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Wow, I would not be scared for her unless she has a long history of miscarriage or other physical problems..A healthy 38 year old women is not too old for having children..in fact many women do not have their first child until that time..women are capable of having kids well into ther 40's. With a great doctor guiding her along she could have as smooth a pregnancy as any other women having a child. The risks for Down syndrome increase after 35 but I think her chances of that are approximately 1/110. So her odd are pretty good. Best of luck to both of you. Kristin

hi, I am 37 as well and am contemplating having a fourth and from everything I have read and been told a 37 yr old odds are more like 1/250. Did your dr tell you 1/110? I/110 sounds so much higher to me and could influence my decision. As for your mom, I also agree if ytou are healthy 37 and 38 is not too old, try not to worry.

My doctor told me for my age, 38, it is 1/200.

I am 38 and my doctor told me 1/89 when I deliver at 39 in November..The women will be 38 when she delivers..

Abigail, you're sweet for being so concerned for your mom. Rest a__sured that your mom's child-bearing years are not necessarily over because she is 37. There is a greater risk of miscarriage and down's syndrome concerns but these things can happen to 20 year olds too. If your mom is relatively healthy she should be fine. My sister was 42 when she was pregnant with twins and we were all very concerned for her not because of her age but because her doctors called her a "high risk patient" she had severe asthma, diabetes, congestive heart disease and she is obese (more than 350 pounds). We still supported her decision to become pregnant but were worried about her. She had a healthy pregnancy and has healthy twins. My point is; don't worry so much. Just give your mom as much support and love as possible right now.

Thank you. I feel better knowing she's not the only one pregnant. This baby will be her 5th one.

Abigail, I think it's really sweet you're so concerned about your mother. As Kristin said, though, as long as your mother is healthy and takes care of herself, she should do fine. Your support, though, will mean the world to her. I, too, have a daughter named Abigail and she's been such a big help. I just had my fifth child (just like your mom expecting her fifth) at age 47 (all my others were born at least 17 years ago). So, if you think your mom's "up there" agewise, I've got her beat by 10 years. Other than getting gestational diabetes in the latter part of my pregnancy (though I didn't feel poorly from it), I felt great. I wish I could feel that good all the time. I didn't even get swelling or high blood pressure (in fact, my bp tends to run low, even during pregnancy). Personally, I think this time can be very special for you and your mother together. It can help you grow even closer, and you'll also learn about being pregnant, labor, delivery, and how it is to raise a child. Even though you're older and won't get to play with the child in the same fashion as you would if you were younger, you'll still be an important part of the child's life. Plus, now that you're older, this information can be useful for when you have children. Best of luck!

ABIGAIL: Here is some info and I hope this helps you: Babies born with Down syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21. The risk of Down syndrome goes up with maternal age. At age 20, the odds of a Downs syndrome baby are 1 in 1,500. At age 35, they go up to 1 in 350. By age 43, the odds are 1 in 50.

I am worried. I am 45 and I might be pregnant. Downs is another worry. What is the risk at my age??? I am panicking like mad.

The risk of having a DS baby at age 45 is about 1 in 30. Of course your odds change, most likely improve, after getting a nuchal scan and blood test in 1st trimester (11-13 weeks) to get a more accurate idea. You can do the nuchal scan and then CVS or just go directly to a CVS which can also be done in 1st trimester and with almost 100% accuracy will tell you if your baby has DS. There is a small risk of miscarriage with a CVS though which is why so many of us would rather do the nuchal scan first and then decide whether we should or should not do the CVS. If you're more concerned about DS than miscarriage, I'd go directly to the CVS test. But I believe the bigger risk at 45 is the risk of miscarriage. Keep in mind that 45 is not so old that you have to panic because of age neither about pregnancy nor about afterwards. Joan Lunden is mothering her 2nd set of twins from a surrogate mother because in vitro fertilization did not work for her. If she can do it then we 30 and 40-somethings can do it too!

Oops I thought I mentioned it but I didn't Joan Lunden (host from Good Morning America) was 52 when her 1st set of twins was born then 54 when her 2nd set of twins were born. Wow!

Kristin, I just had a baby at age 38. Yes, women higher in age are at a higher risk, but please don't worry. I had the most incredible doctors seeing me through my pregnancy. They stayed in touch with me and were very thurough. My baby is 6 months old now and she is absolutely wonderful! Just see that your mom gets excellent prenatal care and everything should be fine.

38 is quite young abigail, i had my second at 38 and didn't worry about any problems (and had none). This current baby was given a 1:15 chance of down's due to my age but is fine, think they give you these numbers to frighten you. Also the numbers are based at percentage at beginnning of pregnancy, the further you go along in your pregnancy the less risk as natural miscarriage happens to many babies with chromosonal abnormalities.

Abigail, this posts shows how much you love your mom and that is great. Try not to worry sweety, babies are born everyday to all age groups. The doctors will take good care of her and why don't you do the little extra to help her too. HUGS sweety.