I am 43 and pregnant with my third. My other 2 are 5 and 7 years old. This 3rd pregnancy was definitely a surprise to us! What are my odds that everything will turn out OK? My other 2 went without a hitch (except for having to be done by c-section because of being frank breech). I’m a little concerned with possible health defects with this one. I’m scheduled for an amnio in a couple of weeks and will find out some news there.
Thanks for your help.”
If you’re 43 and pregnant you may hear a lot of scary-sounding numbers and warnings from medical professionals (and even friends), and your pregnancy will probably be labeled “high risk” by doctors. It is true that around age 43, your risk of miscarriage in the first trimester is high- about 40 percent- because of the increased risk of genetic disorders. But the good news is that once you get past those first 12 weeks and a heartbeat is detected, the odds of carrying a healthy baby to term are pretty high, about 80 percent. You’ll be reassured to know, too, that amniocentesis detects about 95 percent of genetic abnormalities. At your age the odds of the baby having a genetic issue is about 6 – 8 percent- not nonexistent and higher than if you were 23, but also not as huge as you might think. If amnio reveals no issues, then your main concern will be age-related health issues that could impact your pregnancy, such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure. But if you’re in good shape and have no pre-existing conditions, then your odds of having a healthy baby are very good- about 80 percent.
