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Re: ?????RIGHT TIME?From: Carolyn (anonymous@obgyn.net)Tue, 18 Aug 1998 06:14:16 PDT
Lonnie, I'm not a Dr but wanted to suggest that you pick up a copy of the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler. She goes into great detail the signs of your fertility, explains how a woman's cycle works, what to look for, how to chart your temps...basically, all the info that you would need to pick up signs as to when you are the most fertile. And since I am 35 and due to deliver my third child (any day...fingers crossed!), I'll speak from experience about the risks of having a baby. First, I had no problems getting pregnant. But from what I understand, each year older you get, your fertility decreases. However, while you may not ovulate one cycle, you may ovulate twice the next cycle, so as you grow older, the risk of a multiple pregnancy increases. Second, as you age, the risk of fetal chromosomal abnormalities increases. It doesn't suddenly increase at 35 but it starts gradually increasing with birth. But when it's 1/1000000(arbitrary number), at birth, it really seems insignificant. And when you hit 18 the chances are still pretty insignificant. As you age your risks for having a child with DS increase. When you hit 35 it becomes an "issue" because at 35 the risk of having a child with DS is approximately the same as the risk of miscarrying due to an amnio, that being about 1/200. So, at 35 most women are given the choice. As age beyond 35 your risk continues to increase, but the risk of an amnio remains the same. An amnio is nothing more than a choice that is given to you to possibly alleviate your fears, or allow you to prepare in whatever manner you need to. It is not a requirement. And an amnio cannot tell you everything about your baby. It cannot tell you about several congenital defects, only many of the chromosomal ones (but not all). IF your age is a concern for you, I would talk with a genetic counselor about what your options are and what your risks are (in more detail...this was a very simplified version). I did this and it helped me alleviate many of my fears and gave me a good understanding of what the statistics mean. If I got anything wrong, I hope the Drs can jump in with the correct information. For me, this being my third baby, I can only say that the pregnancy itself hasn't been much different from my other two. I've had some symptoms I didn't experience with my first two, the biggest two being swelling of my feet (this is my first time pregnant through summer) and varicose veins. In all other respects, I have had a pretty normal pregnancy. I don't know if I'm lucky or just built for pregnancy. I personally believe alot is in my attitude. I don't treat myself like I have some kind of disease, I continue with most of my normal activities. I even began water aerobics at 30 weeks. Good Luck in your endeavor. Carolyn
>From anonymous@obgyn.net Tue Aug 18 00:57:30 1998
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