ABOUT OUR EXPERTS

Pregnancy health questions posted on this page will be answered by one of a team of specialists from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. General lifestyle questions will be referred to experts in the relevant field. Home/car insurance questions will be answered by an expert from Cornhill Direct.

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I have two children aged 7 and 4 and would like to have another. The problem is I am 45 years old. I am aware that fertility is reduced with age but I am very concerned about the risk of Downs syndrome with mother's age. I have two questions: 1) Does that the fact that I already have 2 children 'reduce' the risk of having a Down's syndrome child? 2) How high is this risk? i.e.what percentage of women age 45 and over have Down's syndrome children. Thanks for your question. To answer you separate queries: 1) No, that doesn't make a difference to the risk. 2) The statistics show there is a 1 in 30 change if the pregnancy goes to term but higher before that as many abnormal pregnancies will miscarry or be terminated.
I had my last period on May 31st 2010, so my baby should be due March 7th 2011. The scan gave me a due date of February 26th 2011, can you tell me why? Thanks for your question. The exact time of conception isn’t known, so an early scan is accurate to within three to four days since the range of size for a given gestation is so very small. If you have any other concerns about your due date, always speak to your doctor or midwife.
I am 33 weeks pregnant and for about a month and a half I have had breast milk leaking from one breast and not the other. I have looked it up on the internet and it says this could indicate a problem? Thanks for your question. In my experience it's not an unusual occurrence, so I wouldn't be concerned. The internet is great but it has its bad points in terms of information overload sometimes too. If you have any doubts, as always, talk to your doctor or midwife.
I have just found out I’m pregnant, so I’m just four weeks yesterday. However, just before I found out, I had to have an X-ray on my wrist, and I had also been to a function and had been drinking alcohol. I’m worried I may have done some damage? At this very early stage an X-ray on the wrist will not cause any damage as the beam is so focussed. As to the alcohol consumption, it is unlikely that a drink on one occasion will make any difference. If you have any further concerns, do speak to your doctor.
Should I be wearing a sports bra for extra support whilst pregnant? A sports bra isn't necessary, any bra with good support is absolutely fine.
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