Pregnancy After 40 – The Challenges

Putting off pregnancy for accomplishing various things before settling down and beginning a family, is not a new trend, with today’s women. Women are taking up important and higher positions at work and therefore it is natural for them to postpone this essential thing in life, for a later stage, when they are settled and content. However, conceiving after 40 is risky and involves many health complications. Oftentimes, women who postpone pregnancy to the fourth decade of their life, find it difficult to conceive at that age. Nevertheless, advancements in modern medicine provide ample opportunities for such women to get pregnant even after 40.

Getting pregnant at 40 or after 40 with your first child can have complications, which would have been absent, had you conceived while in your 20s or 30s. Nevertheless, the complications or risks involved with getting pregnant after 40 can be avoided to an extent by taking care of your health and continually following the doctor’s advice.

Trouble getting pregnant

Women in their 40s often face the problem of infertility as the production of eggs at this stage decreases dramatically. Moreover, the quality of eggs produced at this age also goes down, making it even more difficult to conceive. However, if you still try and follow the gynecologist’s tips to get pregnant, you may get pregnant. However, if you still face fertility problems, the best way to get pregnant is to go for assisted medical techniques.

Complications involved with late pregnancy

Although it is a good idea to begin a family once you are fully content and settled in life, it often leads to various health complications, both for you and for the baby. The risks involved are:

Risk of miscarriages: the risk of miscarriages increases with the age and if you are pregnant with your first child at the age of 40, the chances of miscarrying are higher. Therefore, it is essential to keep a tab on the signs of miscarriage and follow the doctor’s advice to prevent it. Birth defects: the chances of the baby being born with a birth defect are higher when women get pregnant at or after 40. At 40, nearly one in every 100 women gives birth to a baby with Down’s syndrome while this figure drops down to one in every 30 women by the age of 45. Other complications: getting pregnant at 40 also involves other health complications like increase in gestational diabetes or high blood sugar, blood pressure and premature births.

Despite all the risks and complications involved, one should not deter the decision to have a baby at the later stage of life. There are various techniques and methods to avoid and overcome the problems involved in later stage pregnancies.

By: Azmir Ismail