Obstacles for Late Age Pregnancy

Pregnancy after 35

Many women now start a family when they are in their mid-30s or older. Today, 1 in 5 women in the United States has her first child after age 35. The good news is that most have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. However, studies show that women in their mid-to-late 30s and 40s may face some special pregnancy risks.

Women should be aware of these risks so they can make informed decisions about their pregnancies, including when to become pregnant.

Lets start with an old story of an old lady.

she’s 47 and he’s 54. Through a donor egg and her husband’s sperm, the woman gives birth to her first daughter at age 50. Two years later, she attempts to get pregnant again. This time, she has to be brought out of menopause with hormones before she is able to become pregnant. Shortly thereafter, she gives birth to her second daughter.

This anecdote is only one of many, and they’re on the rise. Birth rates among women ages 45 to 49 have risen 17% in just the past three years alone. Reproductive technology, of course, accounts for this sharp increase.

Infertility Obstacles
There are many reasons why older people experience infertility issues. It doesn’t matter what gender you are, everybody ages. Infertility can be caused by a number of things. In men, as they age the amount of sperm they reproduce can dramatically decline if they don’t watch their weight or maintain healthy eating habits. Most men don’t realize that they too go through hormonal cycles each month and must make sure they maintain an equal balance. As women age her ovarian reserve begins to run lower.

A loss or lack of cervical mucous present at the entrance of the vagina can cause sperm to die quicker than usual. Irregular menstrual cycles throughout the years can actually cause a lapse in ovulation during her cycle, and in order for conception to take place, the egg must drop. Studies show the older people get, the less sexual actvity occurs. A decrease in intercourse also decreases chances of pregnancy, along with health complications and/or certain medications.

Increasing Chances
Even though there are many infertility issues older people face, there are ways to overcome and sometimes reverse these negative effects that might take hold of our bodies. Supplements increase your hormonal balances and overall health and eating certain foods like leaf green veggies, dried beans and citrus fruit that are rich in folic acid naturally increase your chances of conception. Diets and exercise don’t hurt either. Reducing stress levels allows your mind and body to work together. Charting and tracking your cycles gives you a timeframe or “window of opportunity” of your most fertile days. Ovulation tests are extremely helpful when trying to narrow down that window. Plus, continuous contact with your doctor before and during your pregnancy also increases odds of overcoming obstacles.

Are women over age 35 at increased risk of having a baby with a birth defect?
A woman’s risk of having a baby with certain birth defects involving chromosomes (the structures in cells that contain genes) increases with age. Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal birth defect. Affected children have varying degrees of mental retardation and physical birth defects. A woman’s risk of having a baby with Down syndrome is:

At age 25, 1 in 1,250
At age 30, 1 in 1,000
At age 35, 1 in 400
At age 40, 1 in 100
At 45, 1 in 30
At 49, a 1 in 10

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that all pregnant women, regardless of age, be offered a screening test for Down syndrome and certain other chromosomal birth defects (6). Screening tests are blood tests done in the first or second trimester, sometimes with a special ultrasound. They help evaluate a woman’s risk for having a baby with certain birth defects, but they cannot diagnose a birth defect.

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