Many women older than 35 feel young and energetic enough to raise a family. It’s much easier to get pregnant in your 20s and early 30s, but women are often able to conceive into their 40s. And as long as their health is good, they are likely to have a normal pregnancy and a healthy baby.

Still, there are risks associated with pregnancy after age 35 (which doctors call “advanced maternal age”). If you’re thinking of having a baby at this age, it’s wise to understand the risks. You can’t change your age, but there are things you can do to ensure the best outcome for both you and your baby.

What are the risks?

Most pregnancies in older women have happy endings, but the risk of problems does increase with age. This is especially true if the mother has pre-existing health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure or obesity.

Compared to younger women, women older than 35 are at higher risk for:

• • Infertility
  • Dangerous high blood pressure during pregnancy (preeclampsia)
  • Miscarriage
  • Gestational diabetes
  • Premature delivery
  • Cesarean section
  • Stillbirth
  • A problem with the placenta, such as placenta previa
  • A baby with a genetic disorder, such as Down syndrome

Age does raise these risks, but just being older doesn’t mean you’ll have problems. Your health is more important than your age when it comes to having a healthy baby.

How can you plan for a healthy pregnancy?

You can take steps to increase your odds of conceiving and having an uncomplicated pregnancy.

Before you get pregnant:

• See your doctor. Your doctor can review your health history, risks and medications and suggest ways to optimize your chance of a healthy pregnancy. This also gives you a chance to discuss any concerns you may have about conception or pregnancy. Be sure to tell your doctor about any medications or herbal supplements you are taking. Ask about exercise and what is safe for you.
• Be as healthy as you can be. Follow your doctor’s advice about exercise, and eat a healthy diet. Start taking prenatal vitamins if your doctor recommends it. Try to get any health conditions under control. Don’t smoke, and limit alcohol and caffeine.
• Know your fertility signs. Learn how to check your basal temperature and check your cervical mucus so you will know the best time to have sex to get pregnant.
• Check with your doctor if you haven’t gotten pregnant after trying for six months. It often takes one to two years for a woman over 35 to become pregnant. But if you’ve been trying for more than six months, it’s a good idea to visit your doctor. Fertility testing can help identify problems that could prevent pregnancy, including some problems that may be easily solved.

Once you are pregnant:

• Get regular prenatal checkups. Prenatal visits let your doctor monitor your baby’s health and spot problems such as high blood pressure early.
• Learn about genetic testing. Your doctor can advise you about tests for Down syndrome and other genetic disorders.
• Eat a healthy, varied diet. Your nutrition needs are higher during pregnancy, so be sure to take a daily prenatal vitamin that contains folic acid.
• Stay physically active. Ask your doctor about a safe level of activity.
• Gain a healthy amount of weight. Your doctor can advise you of the proper amount. Gaining either too much or too little can have a negative impact on your health and your baby’s health.
• Don’t drink, smoke or use drugs. These increase your risk of complications and can harm your baby.
• Don’t take any medications without talking to your doctor first. Some prescription and over-the-counter medicines can harm a developing fetus.

(MyOptumHealth, 2010)

Age is the biggest factor in deciding when to seek treatment. Many people are surprised to learn that a woman’s fertility peaks around age 25. It starts to decline after that and drops sharply after age 35. A man’s fertility also starts to decline after age 35.

A woman is born with all the eggs she will ever have. As she ages, her eggs decrease both in number and quality.This makes it harder to get pregnant and raises the risk of miscarriages and birth defects.

Of course, age is not the only issue. Many other factors can play a hand in infertility. They are divided about equally between those that affect women, such as menstrual problems, and those that affect men, such as low sperm count. In some cases, the cause of infertility is never found.

When to see a doctor about infertility?

Experts base their advice for when to seek treatment on the woman’s age and how long you’ve been having unprotected sex:

If you are 30 or younger, see your doctor if you haven’t conceived after 10 to 12 months. A year can seem like a long time, but most younger couples will conceive within a year of trying.

If you are 35 or older or have a history of fertility problems, experts suggest seeing your doctor after six months of trying. After 35, time is running out. You may still be able to get pregnant but it may take longer, so don’t delay getting help.

If you decide to seek treatment, both partners should have a physical exam. Your doctor will review your past and present health and may do tests to look for clues to what is affecting your fertility.

