Introduction
Having a baby after 35 is becoming increasingly common, and many women have healthy pregnancies and babies in their late 30s and beyond.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over the last three decades, birth rates have declined in women in their 20s and jumped for those in their 30s – and early 40s.
Many people focus on building their careers and achieving professional goals before starting a family. This often means waiting until they are more established in their jobs. People may prefer to wait until they have saved enough money and have a stable income to provide for their children.
What happens if you get pregnant after the age of 35
Getting pregnant at an older age sometimes having healthy pregnancies and giving birth to healthy babies but there is a higher chance of developing certain problems if you are 35 years or older. Let’s look at the experience of being pregnant and having babies at 35 and above.
- The risk of certain complications, such as high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, and preeclampsia, increases with maternal age. Preeclampsia That means you might be offered more frequent blood pressure measurements. If you are aged 40 or older and have any more risk factors for pre-eclampsia.
- There is also a slightly higher risk of placenta previa, where the placenta covers the cervix,, and of your baby being in the breech position.
- Plenty of reports exist about older mothers having a higher risk of premature birth or low or high birthweight babies. For example, one study found that mums aged 40 or over had a higher risk of preterm birth.
- Factors that might affect Maternal mortality in women over 35 include smoking during pregnancy and not taking advantage of antenatal care.
- The chance of having a baby with Down’s syndrome increases from less than one in 1,000 under age 30 to one in 400 for women who become pregnant at 35. The likelihood of Down’s syndrome continues to increase as a woman ages.
- The risk of a pregnancy ending in miscarriage for women aged 30 is 18%. That rises for women aged 35 to 22%. For women aged 40, this increases to 38% of pregnancies, and 70% for women aged 45.
There are advantages of older motherhood.
- Many women over 35 are more likely to be emotionally and financially stable, which can contribute to a supportive environment for raising a child.
- With advances in prenatal care and technology, many of the risks associated with advanced maternal age can be managed effectively. Regular monitoring and early interventions can lead to healthy outcomes for both mother and baby.
- Genetic testing and screening options are available and often recommended for older mothers to assess the risk of chromosomal abnormalities.
- Women over 35 who maintain a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise, a balanced diet, and prenatal care, can significantly reduce the risks associated with later pregnancies.