Is it possible to naturally conceive a healthy baby after 40? - 40plus and pregnant | Forums

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dstepha11

I’m 40 and currently 5wks following a MMC in December. I have a 3yr old and almost 2yr old. Praying this baby sticks but I can’t help but worry about the genetic testing I’ll have done around 12-13 weeks (praying we even make it that far) and having low risk results. I read on another forum for 40+ moms where a woman commented that the ONLY way to conceive after 40 is through IVF. She said she has 30 eggs retrieved at 40 and all but 3 had chromosomal abnormalities and those would have all been non viable pregnancies/miscarriages and it’s just been weighing so heavy on me since I read it. I know at 40 the percentage is higher for genetic issues but can I hear some positive stories from people who have had healthy babies and conceived naturally at 40 or older? I feel like I’m spiraling.

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JBNY22

Hello! I had a appt w/a fertility specialist recently . She said at our age ( I’m also 40) about 60% of our eggs are abnormal and 40% are normal. This makes me feel like although miscarriages are more likely a healthy pregnancy is still possible . She recommended I try naturally for 3 more months and then do IVF with pgt testing. She would not have suggested this if she didn’t think it was possible for me to still have a healthy pregnancy unassisted.

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BabyBurk2325

@JBNY22,

my first round of IVF I did the PGT-A testing. Non were viable. my second round we decided not to do the testing and take the chance. I got pregnant the first transfer. We now have a healthy baby girl. No issue at all. I will say the pregnancy was pretty uneventful but the ivf and medication took a mental toll on me. My daughter just turned 2 and As I was finally feeling mentally better for all the meds pumping in me, I found outbI was pregnant naturally. unplanned at almost 41. I really feel like the PGT-A is a money grab unfortunately. I felt in my heart that one of the embryos they said wasn't viable possibly could have been perfectly fine as they did not have bad "scores". But you never know.

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JBNY22

@BabyBurk2325,

thank you for sharing this! It’s such a hard decision at this age to try unassisted or go for IVF bc it feels like there is not much time. So far I really like the dr I met with at RMA, she is smart and reasonable . She did mention something about pgt testing and still possibly using embryos that are mosaic .

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GingerMomster

It’s possible.

There’s always going to be naysayers.

I had a MMC at 37. I got pregnant naturally at 40. I too was worried about genetic testing and very cautious up until the last trimester practically.

Currently days shy of turning 41 and I’m 34 weeks with a healthy, uneventful pregnancy.

It’s so hard to focus on growing a baby when you’ve had a previous loss and seeing other ppl’s negativity. Find something small to focus on to pass the time. It truly is one of the hardest things to do but one of the best if you can

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dstepha11

@GingerMomster,

thank you for that. Luckily the weather is turning so I can get outside more with the kids and take my mind off the internet. Did the pregnancy at 40 end with a good delivery/baby? I’ll be 41 if this baby sticks and I deliver in Nov!

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GingerMomster

@dstepha11,

still cooking. Due at the end of April.

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dstepha11

@GingerMomster,

ahh ok I thought it was two different pregnancies! Good luck on these last couple weeks! I’ve been in a much better mindset today.

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MamaBami

I'm proof that they do not know it all. I had my first 15 years ago, then baby #2 naturally conceived at 43. She is a healthy 8 month old. I am currently pregnant again naturally at 44. I never did any genetic test and none of my OB recommended it. I am healthy and had a natural birth at home at 43 with OB present. Also, I don't have any disease and all pregnancies to term went well, no risks or issues. I did have 2 miscarriages at 5 weeks each but we tested the fetuses and they were genetically normal, the issue was progesterone. With baby 2 I took supplements from 4 weeks to 9 when placenta takes over.
I read in the 40+mom one woman had her 1st at 43, 2nd at 45 and 3rd at 47 all naturally conceived. I alsoqaa6yI'm planing to do the same, I only have this decade to complete our family naturally so we will welcome as many as we can. Happy to become stay at home mom and hubby has been my best friend, he got me a maid to help so I can rest and just focus on the kids.
Also, I do not follow the North American Standard diets. I eat nutrient rich food and limit processed food even vegan or plant-base, no soy unless in asian dishes :)

Lastly, I read lots of post of women who did IVF and only got pregnant after it all failed and they had given up, then they got pregnant naturally. Low stress is also key so make sure you relax and only worry about what is in your control. Hope this helped.

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dstepha11

@MamaBami,

thank you thank you! I really am trying to reduce my stress/anxiety surrounding this! I never once worried with my prior pregnancies that resulted in my two healthy babies. And I was 37 and 38 for those. I decided not to test my MMC but my progesterone was a 7 so we supplemented immediately with this pregnancy. My husband and I eat fairly healthy. We cook all our meals and focus on whole food and less processed food. And we both workout 5x/wk. I used to coach CrossFit for the 7 years prior to having my 3yr old

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DreamCatcher3

I’m 42 currently pregnant and conceived naturally. I’m 13 weeks along and so far all blood tests and ultrasounds have pointed to a perfectly healthy baby. I have had MANY miscarriages in the past but they all died before 12 weeks so I’m very confident that this little guy is sticking around. I also had one when I was 39 and he’s perfect in every way. I hope this brings you some comfort. Good luck mama.

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dstepha11

@DreamCatcher3,

congrats on your current pregnancy!!

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BabyBurk2325

I did IVF in 2022 our daughter was born 2023. I only had about 12eggs retrieved. ended up with 3 embryos. we literally decided beginning of Sept to discard the remaining embryos. I found the end of September I was pregnant naturally, unmedicated. unexpected, unplanned at 40. I just turned 41 the other day. 26weeks pregnant and baby is doing well, no issues. Sending you many positive vibes. Best of luck.

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dstepha11

@BabyBurk2325,

that’s incredible! Congrats!!

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mbly01

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I rarely respond to posts, but yours caught my eye. I just want to encourage you that yes, you can have a healthy pregnancy/baby at 40 and beyond. I had my last at 44. She is three years old now and healthy as can be. I also conceived her naturally. Probably the best thing you can do is tune out all the worrisome info. Just do your best to have a healthy pregnancy, and see what happens. Prayers for a peaceful and beautiful experience that you can encourage others with someday!

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dstepha11

@mbly01,

thank you so much for the kind words! And yes, I need to stop googling things and just try and be more present in the moment. It’s a new pregnancy with a different outcome: is the mantra I’ve been trying to remind myself!

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Harbisgirl

Oh pish posh, it happens every day. I got pregnant at 40, gave birth at 41. Natural pregnancy, unplanned. Pregnancy went great and baby girl was perfect in every way. I'm in a couple of over 40s moms groups and its quite common.

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Ellie37

Both of my babies were naturally conceived in my 40s. Born full-term, and perfect!

Hope everything goes well. Try not to worry too much beyond things you can control!

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dstepha11

@Ellie37,

thank you! I’m trying so hard to let go of my anxiety and just BE in this moment. I AM currently pregnant. And that’s all that should matter, today!

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juliagulia4

I had two healthy pregnancies at 41 and 43 without fertility interventions. Both were a surprise as I had fertility treatments with my first when I was 30.

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arabiya

got pregnant at 44 naturally, and guess what i mis counted one day by accident and got pregnant that easy, wasn't planned and no I wasn't on birth control or anything.

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dstepha11

@arabiya,

the universe had other plans for you! :) that’s amazing

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Is it possible to naturally conceive a healthy baby after 40? - 40plus and pregnant | Forums | What to Expect (2025)

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