What to expect if you are nearing 40 and pregnant?

Any pregnancy beyond 35 years of age is considered high risk. You may be asked to see a perinatologist especially if you have a medical history of diabetes, hypertension, etc.

I personally do not have an experience of being pregnant in my late 30s since I was just 34 during my last pregnancy. But I really felt the difference of being pregnant when I was in my early 30s, late 20's, and early 20's respectively because that was my ages when I got pregnant with my 3 kids.

I had an easy pregnancy with my first 2, except that I had controlled gestational diabetes for my 2nd which I think is because of genetics. Other than that everything was very smooth. On my 3rd pregnancy, aside from gestational diabetes, I felt like I was always tired, there were times I had difficulty in sleeping because I was nearly catching my breath and morning sickness kicked heavily unlike my first 2 pregnancies.

It may be just me and pregnancies differ from one to another but as we age, our bodies become vulnerable too. If you choose to get pregnant again at that age, be extra cautious not only for the baby but for yourself as well. Good luck!

I had my first child at 40 and while considered high risk for my age, our pregnancy went smoothly. We had a private Obs-gyn but my same-age friends didn’t and when it came to the birth, our private Obs was not available anyway so we had the locum at the hospital. We were recommended to do the chromosome test but a part from that had no issues.
Hope all goes well!

I would suggest speaking to your OB and go from there. I know a lot of women in their late 30s and early 40s who have had healthy pregnancies and babies. If you are in good health and your first pregnancy was ok, I think you're in good shape to start considering having another baby.

There is a wave of extra tests that someone of "advanced maternal age" would be eligible for. Genetic testing being a big one. I know once you get further into the pregnancy, stress tests are also recommended.

I agree, you're at a much different stage in your life and having a baby now would offer a very different perspective. I don't think it's uncommon for a woman in her late 30s/early 40s to consider having another baby. I wish you the best of luck!

The women I know who had babies in their late 30s did very well with their pregnancies. Since they were a bit more mature, they seemed to have a greater sense of how to prepare and were very cooperative with any recommendations from their physician.

Anyone over 35 years of age is considered high risk due to maternal age. If you have a regular OB physician, I would start with him and ask about a high-risk specialist at your appointment. At times, a practice houses traditional OB doctors and those specializing in high-risk pregnancies.

I wish you the best on your exciting decision.