Women find it very difficult to conceive when they attain certain age. For instance, when they reach 40 years, there is likelihood for miscarrying whereby the miscarriage rate for women around this age bracket is a whopping 26% compared to 12% for women who are under 20 years of age.
Medical Risk
Older women also tend to incur a lot of complications during pregnancy after 40 because they are likely to suffer from gestational diabetes and hypertension. There is also the risk of placenta previa a situation that occurs when the placenta goes to the lower uterus rather than the upper uterus which could lead the mother into a C-section when giving birth.
There are further complications when the woman has health concerns such as diabetes and is over 40 and conceives. This is so because there is a possibility that her DNA's are damaged. Also past the age of 38, women tend to produce children with down syndromes or genetic disabilities. For instance, the likelihood of a Down syndrome baby is 1:250 with a 35 year old mother, it rises to 1:69 for a 40 year old mother, and 1:19 with a 45 year old mum.
Precautions
Despite the associated risks of conceiving when a woman attains 40 years and above, some women still decide to have a baby at such a crucial age. In order to have a successful pregnancy after 40, you may visit certified physician so that you can consult on all the possible risks of conceiving at such a delicate age.
You are also advised to undergo a health history test so that you may be able to assess on the problems that are likely to affect pregnancy after 40. Here the doctor may analyze your blood samples; he/she will also review your social habits such as smoking, alcoholism, and nutrition. If the doctor finds that you have not been living healthy, then this past lifestyle may increase your chances of complications and in this case you will be advised to revert to previous healthy habits before you decide to conceive.
You should also meet with a genetic counselor who will try to evaluate your genetic risk that comes from maternal age and family history.
As a woman you should understand that certain risks are avoidable. For instance, obese people have higher risks of developing gestational diabetes.
However, in most cases conceiving during your late-30's and early-40's is generally safe and normally not associated with any complications whereby women are required to completely understand all the associated risks before conceiving.
