There is really no way around it. Pregnancy after age 35 has certain risks that don’t affect younger women. However, this is not to say that you can not have a healthy pregnancy and birth if you are over 35, many women do so each year. However, here are the things you need to be aware of if you are over 35 and want to get pregnant. Claim Your 20 Free Pregnancy Tests – Click Here
Fertility drops off rapidly after age 35. Many experts believe that this is due to the lack of viable eggs remaining after 35. The body uses up all of the “best” eggs in your 20’s and early 30’s,and sometimes, the eggs that remain after 35 are not the best of the best. These eggs might cause miscarriage or other chromosomal abnormalities.
Like we previously mentioned, women over age 35 have a higher risk of having a baby with a chromosomal abnormality like Down Syndrome. This is because of the low quality eggs that can possibly remain after age 35 and can cause these problems. At age 30, a woman’s risk of having a baby with Down Syndrome is 1 in 1000. At age 35, that number jumps to 1 in 400. By age 40, a woman has a 1 in 100 risk of having a baby with Down Syndrome.
Women over age 35 have a higher risk of developing pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes and gestational hypertension (preeclampsia). Your doctor will need to monitor you closely throughout your pregnancy to make sure that these problems do not develop.
Perhaps due to the higher risk of gestational diabetes, women who get pregnant after age 35 are more likely to need a c-section. (Gestational diabetes can cause women to have larger babies). Pregnancy related complications such as placenta previa are also more common in moms over 35.
The chances of having twins and multiples increases along with maternal age. If you are opting for assisted reproductive techniques, such as IVF, this can increase your risk even more. Also, ovulation medications such as Clomid can increase the risk of twin or multiple births, so be aware of this.
For women who are over age 35 and getting pregnant, it can take quite a while to get pregnant in some cases. Not only does the quality of your remaining eggs decrease, but you might not be ovulating regularly. This can occur even if your periods are still regular. It can sometimes take quite a while for a woman to get pregnant over age 35. The experts agree that if you have been trying for more than six months with no success, it is probably a good idea to see your doctor to determine if there are any underlying health issues.
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