Our life is amazing, you must agree: it seems, as a biological species, we live not so little, on average 80 years, but our youth, namely physiological, lasts for some 10-15 years maximum. During this time, we, young and beautiful, must find our soul mate and reproduce our own kind.

But social foundations and the modern way of life of society do not really fit into this time frame. In most cases, 20-year-old boys and girls by their nature are not far from their children, they practically do not strive to build new cells of society, but prefer to get an education, take place as a professional, and live for their own pleasure. And it often turns out that this very physiological youth, when nature demands “to do what it should,” is spent on completely different things related to self-affirmation and the search for one's place in the world.

And this is more true for women. Receiving a "tower", working and ensuring her bright future, being in search of that one thing, a woman spends these 15 years of youth not on childbirth. That is why the problem of late childbirth and family planning already in adulthood is so urgent now. Our topic today: pregnancy at 45.

What motivates women to think about late pregnancy?

Building a career and organizing life is now in the foreground for many, but it is far from always the reason for late family planning. Sometimes it turns out completely differently. For example, a woman successfully married only after 40, or after long attempts and treatment, she finally saw the long-awaited two stripes. Better late than never, as they say.

Parents in their 40s feel some devastation after their children grow up and leave their homes. Parents want to take care of someone again, to feel needed and, what is there, to feel like young parents again. And, interestingly, opinion polls show that sooner or later the vast majority of parents of grown-up children will sooner or later face a devastating feeling, the feeling of an “empty nest”.

One cannot exclude a case that not everyone prefers to talk about: an accident. Whatever doctors say about the reproductive age of a woman of Balzac's age, a 45-year-old woman is usually very good with an intimate life. And it so happens that a couple does not plan more heirs, and the case decides everything for them. And finding themselves in such a situation, women almost always leave a "random" baby.

Features of age-related pregnancy: the main fears

But surely everyone has heard a lot from girlfriends, doctors, online sources and all kinds of broadcasts about health that pregnancy after 45 is dangerous and generally not good. In the modern world, it has even become a kind of horror story, they say, boouu, a special child will be born (anyway), you will suffer the whole pregnancy, you almost die in childbirth, and in general, why does a grown-up child need a mother who looks like his grandmother. You know, in this case, all that remains is to laugh and pity those who hold such a point of view. And that's why.

Modern medicine, including reproductive technologies, have reached such a level that the age of a woman in labor has moved much further than could have been assumed some 20-30 years ago. Of course, before there were cases when they gave birth at 50, and even 60-year-old old women (women, forgive me for such a comparison), but it was akin to a miracle. Now the normal outcome of pregnancy is quite possible for mature women in labor, who will still give odds to 18-year-old girls.

We go through the list further. You can't compare everyone and sweep away, as they say, one size fits all. Women are very different creatures, even if they are all 45. The way of life, attitude towards oneself, bad habits, place of residence, level of stress and much, much more are different. It often happens that a woman over 40 is actually much healthier than a younger girl, say, 25 years old.

Now let's turn to dry statistics. It is believed that after the 4th decade of life, a lady has less and less chance of getting pregnant. And if clearly, then at the most favorable fertile age of 20-25 years the chance of conceiving a baby is 25% per cycle, then by 45 years this chance will not be higher than a couple of percent! 2-3 percent, can you imagine ?! Why is that? Yes, because with age, ovulation occurs less and less, the eggs are not renewed, the reproductive organs are slowly preparing for "retirement".

But if rare ovulation were the main problem! This is not so bad. From year to year, in view of our, let's be honest, imperfect way of life, the body accumulates all sorts of chronic ailments, traumas of various kinds. At the genetic level, mutational processes occur in genes (this is inevitable, but, nevertheless, our lifestyle directly affects the number of these same mutations). The onset of pregnancy can be very expensive for an older woman: it is already difficult for the body to distribute resources between two organisms.

It is in view of the above reasons that there are certain risks during pregnancy after 45:

✓ Exacerbation of chronic diseases during pregnancy, hence the possible constant poor health (toxicosis, pregnancy diabetes, hypertension, etc.) and frequent hospitalization;

✓ Frequent fetal hypoxia due to an increased rate of blood clotting, the risk of thrombosis;

✓ Risk of congenital fetal abnormalities, including genetic ones (for example, after 45, there is a high probability of having a child with Down syndrome: 1 in 19 cases);

✓ There is a high likelihood of rupture of internal organs and poor labor due to inelastic tissue.

