In this article:
What Is A Geriatric Pregnancy?
A "geriatric pregnancy" is defined as being 35 or older by the projected due date. It is observed that providers are more likely to use the phrase "advanced maternal age" instead. (Alternatively, you might just state "35+ pregnancy.")What Is Considered Advanced Maternal Age?
Doctors refer to pregnancy beyond the age of 35 as "advanced maternal age" because there is an increased chance of pregnancy difficulties and chromosomal abnormalities, which may lead to miscarriage and genetic diseases such as Down syndrome. However, the particular age is rather arbitrary since your unique health and fertility are determined by a variety of circumstances. So, why do women often begin to have reproductive issues in their 40s—and sooner than men? According to research, although the testes create tens of millions of new sperm every day, the ovaries store all of the eggs a person will ever have from the time they are born. These eggs are subjected to oxidative stress on a daily basis, as a result of regular energy production and environmental dangers. Over time, these exposures increase the likelihood that an egg will have damaged DNA as well as structural defects. However, not all women experience the same rate of decline in egg quality.
What Are The Chances Of Becoming Pregnant At The Age Of 35 Or Older?
Beginning in your early to mid-30s, your chances of conceiving steadily diminish. Healthy couples in their twenties and early thirties have a 25% chance of conceiving spontaneously with any given menstrual cycle. By the age of 33, women have a 12 to 15% probability of conceiving each month. Around the age of 34, the probabilities drop to 10%. And at 38 years old, fertility rates are about 8% every month.If you are between the ages of 35 and 39 and have been trying to conceive for six months, it is a good idea to consult a fertility expert.
What Are The Benefits Of Pregnancy After 35?
Many individuals delay becoming pregnant until their mid-30s or later because they want to feel more secure in their careers, relationships, and finances. This may enhance both the birthing parents' and the baby's health and well-being. What Are the Risks of Pregnancy After 35?
Although pregnancy beyond the age of 35 increases the overall likelihood of having difficulties, these risks remain minimal even into the early 40s. Doctors anticipate that if you are healthy, your pregnancy will also be healthy. The most important thing to worry about is . It takes longer to become pregnant, and the requirement for ART may grow with advancing age.Potential Risks And Complications For Mom And The Baby
The most common pregnancy issues for mothers over 35 include an increased risk of preeclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy) and gestational diabetes. Both of these illnesses are highly controllable if detected and treated early. Other concerns, such as blood clots, are slightly more prevalent as you age. Furthermore, the likelihood of having twins rises with age, which raises the risk of gestational diabetes and other pregnancy issues. Moms over 35 are also more likely to have a preterm delivery or a c-section, which are often caused by pregnancy difficulties.Because eggs have more genetic defects with age, there is a higher chance of miscarriage with advanced maternal age. At age 35, each pregnancy has a 20% chance of miscarriage; by age 40, the likelihood has risen to 33-40%. To screen for common chromosomal abnormalities in your baby, your doctor may recommend noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT), a genetic test that requires a blood sample around week 10 of pregnancy.
Older mothers are also more likely to have placental issues, which might raise the baby's chances of being smaller than usual or experiencing growth limitations.
What Tests Are Advised For An Advanced Maternal Age Pregnancy?
Although genetic screening tests are recommended for all pregnancies, they are particularly important when the mother is older. You may use these optional non-invasive tests to find out whether your child is at high risk for any of the congenital conditions. Ultrasounds or blood tests are used for most testing. Since these tests are screenings, they could reveal if a genetic issue exists.Invasive genetic testing may be carried out if a screening test reveals a problem. Amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS) are two of these techniques. Placental cells are used by CVS to detect a hereditary illness. A needle is inserted into your abdomen during an amniocentesis operation to remove amniotic fluid from within the uterus. It may be possible to detect some genetic abnormalities using this fluid.
Do Physicians Handle Advanced Maternal Age Pregnancies Differently?
Actually, no. You are seldom treated differently by medical personnel just because you are an older mother. In the event that genetic screening results indicate that your child has a congenital problem, your physician can suggest that you see a specialist in maternal-foetal medicine. This individual is an expert in high-risk pregnancies. In other instances, you could start testing earlier or more often. Examples include additional ultrasounds, foetal heart rate monitoring, or an early glucose screening test to check for signs of gestational diabetes. Your doctor may advise you to take medication daily throughout the majority of your pregnancy if you have other risk factors for preeclampsia in order to lower your risk of developing this condition.As you age, the need for prenatal care increases due to an increased risk of certain diseases. This makes it more important than ever to follow a good diet, maintain a healthy weight throughout pregnancy, and attend any appointments or tests.
Advanced Maternal Age Prenatal Care
If you are over 35, your doctor may suggest further tests, such as chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis, as well as more ultrasounds.With advanced maternal age, your 20-week ultrasound may be more comprehensive. It takes longer than a regular scan at your obstetrician's office and is often performed at a medical centre by professionally trained sonographers.
