Pregnancy after 30: chances, features, risks
Nowadays, women are paying more and more attention to careers and self-fulfillment, sometimes putting aside one of the main goals of life – motherhood. They can’t be blamed for this, because every mother wants to give her baby the best, and most manage to achieve a certain level of material security and gain the necessary knowledge and life experience only after 30. Late pregnancy has become the norm …
But what about health? How great are the chances for mature women to become mothers, how is the pregnancy going, and are the risks of fetal abnormalities great? We will give answers to these questions in the article.
Late pregnancy: social norm or natural abnormality?
The trend for increasing age began to gain popularity in connection with the changing social role of women. Representatives of the fair sex strive for implementation not only in the field of personal relations and motherhood, but also in the field of scientific, sports and career achievements. “First you need to get on your feet” – now this truth is relevant not only for men who have lost the status of the only earners in the family.
Not the least role was also played by the increase in the level of sex education and the availability of contraception.
Meanwhile, postponing the birth of a child for a long time is quite risky. After 30, the extinction of fertility begins. Statistics show: after 35 years, the likelihood of becoming a victim of a diagnosis of infertility is high, and the risk of miscarriage is 60% greater at 40 than at 25.
Poor ecology, regular stress, unbalanced nutrition (including weight loss diets), the presence of bad habits – all this can cause the extinction of the reproductive function. But these are the conditions of modern life, and if you give up smoking and alcohol abuse in the name of motherhood is not a problem, then changing your place of residence in pursuit of clean air is quite difficult. You can learn more about pregnancy planning here.
Nevertheless, giving birth to a healthy baby after 30 years is quite realistic. It is only necessary to analyze all the risks and choose the right approach.
What is the danger of late pregnancy
As we said, the older the woman, the less her eggs are suitable for the ripening of a healthy fetus. With age, there is a restructuring of the hormonal background. For example, after 30 years in women, the production of the hormone progesterone decreases. He is responsible not only for the frequency of the menstrual cycle, but also for the successful conception and gestation. The risks of developing a child’s Down syndrome increase, the likelihood of having a cesarean section during childbirth increases (due to a decrease in tissue elasticity).
But the expectant mother of any age can count on the help of medicine. Of course, doctors are not omnipotent, but a set of examinations before and during pregnancy allows you to objectively assess risks and regulate the process with maximum effect. If pregnancy does not occur for too long, then the future parents are assigned an analysis of the quality and number of eggs, as well as a spermogram. And already on their basis, the doctor selects the appropriate treatment, increasing the likelihood of natural conception.
Chances to conceive a child after 30.
Age has a great influence on the possibility of conceiving and bearing a child. This is primarily due to a natural decrease in the number of ovulations, and without it it is simply impossible to get pregnant in the classical way.
Let’s look at the main indicators that affect the likelihood of conception for women of different age groups.
30–35 years old.
The chances of a natural conception are about 60%. For several months in a year, ovulation does not occur, such periods are called anovulatory.
35–40 years old.
The chances of natural conception are less than 50%. The number of eggs begins to decline due to a decrease in blood flow to the ovaries. The level of estrogen and progesterone hormones responsible for sexual functions becomes lower. Health problems can also affect the frequency of ovulation.
40–45 years old.
The chances of a natural conception are less than 30%. 45 years is considered the age of the end of the reproductive period in a woman, because the number of eggs in the ovaries of the female body is limited. In addition to significantly reducing the number of viable oocytes, their quality is also often below normal: chromosomal abnormalities lead to miscarriages and an increased risk of genetic abnormalities in the fetus.
It often happens that when planning a late pregnancy, the risks of complications are too great. However, doctors can offer the expectant mother several auxiliary methods, the so-called reproductive technologies. The main essence of this approach is that some stages of pregnancy (or even the whole pregnancy) occur outside the mother’s body. Reproductive technologies include artificial insemination (IVF), the use of donor eggs, embryos, as well as surrogate motherhood and artificial intrauterine insemination.
