It is advisable to have a baby in your early 20s. Well, this is not an old wives tale at all. In fact, it has a modicum of truth as your body is at the height of fertility when you are yet to enter the third decade of your life.
However, the pressures of modern living have compelled many women to marry late and begin their families even later. Bollywood is filled with instances of late pregnancies but thankfully both the mother and child go on to live healthy lives despite the risks associated with having a late pregnancy.
So, do not be scared at the notion of conceiving when you are well past 30. You will hear of many women giving birth to a healthy child after the age of 35 and even 40.
Do remain cautious though and take care of yourself by following the doctor’s advice. Heed the risks and remember to follow a healthy lifestyle in order to have a healthy baby. Do check out the facts below and remain prepared as you get ready to bring a new life into the world.
Risks of having baby after 35
It is Time Taking– The more you put off having a baby, the later will you be able to conceive. Remember, that your body has an egg reserve with a limited number of oocytes (eggs) that mature every month as you ovulate. Sadly, both the quantity as well as the quality of eggs begins to decline as you get older. Do not expect instant results from the day you decide to conceive. Wait for at least 6 months and try during the time of ovulation. Visit a fertility doctor if you are unable to find success even after 6-8 months of trying to become pregnant.
Possibility of Multiple Births– Nature has its own way of compensating for the lost time. The hormonal changes taking place within your body will cause your ovary to release multiple mature eggs simultaneously that may result in birth of twins or triplets. You may also have multiple embryos transferred to your body for successful implantation when you opt for assisted reproductive technique (ART).
Developing gestational diabetes– Many women develop diabetes when they are pregnant. This possibility increases as you grow older. Consult with your doctor to control your blood sugar level in order to give birth to a healthy baby. Giving birth with untreated diabetes may result in premature delivery, injury to the fetus and other complications.
Hypertension– Pregnant women over the age of 35 are at an increased risk for developing high blood pressure. Make sure to visit your doctor regularly and regulate the blood pressure until you give birth successfully. Your gynecologist may also decide to deliver the baby by C-Section before the date of delivery. Failing to control your blood pressure can cause a number of complications affecting both yours and the baby’s health.
Possibility of Pre-Term Birth– You are likely to deliver the baby well before the due date if you are older than 35. A premature baby may be born with several developmental issues and low birth weight that adds to its risk of surviving.
Need for C-Section– A normal delivery becomes impossible for older women diagnosed with placenta previa i.e. blockage of cervix by placenta. The attending medical professionals ensure birth of the baby via C-Section in such circumstances.
Chromosomal Abnormality– Babies born to older mothers may have chromosomal defects that esut in several conditions such as Down ’s syndrome.
Loss of Baby– The incidence of miscarriages and still births are much higher in older mothers. It is important for the doctor to monitor both the mother and fetus regularly during routine examination in order to discover whether there is any problem.
Being aware of the risks does not mean that you should give up the idea of conceiving. Talk to your doctor and make the right choices for leading a healthy life before, during and post pregnancy. Some of the things that you need to consider before getting pregnant includes:-
Discuss the possibility of becoming pregnant after 35 with a fertility expert and proceed accordingly.
- Follow a healthy diet that includes vitamins, minerals and all important nutrients
- Maintain optimum body weight
- Exercise moderately
- Avoid smoking and alcohol consumption along with addictive drugs
- Ask for prenatal care after pregnancy
- Be informed about prenatal testing for chromosomal abnormalities
Do not despair if you cannot get pregnant easily. Get yourself examined by an experienced fertility doctor and follow the right treatment. You may also opt for a number of Assisted Reproductive Technology that includes the following. However, check with your fertility doctor and go ahead with the procedure as per his/her recommendation.
- Ovulation induction (OI)
- Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT)
- Artificial insemination or IUI
- Use of donor egg / donor sperm
- Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
- Intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection (IMSI)
- In-vitro fertilisation (IVF)
- Surrogacy
Book an appointment with Kiran Infertility Center, Bengaluru at the earliest and experience motherhood in a hassle free manner.
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