Planning Pregnancy after 40? What are the Benefits and Risks?

When doctors suggest women plan their pregnancy before they turn 35, many women still wait to raise their family for several reasons, such as career choices, fertility treatments and plans to fulfil their dreams before settling down. If you are worried about how your maternal journey is going to be like after 40, this article is just for you.

Benefits

There are so many benefits of having a baby at 40 that they can often overshadow the benefits of pregnancy in the twenties and early thirties. Some women want to set up their career before dedicating their whole time raising kids. Sometimes, you wish to stabilize your financial situation. You may also have dreams to fulfill before having a child and giving your full time to them. Here are some of the benefits to look for –

• Longer lifespan
• Lower cognitive decline
• Highest graduation rates and test scores for children

Risk Factors

You can safely plan your pregnancy and deliver a baby thanks to technological advances in fertility treatments. But there are still some risks of having a baby at 40. You and your baby will be closely monitored for these conditions –

• Gestational diabetes
• High blood pressure – It may cause preeclampsia
• Down syndrome and other birth defects
• Low birth weight
• Miscarriage
• Ectopic pregnancy usually happens with IVF

Does fertility have anything to do with your age?

Considering the advancements in fertility treatments, many women prefer delaying their pregnancy. Here are some of the treatment options to help you in improving fertility –

• Egg freezing when you are young, and you need pregnancy after a few years or so
• IVF, IUI and other infertility treatments
• Surrogacy
• Sperm donors

Despite having such advanced technologies, the fertility rate still declined dramatically when a woman is 35 or older. Many couples have fertility issues after 35. Here are some of the risk factors that may affect women with age –

• Declining health of eggs
• Reducing the number of fertilized eggs
• Inability of ovaries to release eggs
• Health conditions that may affect fertility
• Higher chances of miscarriage

Bottom Line

Many women want to get pregnant in later stages. It may take a longer time than usual. But your gynecologist still wants to work with you as your fertility rate also declines significantly when you are above 35 years old. If you cannot conceive on your own, you should ask your doctor about the right fertility treatments.  If you have waited for pregnancy for a long time, you don’t have to worry because there are so many options. There is still a chance to have a child at 40 against all odds.