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A late pregnancy does not necessarily mean an unsafe pregnancy. It is important, however, to prepare all the recommended tests, and at the same time throughout the pregnancy – from the very beginning (it is worth taking pregnancy tests on an ongoing basis) – under the care of a gynecologist. Do older future mothers really have anything to fear? When does the risk change dramatically?
Can Late Pregnancy Be Good?
Of course! Certainly, if we take into account the upbringing of the child itself, but also the care for the safety of pregnancy and the fetus. Older, more mature women take better care of themselves during pregnancy and are less likely to take any risk.
Advantages of later pregnancy
- The emotional maturity of a woman
- Financial stability
- Usually a stable married life
- Greater motivation to get pregnant
- Greater health care during pregnancy
- Motherhood is a conscious decision
What kind of pregnancy can we call late pregnancy anyway?
It is customary to assume that a late pregnancy is one that occurs after the age of 35. It is also important whether it is the first pregnancy or the next one. The first pregnancy at a later age is considered more difficult. In the publication Obstetrics and Gynecology edited by Grzegorz Bręborowicz, we read, for example, that the risk factor in pregnancy is the age from 40 years and above, and the very young age – below 15 years.
Safety in pregnancy
Every woman who becomes pregnant after the age of 35 should undergo genetic tests to determine the child’s health and, in the event of abnormalities, to detect future diseases. These tests include the PAPP-A test and ultrasound. In some justified cases, it is also recommended to perform an amniotic fluid test. Unfortunately, this test is already invasive, and the risk of miscarriage as a result of the procedure is 1%. Of course, a woman’s fertility is not as constant as a man’s, so it’s harder for a woman to get pregnant later in life.
When a pregnancy may be “at risk”
Children born to older women more often suffer from irreversible genetic changes, e.g. they are more likely to suffer from Down syndrome. Birth defects can also affect the body, the physicality itself.
A woman suffering from hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, fatty liver or other civilization diseases is also more exposed to changes. These diseases are not necessarily always associated with later age (over 35 years of age). Biological age does not have to go hand in hand with the one we have entered in the ID. A healthy woman has the possibility – and in the era of today’s medical development also certainty – to give birth to a fully healthy child.