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Pregnancy after 35 years: how to properly prepare?

In today's world, pregnancy after the age of 35 is regarded as a common situation and is becoming more common every year. This is due to the fact that women first build a career and only then think about the birth of their first child. A second child after 35 years is also common, often in families the oldest child has already reached adolescence when he has a brother or sister. Every woman needs to know about the features, possible risks, planning and proper preparation for pregnancy after 35 years.

What are the difficulties of pregnancy after 35?

Fertility (ability to bear children) is an indicator that gradually decreases with age. Usually, fertility begins to decline after 30-32 years, depending on the characteristics of the woman's body. However, this does not mean that after 30-35 years, a physiological first pregnancy without any complications is impossible.

Average dependence of fertility on the woman's age

After the age of 35, a woman may have difficulty conceiving. It is important to remember that the age of a man also affects the likelihood of conception and intrauterine development of the fetus. Therefore, if any problems arise, both partners need to undergo a comprehensive medical examination.

If healthy men and women over 35 years of age have regular intercourse without the use of contraception, the chances of conception within 12 months remain quite high.

How to properly prepare?

Proper preparation is the key to a happy and healthy pregnancy after 35. Women at this age are already balanced about procreation, and some are planning to give birth to a second or third child. Preparing for the upcoming pregnancy is necessary for both a woman and a man.

How to prepare for pregnancy after 35 years:

1. Lead a healthy lifestyle, give up bad habits. A balanced diet, regular exercise, quitting smoking and drinking alcohol - all this is necessary for the body to restore its internal resources and be ready for gestation and childbirth.
2. Take folic acid 3 months (there are contraindications, you should consult your doctor) before the expected pregnancy. This substance is necessary for the normal formation of the fetal nervous system, and additional intake is especially important for women over 35 years of age.
3. Find a qualified gynecologist or reproductologist (this is a doctor who deals specifically with the issues of conception and gestation) with experience in managing pregnant women over 35 years old. It is important that the doctor understands the possible risks of such a pregnancy, but at the same time does not exaggerate and does everything possible for the natural course of pregnancy and childbirth. He will help in planning pregnancy, conduct an examination, prescribe a competent treatment for existing gynecological diseases.
4. Undergo a general physical examination. Every woman planning childbirth after 35 should consult a therapist, take a general and biochemical blood test, a general urinalysis, as well as examine the mammary glands and check thyroid hormones.
5. Screen for sexually transmitted infections. Many infections have a chronic course and practically do not manifest themselves in any way, but they can prevent the conception and bearing of a child. Both partners should be screened for such infections. It is also advisable to be examined for viral hepatitis and to know your HIV status.
6. Visit genetics. After 30 years, the risk of various chromosomal abnormalities and genetic defects in the fetus increases. Therefore, the couple should always consult with a geneticist, if necessary, take tests.

A positive attitude and a stable psycho-emotional state of future parents are very important, therefore, in some cases (especially if there are problems with conception), a couple is recommended to work with a psychologist.

What are the possible risks?

With age, each person develops various chronic diseases, as well as the endurance and ability of the body to recover.

The hormonal background also changes after 35 years of age, which carries certain risks:

• Women who become pregnant after 35 years of age increase the risk of a negative effect of pregnancy on the cardiovascular system. This is manifested by an increase in blood pressure, a deterioration in the condition of the walls of blood vessels (in women who gave birth after 40 years, the risk of strokes in the future increased).
• Increased risk of preterm birth, spontaneous abortion and fetal death. It is important to have regular check-ups and if you have any concerns, see a doctor right away.
• Increased risk of developing gestational diabetes. During pregnancy, it is advisable to limit the intake of added sugar and switch to a predominantly plant-protein diet.
• Increases the risk of chromosomal abnormalities in a child. After the age of 35, the chances of giving birth to a child with Down syndrome and other genetic abnormalities are higher, since the genetic material of the mother and father accumulates mutations with age.

