Having a Baby Later in Life

Maybe because of the demands of your career or the need to save enough money first, you've waited to have a family. Maybe it took you a while to find the right partner. Now you're in your late-thirties or into your forties, and you've decided it's time. You're ready for motherhood and all it has to offer. Do you find yourself asking, "Have I waited too long?" If so, maybe it's time to look at the facts about pregnancy after age 35.

Infertility and other problems

Becoming pregnant is harder after age 35. The best time for women to have babies is when they're in their 20's and early 30's. After age 35, there can be complications, especially if the mother has health problems. Although most pregnancies in women over 35 have happy endings, the chances for problems do increase with age.

Some of the problems seen in pregnancy after 35 are:

• Infertility
• Low birth weight
• Ectopic pregnancy (A pregnancy that takes place somewhere other than the uterus)
• Preeclampsia (a dangerous rise in blood pressure during pregnancy)
• An increase in miscarriages
• Gestational diabetes
• An increase in chromosomal abnormalities (like Down syndrome)
• Induced labor
• Heart rate abnormalities in the fetus
• Emergency situations (like bleeding or ruptured membranes)
• An increased number of emergency Caesarean sections

Another problem is that as men age, their sperm decrease in number and quality. When an older man fathers a child, that child's risk for schizophrenia and genetic disorders increases.

Unlike men, who produce sperm each day, women are born with a set number of eggs. They use these in their teens, 20s and 30s. By the time a woman is in her 40s, the quality of her eggs has often decreased, making conception difficult.

Healthy pregnancies after 35

Many women in their late 30s and their 40s still feel youthful and able to raise families. As long as their health is good to begin with, pregnancy is usually not risky.

Although becoming pregnant is much easier in the 20s and early 30s, many women are still able to conceive in their 40s. Others may consider in vitro fertilization (IVF). With IVF, donor eggs are fertilized outside the woman's body, and then placed in the uterus. However, IVF isn't covered by health insurance and has price tags into the tens of thousands.

According to studies, when it comes to having a healthy baby and a normal delivery, the mother's health is a much more significant factor than her age.

Related Articles Mom's Weight Can Be Big Risk for Baby Planning a Healthy Pregnancy Prenatal Visits and Routine Testing During Pregnancy High-Risk Pregnancy Multiple Pregnancy Seeing Your Doctor Before You Get Pregnant Who Is at Risk for Developing Preeclampsia? Treating Infertility Amniocentesis Test Treating Breast Cancer During Pregnancy

External Sources Duke University March of Dimes Pregnancy.org

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.

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