How to boost your odds of success

• If you don’t feel it’s time to get help, there are things you can try that may help improve your chance of getting pregnant. To maximize your fertility:
• Have sex every two days. This will help ensure that you are taking advantage of your most fertile days.
• If you smoke, quit. Smoking lowers fertility in women and it may affect men, too.
• Keep your weight in a healthy range. Being either overweight or underweight can affect ovulation. In men, it may affect sperm count.
• Avoid alcohol. It can cause menstrual and ovulation problems, and if you do get pregnant, it increases the risk of birth defects and miscarriage. In men, too much alcohol can lead to low sperm count.
• Limit caffeine to no more than two cups a day.

(MyOptumHealth, 2010)

Content in short

Childbirth is not something to be feared; it is a natural expression of life. In this book the myth of pain as a natural accompaniment to birth is explored by Marie Mongan. She proves that when we release the fear, a fear that is keeping your body tense and closed, you will experience gentle birth.
There are several HypnoBirthing exercises and techniques discussed in this book: positive thinking, relaxation, visualization, breathing and physical preparation. They will lead to a happy and comfortable pregnancy. Your confidence, trust and happy anticipation will in turn lead to the peaceful, fulfilling and life-affirming birth that is your right as a mother.

Highlights

• It explains the method thorouhly and understandably.
• The exercises are explained step-by-step and easy to do.
• All possible labour situations are discussed.
• The book is written from a woman’s perspective.
• The appendix is very practical and helpful.
• HypnoBirthing CD containing music and exercises is included.

BaiBoo’s comment

HypnoBirthing is a wonderful book for all those future moms who fear giving birth. It puts the process in perspective and takes you through all possible situations in advance. The method has worked for many women over the world and may just be what you need to have an easier and more comfortable labour and birth.
The nice thing about this book is that everything is explained in an understandable way. It allows you to practice as much as you need before you actually go intolabour. By then you’ll be ready for it!

Reader’s Opinion

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• The date of your last period, to determine your due date.
• Your obstetric history; have you been pregnant before, how did this go etc.
• Family history of desease, if necessary you will be doing some blood tests.
• Your lifestyle; smoking, drinking alcohol and caffeine can affect your baby.

Some tests will be taken, like:

• Blood tests: you will be checked for your rubella or German measles status, your iron levels, your blood group and your Rhesus status. The bloodsample can also be screened for your baby’s risk of Down’s syndrome and spina bifida. Your blood will be screened for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B.
• Urine check: by dipping a chemical strip in it that changes colour, they will know if you have any protein in your urine. This helps to tell if you are showing early signs of pre-eclampsia.
• Blood pressure check: this will be used as the average for future checks. Raised blood pressure can be an early warning sign of pre-eclampsia.
• Ultrasound scan: this early scan measures your baby’s size to confirm how many weeks’ pregnant you are and calculate your due date.
• Measuring your weight and height:if you start to put on a lot of weight, this could indicate gestational diabetes. She will check your Body Mass Index (BMI) to keep track.

From this day on you’ll have an appointment every 4 to 6 weeks. If you have any questions, do ask them! Make sure you have a phonenumber you can call at any time when you have concerns or questions.

• Endometriosis
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
• Fibroids
• Sexually transmitted disease, like chlamydia or gonorrhoea
• Irregular or painful periods
• You’ve had pelvic or abdominal surgery before
• Chronic illness like diabetes, cancer, thyroid disease, asthma or depression
• A chromosomal condition, like Turner’s syndrome (when one of the two X chromosomes normally found in females is missing or incomplete)
• Take medications, such as some steroids and antidepressants
• Are more than 25% over- or underweight

Read more: Fertility

If your periods are not regular then it is not easy to find out when you’re ovulating. The best way is for you keep dates for a few months. You may find a different cycle, but as long as it’s fairly regular you can find out when you’re ovulating.
If your periods are very irregular you may not be ovulating at all or infrequently. Again, keep dates and if you are trying for a baby and have no success after 6 months, see your doctor.

Read more: Fertility

Not all pregnancy tests are the same. Some are more sensitive, and more expensive, because they can detect pregnancy even if you have only a small amount of hCG in your system. A test with a sensitivity of 20 IU/L is more sensitive than one with 50 IU/L. You can find this information on the test box.

Keep in mind that if you’re using fertility drugs, they may contain hCG. This can influence the outcome of the test.

Read more : Conceiving a Boy or a Girl

Read more: Twins