1. What Does Age Have to Do With It?
Women attempting to conceive over the age of 35 may find it a little more difficult than for women in the optimum child bearing years of 20 to 34. After the age of 30, a woman's eggs have naturally decreased in number and the eggs start to lose their quality. The incidence of endometriosis increases in a woman's thirties, which can cause fertility problems. In addition, men over 35 may have decreased sperm counts and a higher number of abnormal sperm. For women over 35, doctors will usually begin testing for reasons that you haven't been able to achieve a pregnancy if you've been trying longer than six months.
2. Preventing Birth Defects
The risk of birth defects does increase after 35. While a lot of birth defects are due to abnormal egg division and thus out of your control, there are some things you can do to reduce the risk of birth defects. Probably the most important thing you can do is to begin taking .4 milligrams of folic acid daily, even before you become pregnant. Folic acid can decrease the risk of birth defects related to the brain and spinal cord. Since these systems are being formed very early in the pregnancy, it's important to get this ample amounts of this nutrient when you're trying to conceive.
3. Decrease Complications: Increase Chances of a Healthy Pregnancy
High blood pressure, gestational diabetes and a higher incidence of c-sections and miscarriage are all a greater possibility in pregnancy for a woman over 35. You can avoid some complications through good prenatal care and following the doctor's orders. Attaining a healthy weight before you get pregnant will help you avoid some complications during pregnancy. Maintaining a healthy diet, avoiding smoking, alcohol and caffeine as well as getting a moderate amount of exercise are key for any healthy pregnancy.
4. Not All Bad News
Most babies born to women over 35 are healthy with few complications. Statistically a woman who is over 35 has a 1 in 350 chance of having a baby with Down's Syndrome. That means 349 babies are born without it. Miscarriage rates rise from about 15 percent when a woman is in her twenties to about 25 percent of pregnancies by the time she's 40. So while higher, the odds overall are still in your favor.
5. Pre-natal Testing: Should You Get It?
Many birth defects can be discovered through ultrasound, amniocentesis and blood work. Deciding whether or not to have any of these procedures is your choice. Some couples, upon finding a serious birth defect, may chose to end the pregnancy. Others may just want to prepare themselves should they be expecting a child with a birth defect. But some may choose not to have the tests at all, as they wouldn't change their decision to have a baby, and the incidence of false positives in some tests makes them want to avoid unnecessary worry.