Although these risks exist, with the right approach, pregnancy and the birth of a healthy child after 35 years of age is confirmed by many women and doctors.

Reviews of doctors and patients about pregnancy after 35

The fact that childbirth and pregnancy after 35 is far from always a difficult test is confirmed by numerous reviews:

It's never too late to become a mother." Irina, 37 years old

"Pregnancy with my second son after 35 years was more difficult for me than the first. But the child was born healthy, and I recovered fairly quickly after childbirth." Anna, 36 years old

"I always treat pregnancy after 35 with great attention, patients undergo all the necessary screenings. When it is clear that natural childbirth will not work, then we perform a caesarean section." Irina Ivanovna, obstetrician-gynecologist

"Natural childbirth after the age of 35 is quite possible, but it is important that the woman and the doctor are well prepared for this. Of course, we do not recommend it for complicated pregnancy. " Elena Valerievna, obstetrician-gynecologist

Video

Pregnancy after 35 years must be approached with all responsibility and properly prepared for it. According to reviews about childbirth after 35, the chances of having a healthy baby are quite high. Following the recommendations of your doctor and being aware of all the risks will help you survive this period without unnecessary discomfort.

Late children bring back youth - articles from specialists of the clinic "Mother and Child"

The number of women who gave birth to their first child between 30 and 40 years has almost tripled in the last 20 years. In addition, the number of first-time mothers after 40 years has increased by almost 50%. And physicians are forced to reckon with it. Gradually, the offensive word “old-timer” disappeared from their vocabulary, and childbirth in adulthood is no longer considered something out of the ordinary.

Increasingly, women are postponing childbirth while studying or moving up the career ladder. The number of early births (up to 20 years old) in all civilized countries is steadily falling (Russia, however, is an exception).

Numerous studies have shown that pregnancy and childbirth after 35 do not pose such a serious danger as previously thought. The average portrait of a woman in her thirties who is preparing to become a mother has changed a lot lately. As a rule, she belongs to the middle class, is well educated, takes care of her health. Her body is not worn out by numerous births.
It has always been believed that later children are more likely to be born prematurely, gain less weight and get sick more in early childhood. Recent research has cast doubt on this.

American doctors who observed 4 thousand women in labor in one of the hospitals in New York came to the conclusion that a woman over 35 years old, if she is physically healthy and has not had miscarriages, has a chance to give birth to a normal healthy child (even if this is the first birth) almost the same as a 20-year-old.

For a middle-aged woman who has devoted all her young years to a career, pregnancy is an opportunity to try herself in a completely new way. In addition, she is more likely to find support from her husband, since a mature man is psychologically more prepared for the role of a father than a young one.

As you know, psychological readiness for motherhood comes much later than biological. According to psychologists, pregnancy in adulthood is much more favorable than in early youth. A woman perceives her condition more calmly, less prone to stress, less likely to experience internal conflicts. She is more disciplined and lives in harmony with herself. Many consider the birth of a child a gift of fate or a blessing from God.

Older women, most of whom married late, as a rule, stand firmly on their feet, have reached a certain level in their professional activities, and are confident that they will return to work some time after giving birth. All this allows them to look to the future with great calmness and optimism. A middle-aged woman who has devoted all her young years to a career may look at pregnancy as an opportunity to try herself in a completely new capacity. In addition, she is more likely to find support from her husband, since a mature man is psychologically more prepared for the role of a father than a young one. As a rule, middle-aged parents, unlike young ones, devote more time to raising a child. As a result, many "late" children are ahead of their peers in their intellectual and physical development. The secret here is in the atmosphere of love and mutual understanding in the family where the long-awaited baby appeared.

American psychologists conducted a survey among women who became mothers before the age of 20 and between 30 and 40 years. Both were asked to answer the question of whether they would give birth at the same age if they could make a new decision. More than half of those whose children were born before the age of 20 answered “no”, and the majority of older mothers expressed confidence that they had chosen the optimal time for the birth of a child.

