Risks of pregnancy after 40 - is it dangerous to give birth?

The lifespan of the average person has changed, and so has the level of comfort in life. And at the same time, priorities changed. Thanks to the development of medicine, a woman can choose the appropriate time for pregnancy, decide to give birth to a child after she has created all the conditions for his life, and is psychologically ready for motherhood. But bearing a child later in life comes with certain health risks. What are the features of pregnancy after 40 years and is it too late to give birth at this time?

First pregnancy after 40 years

The first pregnancy after 40 years, in essence, is not much different from the first pregnancy at 20 years old: the same risks, the same features, the same consumption of resources of the mother’s body.

But the resources of women 20 and 40 years old will be different.

Despite the fact that each person’s body is individual, there is a certain range of problems that most women face during late pregnancy.

The main problem of late pregnancy is a lower chance of conceiving a child. By the age of 40-45, the follicular reserve of the ovaries begins to deplete, and the ovaries themselves begin to respond less strongly to hormones. Research shows that changes in the reproductive system can begin long before menopause, as early as 35 years of age. The blood supply to the organs of the reproductive system decreases, and the condition of the endometrium worsens. The diseases that a woman suffered during her life and the medications she took also affect the ability to get pregnant. Naturally, at twenty years old this list will be much shorter than at forty.

But it is worth considering that statistics show the situation on average, so many women continue to have high fertility after 40 years. In addition, modern medicine can solve many of the problems listed above and increase the likelihood of conception.

The second problem is the risk of developing genetic diseases in the unborn child. The older a woman is, the higher the likelihood of having a child with Down syndrome and other genetic disorders.

The third problem is chronic and hidden diseases and depletion of resources. Pregnancy at any age is a test for the body; it takes a significant amount of energy, involves physical activity, and restructuring of the entire body. Therefore, the worse a woman’s health, the heavier it will be for her to carry a child. Diseases of bones and joints, problems with the circulatory system (for example, hypertension), hormonal imbalance, hidden diseases, untreated inflammation - all this will greatly complicate pregnancy and childbirth. But at forty, not all women can boast of excellent health. To allow yourself to give birth to a healthy child after 40 years, a woman needs to take care of her health and get in good shape.

Pregnancy and the female body. Benefit or harm?

Everyone is wondering whether it is beneficial for a woman to bear and give birth to a child? After all, the body changes completely during this time.

The female body is unique, because only women are capable of childbearing. Men are the stronger sex, with many advantages: strong muscles, analytical mind, endurance. But they are not able to conceive, bear and give birth to a small creature, a piece of themselves. Nature gives this opportunity only to women, and it can only be compared to a miracle. Just think about it: one fine day, future life begins to develop inside the female body, it grows, eats, rests, moves. A woman will always remember this period of her life with tenderness; she will forget the unpleasant sensations in the morning, nagging pain in the lower back and painful contractions. But it’s simply impossible to forget how the baby moves inside, tickling your body with gentle arms and legs!

A woman's body is designed to bear, give birth and feed a child. If a woman tries to deceive natural processes throughout her life by protecting herself from pregnancy, nature punishes her with hormonal imbalances, diseases in the mammary gland and reproductive organs. During this period, the woman’s gynecological diseases associated with hormonal disorders disappear.

Most girls who suffer from painful periods will be able to breathe easy after pregnancy and childbirth. Most often, painful spasms fade into oblivion. This is due to changes in hormonal levels in a young mother.

Taking care of the unborn baby, a woman tries to eat healthy foods, which has a positive effect on the general condition of the pregnant woman’s body. As a rule, the expectant mother gets rid of bad habits, if she had any before pregnancy. Such a refusal also has a positive effect on the entire body.

With the onset of pregnancy, the expectant mother pays more attention to her health, taking care of the baby. She tries to rest more, walk in the fresh air, and maintain a daily routine. All this has a positive effect on her health and appearance.

You can attend courses for future parents, where you have the opportunity to make new acquaintances who share common interests. Which can later become a strong friendship or possibly develop into a business relationship.

