any saif ladies older (40<) and try for a 2nd?

prazenjc

i'm 41 and had some complications toward the end of my pregnancy that has DH concerned about risks if we try again. i thought i remembered one of the MFM specialist say that it was common in older mothers to have pre-eclampsia. mine was so bad i was in the hospital for a month b/c DS's heart kept decelerating and then recovering and they feared one time it wouldn't recover, so i was on constant monitoring and bed rest.

anyway, i am getting ready to start the process of finding out if we can try for a 2nd. i have an obgyn appt next week and i will request a MFM consult. then, if they give us the green light, i will make my appt w/our original RE.

i'm mostly looking for success stories for having a 2nd baby with IF treatments. i know we are a guaranteed IVF couple again, due to DH's sperm.

thanks ladies!

choco_lab

I got preg right before I turned 40 and my preg went fine! It was my second ivf in trying for #2. every preg is different .. This one might be easy for you! Good luck!

mmttc1b

I had postpartum pre-e with my first @38. I never got it with my second who was born a few days after I turned 40. You just never know. Good luck! 

JillAly

I definitely fit that bill.  I had pre-e/ HELLP with my first, was rushed to the hospital at 36 weeks, had an emergency c-section and spent a week in the hospital recovering (and months on BP meds).  Everyone thought we were one and done...except me.  I was 40 when I had ds.

At 42, I went back to the RE.  We did IVF b/c of dh's MFI and of course, my age didn't help.  I got pregnant and I'm not kidding, my OB's jaw dropped when I walked through the door.  He said he couldn't believe I was going for #2.  He was a high risk OB but now I was super high risk.  I monitored my BP at home daily and had appointments every 2 weeks in the beginning for urine tests and sonograms.  Once it seemed I was fine, I was allowed to come in every month and keep monitoring at home. 

At 28 weeks, my BP spiked a little. I was told I could continue work but had to drive instead of taking the subway.  At 32 weeks, I started spilling protein and my BP went up again- I think it was around 130/94.  It wasn't crazy high but high enough my OB didn't want to take chances.  He put me in the hospital for the next month until I had dd at 36 1/2 weeks (she was fully cooked at that point- my kids grow fast- she was over 8lbs so the doctor was ok delivering me early- it had nothing to do with pre-e).  After the first 5 days in the hospital, my BP went down to normal and my protein level was almost normal.  Other OB's would have let me go home for bedrest but my OB was super cautious...and it was July (the heat is hard for me even when I'm not pregnant!)

While it may not sound like a success story because I was on hospital bed rest, it really is.  I felt amazing during my 2nd pregnancy--even at the end.   I never felt bad like I did in my first pregnancy.  My delivery was easy (c-section) and so was my recovery the 2nd time.  I don't know how it would have ended if I was allowed to stay home and continue working during that last month, but the bed rest really did work for me.  It was worth it to have a beautiful healthy baby girl.

good luck!

SeaSoul

Hi!
I was 39 when LO #1 was conceived (via IUI w/ donor sperm) and I had him 6 days after my 40th bday.  No complications at all, and he was born at term, a healthy 7lb 2.5oz.

I was 42 when LO #2 was conceived (via the same method) and had him 9 days after my 43rd bday.  This was a harder pregnancy for me, but not a difficult one medically-speaking.  He was born a week late via induction (my water had broken 72 hours earlier) and was a healthy 8lb 12 oz.

I was healthy during and after both pregnancies.

We had genetic screening done with both pregnancies and tested high risk for Down Syndrome, but both boys were born with a full set of chromosomes.  We were offered multiple ultrasounds with LO#2 because of my age (and the risks involved because of it), and we did them, but only 1/2 as often as they recommended. 

I have no idea if it was age-related or because I had a toddler at the time, but my 2nd pregnancy was much harder - exhaustion, morning sickness, a spell where I had difficulty urinating, spotting, and major discomfort at the end.  But these things can happen regardless of age.

I don't know much about pre-e. I would think it would be a concern, regardless of your age, simply because you have had it before. Have you talked to your OB/MW about it?