Pregnancy after 35 Years

Pregnancy after 35 Years

Pregnancy

Today many women decide to become mothers after 35 years. In fact, one in five has their first child after this age.  Fortunately, most have healthy pregnancies and babies.

However, studies show that women over 35 face some special risks during pregnancy. For this reason it is necessary that women know the risks so they can properly evaluate the desirability of a pregnancy and determine the best time to get pregnant (Bahtiyar, 2008).

Does age on fertility?

Generally, women begin to experience a decline in fertility after age 30. Often a woman of over 35 years will take longer to conceive than a young woman. Men may also experience a decrease in fertility when approaching age 40. 

In some cases, the decline in fertility in women over 35 years is because they tend to ovulate (release an egg from the ovaries) less frequently than younger women (Usta, 2008). They also interfere with conception certain health problems are more common after that age, such as endometriosis (which causes tissue attaches to the ovaries or fallopian tubes), blockage of the fallopian tubes (in some cases as a result of past infections) and fibroids (noncancerous growths in the uterus). If a woman over 35 years has not become pregnant after trying to conceive for six months, you should consult your doctor. Studies suggest that about one third of women aged 35 to 39 and about half of women over age 40 have fertility problems.  Many of these problems can be effectively treated.

While women over age 35 may have more difficulty conceiving, they also have a higher chance of having twins.  This probability increases naturally with age. It is also more likely than women over 35 years should undergo fertility treatment, which increases your chances of having twins, triplets or more (Joseph, 2005).

Birth Defects and Pregnancy after 35

The risk of having a ...