I'm 40 years old and have a 22-year-old daughter. I would like to have another baby. Is it too late for me? Is it safe at my age to even think about getting pregnant? I am healthy and in very good shape. I have a tilted uterus -- will that make it harder in my case? --Peggy

Assuming you are in good health, you should do well. I would advise a well-balanced approach to getting in shape before attempting conception. This means adequate nutrition (eating five servings of fruit and veggies per day and increasing dairy intake); exercise three to four times per week and a daily folic acid supplement.

At age 40, you are at greater risk of certain types of birth defects, such as Down syndrome, due to abnormal egg chromosomes. In fact, at age 40, about half your eggs are chromosomally abnormal. Luckily, these rarely result in a pregnancy that lasts long enough for you to even know you're pregnant. But we advise all women over age 35 to consider prenatal genetic testing. In addition, pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy) and gestational diabetes are more common as a woman ages.

Talk with your doctor about these risks and make the decision that's right for you. Good luck.