Breastfeeding all over again. Late-night wake-ups. Medically speaking, there were some health issues that came with being an older mom. Sadly, my next pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. But soon after, I was pregnant again with Maia. This time I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes—a common diagnosis in moms over I took a medical leave of absence, tweaked my diet and exercised often.
I had to check my glucose levels two hours after every meal to ensure that they were normal. My sweet little girl came five days early, and the delivery took only seven minutes!
With my third child, I had to be induced again. The doctor broke my water and she arrived 45 minutes later. But it can be difficult to shake the rude and hurtful sentiments I regularly face.
Overall the U. This means that you are very likely to find other mothers your age in your childbirth class, prenatal groups, and parenting circles. One of the biggest barriers to pregnancy in your 40s is your fertility. Certainly, there are women who have no issues getting pregnant well into their 40s.
Though statistically speaking, you are less likely to get pregnant and more likely to need the aid of fertility treatments the older you are when you are trying to conceive. Fertility treatment means different things for different people. It can mean anything from conceiving while taking oral medications and having regular intercourse to using donor eggs and trying to conceive with in vitro fertilization IVF.
About one-third of women over 35 will get help from a fertility specialist , and that number increases with age—half of the women trying to conceive in their early 40s will do so. One thing of particular interest will be the supply and quality of your eggs.
The number of eggs and the health of said eggs diminishes the older you get. There are tests your doctor can do that can estimate how well your eggs are holding up, and this would be a part of your fertility testing. In general, after the age of 35, if you have not conceived after 6 months of well-timed intercourse with no birth control, you should seek the help of a fertility specialist. Every pregnancy carries the risk of miscarriage , and that risk does go up with age. Part of that risk in your 40s is that you are more likely to have a chronic condition at this point in your life than previously.
A chronic condition like diabetes, high blood pressure, or thyroid disease can complicate your pregnancy and potentially increase the risks of miscarriage and pregnancy loss, including stillbirth. This is one of the reasons that preconception care is very important.
By meeting with your practitioner prior to pregnancy, you can minimize these risks by getting a chronic condition under control. You may also have a medication review to see which medications you're taking would be compatible with pregnancy. You may find newer medications to switch to and take time to ensure they work for you before attempting a pregnancy. Pregnancy certainly changes your body. Women who have children both earlier and later in life are quick to note that pregnancy in their 40s was often more physically challenging than it was in their 20s or 30s.
One of the biggest risks to your comfort with a midlife pregnancy will be your overall fitness level. Someone who has been very active and has few daily aches and pains, in general, is more likely to have a fairly normal course with pregnancy-related physical symptoms. If you are already experiencing the aches and pains commonly associated with midlife, you may find that some of the physical symptoms of a changing pregnant body to be more pronounced.
The good news is that if you are already exercising, there is usually no reason to stop. Prenatal exercise classes can help you have a safe and easy pregnancy. Your doctor or midwife can advise you on what alterations you need to make to your scheduled workouts. Keep in mind that moving is one way to alleviate the stress and strain of pregnancy on your body. Even if you are new to exercise, you can still reap the benefits. Swimming, walking, and yoga are three things that many practitioners recommend to women who have not been exercising much prior to pregnancy or for women who are having some setbacks in the workout schedules.
Pregnancy alters your emotion via hormones. The mood swings that can accompany pregnancy are well known. This should not be much different due to age. Though, as a more mature woman, you probably have something your younger counterparts do not—the ability to cope with these changes more effectively.
Financial and relationship concerns can lead to emotional irritability during pregnancy. While age is certainly not a cure-all for these woes, with age comes a certain amount of stability. This might mean that some of the stress many young people feel about finding a house or a stable job is something that you may not be dealing with at this stage of the game.
One of the main reasons women say that they have delayed having children into their 40s is to ensure that they are financially stable. This may mean different things to different people. Perhaps you had a job that required a lot of travel when you were younger. Maybe you wanted to reach a certain level in your company before you felt like you could have a baby. There might also be a certain level of financial status you wanted to be able to achieve first—a home, a college fund, a certain amount in your retirement account.
There are many reasons you may have intentionally delayed childbearing. Finding other women who are close to your age and are having babies can provide a big benefit. While you may be one of the older mothers in playgroup, you won't be alone. Make friends with other older mothers in addition to other mothers. This will help you have someone to share your unique issues with. Pregnancy in your 40s is potentially more complicated. The healthier you are at the beginning, the less likely you are to experience complications.
But even healthy women can have complications in pregnancy. Women in their 40s also have a higher chance of having multiples , such as twins or triplets. While it may be easy to chalk this up to fertility treatments, there is also a natural increase in the rates of multiple pregnancies, even without using fertility medications or treatments. Talking to your doctor about your medical history and staying on top of your prenatal checkups can minimize some of these risks by allowing them to spot or manage potential complications before they become serious.
Because the risk of genetic problems increase with age, experts routinely recommend that women in their 40s have detailed fetal screenings such as cell-free fetal DNA blood testing , advanced ultrasound, amniocentesis , or chorionic villus sampling. Mothers over 40 also have a nearly 50 percent chance of having a c-section as a result of delivery complications. Incidents of low-birth-weight and stillborn babies are higher as well. One very positive fact on your side: Given the range of new assisted reproductive technologies ART methods now available, there's no better time in history to try to get pregnant as an older mother.
Although in vitro fertilization IVF success rates fall significantly when women use their own eggs after age 35, the chance of success using donor eggs remains high with a pregnancy rate of about 50 percent for women through their late 40s. For women in their 40s who use eggs from a woman in her 20s or 30s, the risk of miscarriage and chromosomal problems is consistent with the age of the egg donor.
To give yourself the best chance for a normal pregnancy and a healthy baby, consider taking a few important steps before trying to conceive. Read these tips to help you prepare for pregnancy. If you're in your early 40s, your healthcare provider will likely refer you to a fertility specialist if you don't get pregnant after having frequent about two or three times a week unprotected sex for up to six months.
Others advise seeing a specialist right away — especially if there are specific reasons you may have trouble getting pregnant, such as irregular or missed periods, ovulation difficulties, or problems with your partner's sperm.
Most specialists start by doing tests to determine if there's a problem with the way your ovaries function. Then they'll check for problems with your fallopian tubes or your partner's sperm. If no such problems are found, then it's likely your infertility is from age and declining egg quality.
Your physician will advise you about your options depending on your individual circumstances. For more on age and fertility, read our articles on getting pregnant in your 20s and 30s. Plus, check out the preconception and birth stories of six women in their 20s , 30s , and 40s. Understand how age affects eggs and fertility. Know the risks of having a baby after age Explore your options for fertility treatment.
BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals. We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. Having a baby after age American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
ART success rates. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infertility FAQs. Mayo Clinic. Pregnancy after Healthy moms, healthy babies. Incidences and maternal age. National Down Syndrome Society.
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