My stepmother is currently 4.5 months pregnant with her first child, and tonight she told me that all the stress our family has experienced due to my health problems has made things even more challenging for her, and that it isn't good for the baby. I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a type of cancer, last summer just before my 17th birthday, and am currently on my final cycle of chemo. My prognosis is really good. I was a royal pain just after my diagnosis because it dramatically affected my life and caused all sorts of physical and emotional pain for me, but by the time we found out she was pregnant I was halfway along with my treatment and had learned to manage and was much calmer. She's had a rough pregnancy with a lot of "morning" sickness all day long.
She's 34 and in excellent physical shape, and has never had any health problems her entire life. Could the stress really cause that much harm to the baby or be one of the reasons she's been sick so much? My dad is 46. I don't know if him being older puts the baby more at risk too. Can stress cause a miscarriage or birth defects or anything?
She's 34 and in excellent physical shape, and has never had any health problems her entire life. Could the stress really cause that much harm to the baby or be one of the reasons she's been sick so much? My dad is 46. I don't know if him being older puts the baby more at risk too. Can stress cause a miscarriage or birth defects or anything?