was that 1/3 of pregnancies have miscarriage in the first trimester for no known cause. It is just part of nature. A sucky crappy no good rotten part. But also a not anything the woman likely could have done to prevent it.

[Guest]

I am so sorry for your loss. The oldest women I have known personally have been 45-46. I do know of several in that range, though, that had late losses. I think even the sucessful mid-40s had also had pregnancy losses before the surviving baby. 

[73349]

I got a surprise baby sister when Mom was 45, 11 years after the next-closest sibling. (Sis is now a healthy teen.) I don't personally know any later than that.