Hollywood star Kim Basinger first became a mother when she was already over 40. Actress Beverly D * Angelo, a friend of Al Pacino, gave birth to his charming twins when she was 49. The famous actress Marina Neelova had a daughter when she was 41 years old. And there are many such examples.

Doctors today can help even those women whose reproductive period has ended. Various methods are used for this: hormone therapy, implantation of a donor egg in the uterus. Muscovite Natalya Alekseevna Surkova got into the Guinness Book of Records, becoming a mother at the age of 57. She already had two adult children. Recently, a 66-year-old woman from Romania gave birth to a child. For many years she taught at the University and wrote books for children, but she had no babies of her own before. True, doctors are not particularly enthusiastic about the increase in the number of mothers-grandmothers: the risk of complications and the responsibility of the doctor who “leads” such a woman in labor are too high.

Of course, late motherhood has its problems. Women over 35 are more likely to experience health complications during pregnancy, especially diabetes and high blood pressure. These complications occur in approximately 6% of women over 35 years of age compared to 1.3% in younger women.

Another problem: the "solid" age of the parents increases the risk of developing anomalies in the fetus, the birth of children with severe hereditary diseases. Therefore, all primiparas over 35 years of age are usually offered an amniocentesis in the second trimester of pregnancy - an analysis of amniotic fluid. This allows you to identify about 200 hereditary diseases associated with a violation of the chromosome set.

You can also find out the degree of risk of such diseases using the "triple" test - it is done around the 16th week of pregnancy. For analysis, blood is taken from a vein. Women of older reproductive age do not recover from childbirth as quickly as younger women. For some of them, after decades of taking care of themselves, it can be difficult to get used to the fact that the baby, especially in the first months, requires constant care and attention.

Another disadvantage of late childbirth is that parents have to limit themselves to one child or have a second one when the first one is still very small - after all, the time allotted by nature for acquiring offspring is not unlimited.

Should I do a Caesarean section?

In women over 30-40 years of age, childbirth can be more difficult and protracted than in younger women - this is the generally accepted opinion. In fact, any experienced obstetrician can testify that in many cases, older mothers do an excellent job with minimal medical help. Often and, by the way, not always justified, at this age they offer a caesarean section. This does not raise questions if there are medical indications for surgery or a woman managed to get pregnant only with the help of doctors. Then, trying to eliminate any risk to the baby and taking into account the aggravating factors, the doctor makes such a decision.

Recent studies have shown that, on average, the duration of childbirth in older mothers exceeds the duration of childbirth in young women by only 45 minutes. And at 40, you can not be afraid of difficult childbirth if you are well prepared for them physically and psychologically.

Where to start?

If for some reason you put off the birth of your child, you should prepare in advance for his possible birth.
Try to get rid of bad habits if you have them. By the age of 35, we have time to experience a stronger impact of adverse environmental factors than by 20.

Should we add to them the harm from smoking and alcohol? Watch your health, do not start even trifling, at first glance, diseases. If you treat a cold rather than endure it on your feet, you are much more likely to keep your kidneys and heart healthy, organs that take a lot of stress during pregnancy.
Control your weight and maintain muscle tone. Go in for sports or exercise. Excess weight creates additional problems during gestation.

It should be borne in mind that after 35 years, the ability to bear children gradually decreases. Experts believe that at this age it may take 6-12 months to conceive instead of four. Before you decide it's time to start procreation, visit a therapist. Sometimes a woman is being treated for infertility for years, during which time she develops various ailments. These diseases may not cause much concern, but they can interfere with the normal course of pregnancy.
During pregnancy, you will need to be more attentive to yourself than younger women, to strictly monitor your diet and regimen.

It is worth taking seriously the choice of a doctor and a maternity hospital. It is desirable that the clinic be equipped with everything necessary in case you need urgent help for a newborn.

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