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Pregnancy at 30-40 is by definition more risky for both mother and child, but it's nothing to worry about these days as more and more women have successful careers, healthy lifestyles and are leaving child bearing later. In fact, in the news in recent years there are more and more famous film stars who have had children after the age of 40, and chose to bring up these children on their own.

So, to your question: is pregnancy at 30-40 OK - the answer is a resounding yes. However, more important than your age is your lifestyle (do you smoke), health (do you exercise and follow a sensible diet) and medical history. Ideally you should check these out with a doctor before choosing to fall pregnant at 30-40, but if you happen to find yourself pregnant in this age group, knowing what you're dealing with is, as always, the best way to be aware of potential problems and deal with them before they arise.

While certain risks increase with a pregnancy at 30-40, including the possibility of having a Downs' Syndrome baby, studies have shown that women even over the age of 50 are likely to have a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby if their lifestyle, health and medical history are correspondingly healthy. Whether you smoke is as important a factor to take into account as age in a pregnancy at 30-40 as is whether you contract, for example, measles during pregnancy. Having a baby is risk.

With a pregnancy at 30-40 a woman will be asked a multitude of questions relating to diet, lifestyle, health, medical history, etc., after which she will be treated, one with exception, pretty much as any other pregnant woman.

The exception in a pregnancy at 30-40 is possibly an amniocentesis a test used when there is a greater risk of chromosomal abnormality. The test will detect a range of birth defects like spina bifida and Down syndrome. The test is not used only for pregnancies at 30-40 and may not even be used in pregnancies less than 35. There is a very small risk in same cases of miscarriage; this is something you need to discuss with your partner and doctor before taking the test.

As in all pregnancies, and particularly a pregnancy at 30-40, love and support are often more valuable even than medical care.