Many women today postpone their personal lives for various reasons. One of the main ones is their professional life, or even the fact that they only found their true love after the age of 35. The truth is that pregnancy after 40 has become much more frequent and, in particular, first pregnancies.
The difficulties of pregnancy after 40 begin as early as trying to conceive. If a woman hasn’t become pregnant yet, she may face a higher risk of infertility, especially if both partners are over 401. The period doctors generally allow for a natural pregnancy is one year. However, this applies to women in their forties. At this age, the chances of a natural pregnancy are lower than at 30 or 20 years old, and it is a race against time. The odds of a woman conceiving without any medical assistance after the age of 40 is 12%. Therefore, many professionals recommend the couple seek some type of treatment, like in vitro fertilization or artificial insemination, to achieve pregnancy.
The main concern among doctors regarding pregnancy after 40 is the quality of female gametes, the eggs. Since eggs are formed while the woman herself is still developing in her mother’s womb, the chronological age of the egg is the same as the woman’s age, meaning they are 40-year-old eggs. These eggs may have a higher chance of chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome, for example2. The incidence of miscarriage is also a problem for women over 40. The risk of pregnancy loss is 25% higher than for women aged 35.
After confirming pregnancy, you must double your prenatal care. Even though medicine continues to advance, in pregnancies after age 40, women have a greater incidence of problems such as hypertension and diabetes. This doesn’t mean everyone will have problems, but the pregnancy will be considered high-risk. To avoid sudden complications, women will need to undergo a series of tests, including cardiac and blood glucose analysis.
Adopting a healthy routine before getting pregnant can greatly help prevent problems. In addition to increasing the odds of a natural pregnancy, giving up habits like smoking and drinking will also help ensure a healthy pregnancy3. Quitting these habits means, especially for pregnancy after 40, better health for the mother and baby. The use of folic acid is extremely important at any stage when a woman tries to become pregnant, but it is even more crucial for women over 35. Use should begin three months before starting to try to conceive. The aging of the body is also a consequence of a woman’s habits. Therefore, staying healthy is very important!
Pregnancy after 40 isn’t all problems!
A mature woman becomes a much more patient mother! Maturity brings unique dedication to this new phase in life because, with everything else already established, the woman has more time to focus on her baby. A mature woman experiences pregnancy on a different level than motherhood at 20, when there’s much more hurry for everything to happen. The hustle of early twenties sometimes doesn’t allow a woman to fully experience everything she should in this unique chapter of a couple’s life. Being settled in life brings this benefit: enjoying every second and missing nothing!
Pregnancy after 40 can be enjoyed to the fullest, with the awareness that rushing is not good advice. Labor tends to be calmer and so are the baby’s first days. The risk of postpartum depression is lower among women over 35. Coping with changes in the body is also easier at this stage. Pregnancy brings changes a woman may never have experienced before, and which may be more easily accepted after the ages of 35 or 40. Mature women can be much more present mothers! Enjoy your moment and savor every second!
