Getting Pregnant After 40
In today’s society, the number of women getting pregnant after 40 is increasing. The truth is women are still in college and findingtheir ground in the working society when they are in their 20s. By the time these women have time to find their Mr Right, after a string of wrong ones, they will easily be in their 30s.
As the biological clock ticks, it is common knowledge that mature mums, especially those getting pregnant after 40 face more fertility challenges than younger mums.
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However, getting pregnant after 40 with normal, healthy pregnancies and no complications is possible. It is just that statistically, women who get pregnant after 40 face greater risk of fertility problems and complications and are therefore put through a battery of tests that are optional for younger women.
If you are in your 40s and trying to conceive, it is important to understand the concerns and options available to you so that you can enhance your experience and pregnancy success.
Supply of Eggs
The biological reduction in the supply of eggs is the key reason why women take longer to succeed in getting pregnant after 40. At puberty, women have around 300,000 – 400,000 eggs. This volume reduces by 13,000 year on year. By the late 30s, women will have less than 10% of the eggs that they had at puberty. There is also an exponential decline in egg supply between early 40s and mid 40s.
The supply of eggs is really at its tail end when the woman reaches her 40s and so the chances of getting pregnant after 40 become awfully slim.
Research has found that women over 40 have a 40-50% chance of conceiving within a year of trying, as oppose to a 75% chance of success for a woman in her 30s.
Quality of Eggs
The tail end supply of eggs is also usually flawed and genetically defective. This causes implantation issues and genetic abnormality. Consequently, mature women tend to experience miscarriages, have higher risk of having a downs syndrome child or a baby with birth defect.
Women over age 35 are offered genetic amniocentesis or chorionic villus tests in the third or fourth month of pregnancy. This involves removing amniotic fluid from the sac for genetic testing. As it is an invasive test, there is a minimal (0.5%) risk of miscarriage associated with this test. Chorionic villus sampling involves the removal of a tiny amount of placental tissue, which can then be tested for genetic abnormalities.
You will have to discuss the risks and benefits of these tests with your doctor early on so that you have adequate time to make an informed decision.
Risk of Miscarriages and Still Birth
For women getting pregnant after 40, pre-natal care is absolutely vital to minimize these risks. It is strongly advised that you and your partner get tested to make sure that there are no genetic flaws, that you have a healthy uterus and ovaries and that majority of the sperms are normal. If you are undergoing IVF treatment, doctors can also screen your embryo and select only the healthy ones.
The other aspect of pre-natal care is to improve your lifestyle and diet plans. This involves abstinence from alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine, regular exercise plans and consumption of a wholesome balanced diet.
Once you are pregnant, it is important to attend regular ante-natal sessions to ensure that all development is progressing well and that and exceptions can be dealt with early on.
Complications at Birth
Getting pregnant after 40 means that you are likely to experience one of the following:-
• Premature delivery
• Cesarean birth
• Premature separation of the placenta resulting in hemorrhage
• Placenta previa
• Meconium-stained amniotic fluid
• Postpartum hemorrhage
• Malpresentations (breech or other positions other than head down)
• Preeclampsia
• Gestational diabetes
It is important to discuss your individual circumstances with your doctor and make knowledgeable decisions and plan of prevention or action early.
Are you are anxious about getting pregnant after 40?
If so, then this guide is a must read.
It reveals the experience of how this lady got pregnant at 43, despite the diagnosis of her doctors.
The guide doffers private email support to answer all your concerns.
