PREGNANCY AFTER 35
Written By: Caroline Meyer
It is far more likely that you may experience problems conceiving after the age of 35. While it is not impossible, it if far more difficult. Statistically, fertile women between the ages of 19 and 26 have a 50% chance of pregnancy if they have sex on their most fertile day while women 27 to 334 have around a 40% chance. From 35 to 39, your chances drop to 30% and drop even more steeply after that. There is also a higher likelihood for miscarriage as you age. The amount of cycles it takes for conception also increases dramatically after 35. Even after 4 years of trying, the likelihood of conception is only around 65%.
If your partner is 5 or more years older than you, your chance for conception falls even lower. If you are aged 35 to 39 and your partner is 40 to 45, your chance of conception in a single cycle drops to 18%, while if your partner is the same age or younger, you have close to 30% chance of conception on your most fertile day. So, if you are trying to get pregnant after 35, your partners age does matter.
If you have been trying for 6 months or more and you are over 35, you may want to consult with your doctor as soon as possible for fertility testing. While there is still a reasonable chance of conceiving without help, there are more likely to be fertility problems that need to be sorted out once you have reached this age without conceiving. If there are no obvious problems, the doctor will most likely recommend you try again for another 6 months before going for further testing. Fertility testing will usually consist of an ultrasound, a blood test and possibly an HSG which is a specialised x-ray. Your partner will have to have a semen analysis. Once the doctor gets the results of all the tests, he can then recommend how to proceed. You also need to be aware that fertility treatments are often less successful for older women and men, but it does still improve your chance of conception if they are addressed.
Here are a few more suggestions to improve your chances of conception:
Stop unhealthy habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol. Avoid products containing coffee as well as high concentrations of sugar. Try and reach a healthy weight if you are over or under an average weight for your height. Eat healthy and exercise regularly. Even if you undergo fertility treatments, a healthy lifestyle can further improve your chances for conception. Yoga, meditation and other mind-body therapies can also have an impact on your fertility. If both partners are healthy in body and mind, the chance of conception improves.
That being said, the clock may be ticking, but if you are reaching the age of 35 but are not ready for children, you don’t need to conceive purely to beat the clock. You should still wait until you are ready even though it may be more difficult to conceive age the age of 35.
What can you do to improve the chances of a healthy baby after 35?
Make sure you have a check up prior to conception. Discuss your medical history and that of your parents as well as any chronic medication that you may be taking. Your partner should also have a physical and report his and his family’s medical history as it takes two to make a baby. You have to get treatment for any conditions whether mental or physical before trying to conceive. Some medications will need to be altered once you fall pregnant.
Take a multi-vitamin including folic acid every day when you are pregnant to help prevent neural tube defects and birth defects such as cleft palate or cleft lip in your baby.
Avoid using harmful chemicals at work or at home. Some paints, cleaning products and so forth can be toxic and cause birth defects if absorbed.
Reduce your stress levels. High stress levels can negatively affect the growth and development of your baby and even cause health issues for you.
Attend all your prenatal check-ups. This ensures that your medical care provider can be up to date with the growth and generally well being of you and your unborn child. Your care provider may also recommend genetic testing.
Try and gain weight in relation to the growth of your baby. Putting on too much weight is not good for you and not putting on weight can be detrimental to the growth of your baby.
It’s a little more difficult having babies after the age of 35, but you are likely to be more settled as well as being more financially secure at this point. Many people are leaving the idea of having a family until later on in life while they are establishing their careers. Fertility treatments are becoming ever more sophisticated and prenatal care is also improving all the time. You still have a very good chance of having a healthy, happy baby after the age of 35.