Your doctor will order further testing based on any health issues, your body mass index (BMI), and if you have previously been pregnant. You may, for example, have an additional glucose tolerance test in the first trimester to screen for gestational diabetes, as well as various blood and urine tests throughout your pregnancy.
If you're over 40, your doctor will most likely recommend a labour induction or a planned c-section at 39 weeks, owing to the slightly increasing chance of stillbirth at the end of the pregnancy.
Can You Reduce The Risk Of Pregnancy Issues If You’re Over 35?
If you are over 35 and pregnant (or fear you are), you may take some steps right now to lower your chance of pregnancy complications:- Ensure your preventative care is up to date
- Manage any existing medical conditions. For example, if you have diabetes, you should keep your blood sugar levels in range
- Take a prenatal vitamin with folic acid
- Exercise often
- Quit smoking or using tobacco products
- Stop drinking alcohol
- Consume a healthy diet that contains many fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains
- Maintain a healthy weight range
Precautions To Take
You can improve your chances of having a healthy baby.If you are over 35 years old and pregnant, you may do the following:
- Attend all prenatal checkups and tests
- Gain a healthy amount of weight when pregnant
- Manage any current or new pregnancy problems
- Reduce your stress and obtain enough sleep
- Exercise often and maintain a nutritious diet
Cost and Accessibility of Fertility Treatments
Fertility treatments like egg freezing, IVF and IUI can be expensive. Additional procedures and medications may increase the costs even more. While some insurance plans cover fertility treatments, this is entirely based on your location.Accessibility is largely dependent on location, socioeconomic status and healthcare policies. Urban areas will most likely have better access to fertility treatments.
Partner’s Role
Fertility treatments can be challenging in many ways and it is very important to have your partner’s support through it all.- Emotional support: Encouragement and support from your partner is crucial throughout your pregnancy journey. Ideally, they should be present at every medical appointment, help with all the crucial decisions and be there to listen.
- Sharing responsibilities: Dividing household chores like cooking, doing the dishes and laundry can ease the burden on the expectant mother.
- Health checks: Your partner should undergo tests as well since fertility and conception are shared journeys.
- Advocacy: Partners should educate themselves on the process and ask questions.
Tips For Balancing Work, Family and Medical Appointments During Pregnancy
- Make schedules: Use digital calendars, applications or even a simple notebook to track all your medical appointments, work deadlines and family commitments. Schedule your medical appointments during non-work hours, if possible.
- Communicate with your workplace: Let your employers know about your pregnancy and try to discuss flexible work arrangements. Opting for remote work would be a good idea since you will have a lot of medical appointments to attend. This way, you do not have to compromise on your health or your work.
- Delegate responsibilities: Share responsibilities with your partner, family members and coworkers. This will reduce your stress levels and allow you to focus on your health and well-being more.
- Be prepared for unexpected changes: Pregnancy can come with a lot of unexpected changes. Sudden fatigue or other such symptoms may require you to change your schedule accordingly. Have a plan ready for such events, like backup transport, child care or someone to take over at work.
- Focus on self-care: Make time for yourself. Engage in self-care activities like light exercising, yoga, reading or anything else that brings you joy.
Postpartum Recovery
- Physical recovery: Women over the age of 35 may need a longer amount of time to recover from pregnancy and giving birth. This is due to reduced muscle tone or pre-existing conditions. Postpartum bleeding should be closely monitored.
- Emotional health: While postpartum depression and anxiety can happen at any age, they may be more common after 35 due to changes in hormones. Seek support from your loved ones, and reach out to a therapist if needed.
- Build a support network: As a new mother, you will need all the help possible. Be it for household chores or for emotions. Ask your family member for help with the baby and other household chores. Try to join a support group with other new moms.
Vaccinations and Preventative Care for Older Women
You should make sure that you are up to date on all your vaccinations like- Flu vaccine: This is very important since flu can be more severe during pregnancy
- TDAP vaccine: This vaccine prevents tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis
- COVID-19 vaccine: To reduce the risk of COVID and its complications
Screenings
A pregnancy over the age of 35 is considered as ‘advanced maternal age’ and may require more screening tests. You will need- Non-invasive tests to check for chromosomal abnormalities like Down’s syndrome
- Regular monitoring for issues like preeclampsia
- Regular tests to check for gestational diabetes
FAQs on Pregnant Over 35: What You Need to Know?
- What are the chances of becoming pregnant at the age of 40 or older?
By the age of 40, the chances of becoming pregnant naturally in any month's cycle are typically less than 5%—which is why doctors suggest consulting a doctor as soon as you wish to begin trying to conceive. - How can I prepare for pregnancy after turning 35?
Women over 35 who want to boost their chances of becoming pregnant should avoid highly processed diets, as well as those heavy in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats, which have been associated with irregular ovulation.
