Late Pregnancy: Planning to get pregnant in 40s? Here are the probable complications

The trend toward older parenthood looks set to continue, with more women in their 40s having babies now than women in their 20s or 30s. Are there more risks involved with pregnancy and birth as maternal age rises? Let’s have a look.

By: Satata Karmakar | | Published: October 29, 2020 8:51 pm

Late Pregnancy: Planning for a baby at 40? Here are the complication that you might have.

Conceiving after 40 has become increasingly common in the past few years, all thanks to the celebrities who have made this a normal thing to do. But is it safe to have a baby in the 40s? No! there can be complications with late pregnancy. And, these complications can have a lifetime negative impact on both the mother and the child. Here, in this article, we see what is the perfect age for a woman to conceive and what can happen when a woman gets pregnant after 40, what the health complications for the mother and the child and how to manage them. Also Read - Beware! Light pollution could increase preterm birth, says study

What is the perfect age for a woman to have a baby?

Well, over the years, studies have revealed that the perfect age to get pregnant is between the late 20s and early 30s. This age bracket is not only good for the mother as well for the overall health of the baby. When a woman conceives post this age bracket, it not only becomes difficult for her to get pregnant but even the pregnancy symptoms can become complicated which can give the mother stress and thus create a bad pregnancy experience for her. One study also stated that the ideal age for a woman to give birth to a child is 30.5 years. Also Read - Thyroid during pregnancy: Expert decodes everything you need to know about the condition

The probable reasons why a woman is conceiving late lies in the type of lifestyle that is being followed these days and medical advancements also play a major role. Improved methods of contraception, social and cultural shifts, demanding job life have left women feeling not ready to have children. Also Read - Stress in expecting mothers impact baby: Herbs to relieve stress during pregnancy

What are the risks of late pregnancy?

Many women wait until later in life to have children. But an older mother may be at a high and increased risk of things such as:

Gestational diabetes
High blood pressure
Birth defects
Painful labor
Emergency c-section delivery

Other complications include

Decline in fertility

When a woman ages, the chances of getting pregnant reduces down due to the declining number of eggs the woman is left with as she ages. As you all know that women are born with all the eggs they will ever have. As they age, the remaining number of eggs is also less which means getting pregnant is challenging. With the advancements in science and technology, today, doctors recommend a woman who wants to conceive a baby after 40 to go for other forms of conception, like egg freezing, IVF, and surrogacy.

Genetic risks

As the woman age, and reaches out for late pregnancy, certain genetic risks become more common. For example, the rate of having a baby with Down syndrome accelerates with maternal age.

Miscarriage

The risk of having a miscarriage increase gradually with the mother’s age. According to research published in the BMJ, the risk of miscarriage is around 8.9 per cent for women aged 20 to 24 years and increases to 74.7 per cent for individuals aged 45 years or above. The main reason for miscarriages is the declining quality of a woman’s eggs.

Many recent studies have identified that age remains a major factor for a woman when it comes to conceiving a baby. As you age, chances of your risk of experiencing placenta previa, emergency cesarean delivery, postpartum hemorrhage, and low birth weight, also get doubled. So if you are planning to have a baby but is not convinced yet that you are ready to get have one before you turn 40, consult your doctor for suggestions to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby in your future.

With the advancement of medical science, it has become quite common these days to get pregnant in the late 30s and 40s. Certainly, there are major health complications but it is not impossible anymore. You just have to be extra cautious about your health and have to keep your doctor informed about your plans to avoid any mishap happening.

Published : October 29, 2020 8:51 pm

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