Wonderful relationships are being established with loved ones, especially with my husband. The relationship itself becomes much warmer and more tender.

Pregnancy rejuvenates a woman’s body, especially for mothers over 35-40 years old. “Late mothers” feel young again after the birth of a child. This is not surprising; hormonal levels have changed during pregnancy, which has a positive effect on the monthly cycle and appearance. Pregnancy and childbirth in adulthood restore the regularity of menstruation if there were problems with this.

Some women react aggressively to the expression “benefits of pregnancy.” They immediately begin to list with bitterness the problems that appeared after childbirth:

teeth fell out;
stretch marks and excess weight appeared;
chronic constipation;
hair fall out;
chronic fatigue, the child does not allow rest;
postpartum depression.

Are we not to blame for most of these problems? After all, if you thought about your health in advance, these problems might not exist!

To keep teeth healthy during pregnancy and breastfeeding, they must be treated before pregnancy. Then, by properly organizing your diet and taking vitamins, maintain the calcium balance in the body. And please note that non-pregnant friends’ teeth also deteriorate if left untreated.
Heredity is primarily to blame for the appearance of stretch marks and excess weight. But sometimes we ourselves don’t care about our health. It just so happened that from the very first days of pregnancy, those around them begin to feed the expectant mother “for two.” And a pregnant woman often shows weakness, eating buns at night and chalking it up to the fact that sometimes in this position you want to break the routine. As a result, over 9 months, I quietly gained 15-20 extra kilograms, and by losing them, we will find those same stretch marks.
The occurrence of constipation during pregnancy and after childbirth is also largely related to diet. Eating fresh vegetables and fruits, physical activity, and drinking water in an amount of 1.5-2 liters will regulate the functioning of the intestines, and constipation will not be a problem.
Losing hair worries women of different age groups. To keep them healthy, you need to eat properly and take care of them at all times, including pregnancy.
Chronic fatigue. This is just another opportunity to feel sorry for yourself. What kind of fatigue are we talking about in our age of ready-made food for children, diapers and city apartments? Remember our great-grandmothers: in the morning they had to run to the well for water, water the cow, milk it, and all this before breakfast! Try to organize your day correctly, paying attention only to vital matters. If this doesn't help, write down a daily schedule, specifically indicating what time to do what and where to go.
Postpartum depression. There are many reasons for the occurrence of these psychological problems, but basically, if there is mutual understanding and love between spouses, there is simply no room for depression.

As you can see, the benefits of pregnancy are much greater. And most importantly, you will have a little person whom you will love for the rest of your life. It will bring your family together and will be a source of joy for you.

Risks of late pregnancy

The risk of losing a child is a risk of any pregnancy, but with age the number of negative factors increases. And acquired chronic diseases largely influence this. Diabetes, hypertension, diseases of the endocrine system, undiagnosed chronic diseases of the reproductive system - all this can lead to miscarriage, premature birth or missed abortion.

Another risk directly related to age is genetic diseases in children. The older the woman, the higher this probability. Moreover, a fairly significant contribution to the problem of genetic diseases is made by “implicit threats” - constant electromagnetic radiation, polluted air, smoking (including passive smoking), inhalation of exhaust fumes, contact with pesticides. All these factors provoke an excess of free radicals (oxidative stress), which have the ability to damage the genetic material of men and women. But if a man’s genetic material, enclosed in sperm, is completely renewed after three months, then a woman’s supply of eggs is laid at birth. But free radicals are especially dangerous for a maturing egg, because it is the one that will give rise to a new life. It is the possibility of genetic diseases in a child, according to experts, that is the most serious risk of pregnancy after 40 years. Therefore, pregnant women over forty years of age are strongly recommended to do all the necessary screenings in order to find out in advance about fetal developmental anomalies.

The load on a woman’s body, which lasts 9 months, will also not pass without consequences. First of all, this is an increased load on the hip joints, hormonal imbalances, changes in blood circulation, and the need for a variety of additional support (including taking vitamins and minerals).

