Every woman dreams of children, regardless of her age. On the contrary, older women take their pregnancy more seriously and responsibly. At this age, many of them have already reached the peak of their careers and equipped their family nest. For some, pregnancy after 40 years is the last chance to have children, for others - just the opportunity to give birth to another baby. But, first of all, before deciding on this crucial step, you need to weigh the pros and cons.
Pregnancy after 40 years has both pros and cons. The period that begins after the birth of the baby is characterized by a psychological upsurge for the woman. For them, every minute spent with their baby turns into a holiday. Even during pregnancy, a woman feels the thrill of upcoming walks and other fun with her baby. Experts are unanimous in the opinion that pregnancy after 40 prolongs a woman's life, makes her younger.
But, unfortunately, not everything is so good. First of all, the chances of getting pregnant are decreasing every year. From the age of 40 to 45, out of a thousand women, only seven can become pregnant, and at the age of 45-49 only three. In addition to problems with conception, there are also certain difficulties during pregnancy and childbirth itself.
What is a pregnancy hazard at 40 for a woman?
Pregnancy after 40 years can threaten women with many risks, the main of which are:
Miscarriages Forty-year-old women have a 33% chance of miscarriage. This risk is associated with the aging of the entire female body, and eggs in particular. This leads to the conception of a fetus with genetic abnormalities and, as a consequence, termination of pregnancy due to miscarriage.
Problems with the placenta, its premature detachment.
Exacerbation of chronic diseases of a pregnant woman. Diseases of the heart, kidneys, endocrine system require constant monitoring by doctors. Pregnancy after 40 years can trigger the development of diabetes.
Pregnancy complications. Difficulties in the process of bearing a child include: arterial hypertension, the occurrence of bleeding, the development of gestosis. Currently, even young mothers often experience toxicosis at different stages of pregnancy, and what can we say about women after 40?
Multiple pregnancy. Pregnancy at 40 is the ideal age for the appearance of twins. Maybe for some it will be happiness, but for someone a huge headache.
Complications in the birth process itself. This can be a weak labor and many breaks. Fights during childbirth in forty-year-old women are so weak that childbirth can last more than a day. As a rule, in such a situation, a decision is made to do an emergency operation.
The use of caesarean section. Due to the huge number of complications during pregnancy, a cesarean section for giving birth to a child from late pregnancy is used several times more often than during pregnancy at the age of 18-35.
What is a pregnancy hazard at 40 for a baby?
Pregnancy at this age is also risky for the baby. It may result in premature birth. It is also possible the birth of a child with a small weight. The greatest risk is the presence of chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus. Their causes are considered to be cell aging, a long time of exposure to toxic substances and other environmental factors.
One of the most dangerous of these deviations is Down syndrome. With this disease, both mental underdevelopment and a deviation in physical development are observed.
But it should be noted that after many studies, scientists have found that most women who decide to become pregnant after 40 years old give birth to strong and healthy babies.