How to prepare for late pregnancy
The first thing to do regardless of the age of the future mother is to find a qualified gynecologist. It will help to conduct competent preparation for conception, thereby reducing possible individual risks to the health of the mother and child.
Preparation for late pregnancy always begins with a collection of tests, both general and specific (such as infectious screening). Immunological and hormonal tests, determination of the patency of the fallopian tubes, colposcopy and endoscopy may be required. Previous diseases are also significant.
The doctor evaluates the totality of the data obtained on the woman’s health and on this basis draws up a program for preparing her body for pregnancy. Most often, the medical part of the question is aimed at treating or correcting existing diseases, and the expectant mother receives a list of recommendations for maintaining a healthy lifestyle (lose or gain weight, avoid stress, observe the daily regimen, eat right and give up bad habits).
An important step in planning a pregnancy after 30 years is to visit a geneticist who can give recommendations on hereditary pathologies and determine the risk of genetic diseases for the fetus.
Features of conception and gestation after 30
Each age is characterized by specific features of the course of pregnancy, recommended methods of conception and ways to reduce the risks of pathologies.
After 30
The chances of becoming pregnant naturally between the ages of 30 and 35 are quite high, so you should contact a reproductologist only 12 months after unsuccessful attempts to conceive a baby. This is the period when the reproductive system is still quite active. But the situation can be complicated by chronic diseases (especially the genitourinary system), which often make themselves felt at this age. Most likely, the expectant mother will be prescribed a course of vitamins for pregnant women – with proper pregravid preparation and a healthy body, this will be enough for a harmonious course of the process. Pregnancy at this age does not have specific features, however, regular medical supervision and adherence to all its recommendations is necessary.
After 35
By this age, fertile function in almost all women begins to fade. If pregnancy does not occur after a year, infertility is diagnosed. After that, for 9-12 months, treatment with the use of medications or by laparoscopic or endoscopic surgery is indicated. Most often we are talking about IVF.
Pregnancy can take place without complications if the woman does not have serious diseases, and also paid special attention to pregravid preparation. So, when planning a pregnancy after 35, you must undergo a mammogram. It must be borne in mind that at this age the chances of not only conceiving the baby, but also the ability to bear it are reduced. The first changes in the hormonal background, a decrease in the ability of the egg to attach to the walls of the uterus, a high risk of developing placental insufficiency – increase the likelihood of a miscarriage.
After 40
Psychologically, this age is considered favorable. However, the chances of natural conception at this age, as we mentioned, are about 30%. As an alternative method of conception, IVF is used using a donor egg from a young healthy woman. But, unfortunately, it is during this period that many have at least one chronic disease, in addition, the body begins to prepare for the onset of menopause, which means that the hormonal background undergoes significant changes. The age of the woman in labor makes itself felt: after 40 years, a pregnant woman is more likely to develop gestational diabetes, impaired blood pressure and blood coagulation. As the risks of genetic diseases in an unborn baby also increase, reproductologists prescribe pre-implantation genetic diagnostics (PGD). It allows you to select embryos without genetic abnormalities.
After 45
At this age, there are chances to conceive a child, but they are insignificant and are perceived, rather, as an accident. In this situation, IVF using a donor egg is also a popular procedure. It happens that a woman plans pregnancy in advance at this age and takes preparatory measures, for example, cryopreservation (freezing) of embryos or eggs for their subsequent transplantation. During pregnancy, the expectant mother needs increased attention of the doctor, since the risk of developing complications is very high. After the age of 45 years, it should be screened for cancer, monitor cholesterol, blood pressure, and, as for younger women in childbirth, constant monitoring by an experienced specialist remains extremely relevant. It should also be borne in mind that with age, the likelihood of a significant decrease in the level of tissue elasticity increases, so a cesarean section becomes a necessity.
We examined the main points associated with late pregnancy in women from 30 to 45 years. As you can see, to find true female happiness is quite possible if you take a responsible approach to your health. It is the very decisive factor that ensures the correct course of pregnancy.
You can find out the details of your pregnancy week after week here.