How to give birth to a healthy baby after 40

In order to give birth to a healthy child, first of all, you should prepare for pregnancy. And not only psychologically, but also to put the body in order. Even before pregnancy, you should start taking vitamin and mineral complexes with iodine and folic acid. The deficiency of these substances especially affects the first stages of fetal formation, when a woman cannot yet know about her pregnancy. You can choose to receive the specialized Pregnoton complex. It is intended for women with reduced fertility and contains not only a set of vitamins and minerals for the reproductive system, but also arginine, which improves blood supply to the pelvic organs.

To increase the chances of having a healthy child after 40 years of age, it is advisable to protect the ovaries from free radicals that can damage the genetic material of maturing eggs. This will help make a complex of antioxidants. For example, Synergin is designed specifically to protect the reproductive system; it can be taken both in preparation for conception and during pregnancy. Synergin contains natural antioxidants for the body in effective dosages.

Preparing for pregnancy after 40

In order to properly prepare for pregnancy after 40 years, you should:

contact a gynecologist or reproductive specialist to outline the range of studies necessary to determine the condition of the expectant mother’s body;
cure all diseases in advance if they are detected;
take specialized complexes and antioxidants to avoid deficiency of essential substances and protect genetic material from damage;
if this does not go against the doctor’s instructions, start exercising the complex for pregnant women;
normalize weight to reduce stress on joints and spine.

How to prepare properly

Pregnancy at a late age is a completely natural process, and there is no need to treat it as a disease. If you feel well, do not have chronic diseases, pathologies, etc., then you do not necessarily need to be under the constant supervision of a gynecologist, much less stay in the hospital. But in order to be sure of a successful outcome, it is better to prepare for conception, pregnancy and childbirth in advance. For example:

Get a full medical examination. First of all, see a gynecologist to assess the health of your reproductive system. Pay special attention to your endocrinologist to improve your hormonal balance before pregnancy. If necessary, take a course of medications prescribed by your doctor. Cure your teeth, check your blood sugar and hemoglobin levels. If you have previously experienced pressure surges, be sure to consult a cardiologist.
Change your lifestyle. We are talking about the usual diet, sleep patterns, giving up bad habits. Drink more water, spend more time outdoors, try to take care of your nerves.
Introduce physical activity into your life. If you haven't exercised before, moderate walking, jogging, yoga or Pilates will suffice. These classes will help you put your emotional background in order, find inner balance and become more resistant to stress.
Be sure to consult a geneticist, especially if there are cases of hereditary diseases in your family. During pregnancy due to IVF, it is advisable to undergo PGD - preimplantation genetic diagnosis. It allows embryos to be analyzed for chromosomal abnormalities, monogenic diseases or chromosomal translocations. After a specialist’s conclusion, healthy embryos are selected for transfer, with no risk of abnormalities.

Don’t be afraid of the numbers in your passport and think about the bad. Modern medicine allows you to minimize all risks, manage your pregnancy carefully, and give birth to a full-fledged healthy baby. The mother is required to have faith in success, adherence to medical instructions and a positive attitude. And online courses from our school “Easy Childbirth” will help you prepare physically and psychologically for childbirth, postpartum recovery, and caring for your baby. Experienced practitioners will consistently tell you how easy it is to bear a pregnancy, give birth gently and painlessly, and discover the happiness of late, but long-awaited motherhood.

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Conclusion: is it possible to give birth after 40?

Is it worth giving birth after 40 years? Just a hundred years ago the answer to this question would have been no. But modern medicine has made a big step forward, minimizing the risks of pregnancy, regardless of the age of the expectant mother. In many European countries, the term “late birth” is no longer used as outdated, since the average age of first pregnancy is 36-40 years.

Timely preparation, taking care of your health, carefully following the doctor’s instructions - all this can be the key to the birth of a healthy and desired child.

THIS IS NOT AN ADVERTISING. THE MATERIAL WAS PREPARED WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF EXPERTS.