Facing The Challenges of Being Pregnant After Age 35
Women today often put off starting a family until careers
are established or after they pursue educational objectives.
Delaying parenthood until age 35 or after can bring with it
many challenges including perhaps infertility: reproductive
issues as a result of age, or for other fertility issues. Other
conception challenges include uterine disorders that need to be
addressed, and the fact that as we age we tend to be at higher
risk for the development of more diseases, some of which can
affect the ability to conceive.
Age-related challenges to conceiving after age 35 are not
just about egg and sperm quantity or quality. Many factors can
have an impact on the couple's ability to successfully become
pregnant including prior infections and surgeries,
endometriosis, uterine disorders or the presence of uterine
fibroids. As a woman ages she also experiences a decrease in
cervical fluid which changes the environment for sperm, which
can effect her fertility. A woman over age 35 is also more
likely to have high blood pressure or have been diagnosed with
diabetes. The risk for having a miscarriage also increases as
the woman ages due to the increased probability of chromosomal
abnormalities. Statistics show that women who are between the
ages of 35 and 45 have a miscarriage rate of 20 to 35%.
The woman over age 35 can increase her change for
successfully conceiving by following the guidelines below:
She can schedule herself for what is called a,
"pre-conception appointment". This is a very important
opportunity to assess her general physical condition and her
body's preparedness for conception and for the ability to carry
a pregnancy to term. Her obstetrician/gynecologist can review
her medical history, go over the current medications
(non-prescription, prescription and street drugs), she is
taking, and diseases status, and her current lifestyle. A
thorough physical examination will give the doctor a good idea
of the health condition and her reproductive condition by
conducting an internal examination. A woman who takes note of
her current physical, mental and emotional readiness to
conceive and is willing to make any necessary improvements or
changes is much more likely to successfully conceive.
Conception is more likely if any current diseases are under
control, if her body is in good health, if she is of optimal
weight for her height, if she is mentally and emotionally
stable and if she has a support system that is healthy and
stable.
Women in their 30s and 40s can successfully become pregnant
and carry healthy babies to full-term. It is important for them
to understand the conception process, to be as healthy as
possible before trying to conceive, to take prenatal vitamins
at least one to two months prior to conception for maximum
health benefit for both mom-to-be and the future baby, and to
educate herself and her partner concerning her ovulation cycle
and the best time to conceive. Her gynecologist can help her to
learn her ovulation cycle and there are also many ovulation
kits on the market today which can also help her to pinpoint
the days in her cycle that she is most likely to
conceive.
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