Planning a "late" baby

The above risks are called "risks" for a reason. This is the probability of the occurrence of any pathological condition based on the age characteristics of the female body and the available statistical data. It cannot be argued that it will be so in your case, just as no one will give guarantees that everything will go smoothly. By the way, in the latter case, age has nothing to do with it. Even if you are 20 years old, no one will beat yourself in the chest and assure you that you can carry a healthy baby without problems, and in general everything will be just super.

Much younger girls give birth difficult, give birth to children with vices, with genetic deviations, everything happens in the world. Referring again to statistics, 80% of cases of births of children with Down syndrome occur just among women under 35 years of age (however, it should be borne in mind that the number of deliveries in the younger age group is much higher).

Be that as it may, childbirth at 45 years old is a very, very frequent phenomenon today. Thousands of women in Russia and around the world become happy mothers for a long time not at a girl's age, so there is nothing to be afraid of. The only advice: be responsible when planning and do not ignore the necessary procedures and being in position. It is a responsible approach, putting in order in one's own body even before the moment of conception, which will allow avoiding more than half of the problems from the aforementioned list. More information on planning pregnancy after 35 years.

Benefits of late labor

Well, now let's talk about the most pleasant. Hardly anyone would argue with me that the anticipation of motherhood cannot be considered a strong positive emotion. You can and how! It's no secret that late pregnancy, as a rule, is very desirable, which makes it doubly pleasant from the feeling of being a mother. There are many examples when women became mothers for the first time at 43-47 years old and all as one said that they are the happiest in the world!

By the way, it is worth mentioning the emotional component. Many are afraid, they say that every 10th woman in childbirth experienced a similar destructive feeling. Changes in mood appear, nothing and no one pleases, you want to howl like a wolf, but there is no desire to look at the child at all, he even annoys some. An interesting fact: scientists have proven that the phenomenon of postpartum depression is inherent in young girls who have not accepted the very fact of motherhood, are not ready for it and are not ready for such radical changes in their lives, including personal ones.

Note that older mothers who responsibly approach family planning issues are not in danger. If we put all the benefits into one big list, then this is what we get.

Late pregnancy is good because:

✓ By the age of 40, parents are self-sufficient, have built their careers, organized everyday life, have gone through "fire and water", so all their attention and time will be given not to their career or self-realization, but to the child;

✓ The "late" child is desired, and accordingly, loved in the womb; older mothers are more restrained emotionally and approach the issue of raising a child very rationally. Such children grow up to be calmer, more judicious, receive a good upbringing and often have creative inclinations;

✓ K the limacteric period is postponed for some time, due to hormonal changes;

✓ F The woman is "younger" again thanks to hormones. Estrogens are the wonderful secret to female attractiveness;

✓ D children of such parents do not suffer from lack of attention;

✓ R teachers regain the meaning of life and rejuvenate their souls.

Conclusion

Again, the same statistics inexorably testify to an annual increase in the number of late-bearing women in labor. This means that women boldly go to the hospital, carry healthy children and are not afraid of late motherhood. What is stopping you?

Despite some risks, the benefits of childbirth at a mature age are clear. But before you get pregnant at 45, you should take it seriously as never before, because this is very, very important, I think you understand why. And if a miracle has happened and a new life develops in your tummy, then I hasten to sincerely rejoice with you and inspire you for a happy 40 weeks! Good luck!

No age can be one hundred percent guarantee of the birth of a healthy baby. But over the years, it becomes more difficult for a woman to decide on motherhood: doctors do not advise, and the pressure jumps, and friends discourage her.

But late motherhood has its own advantages:

• the female consciousness fully understands the responsibility for the born baby, the expectant mother is ready to psychologically raise her child in love and a warm family atmosphere;
• the changes occurring at the hormonal level rejuvenate the female body, give, along with a new life, a second wind for the mother;
• the onset of menopause is postponed, which makes it possible for the mother of a born child to enjoy a full life for a few more extra years.

Cons of late labor

When planning the possibility of the appearance of another little man, one should not forget about the risks that may appear in women giving birth after 35:

• the percentage of the possibility of getting pregnant decreases;
• conception may not be for many months;
• there is a possibility of genetic abnormalities in a child, Down syndrome, including;
• complications often arise associated with the work of the kidneys, heart, increased blood pressure;
• tissues change, hormones are produced in insufficient quantities, which leads to the possibility of miscarriage, detachment of the placenta, and all kinds of bleeding.

Give birth after 35 no need to be afraid

None of the listed disadvantages and all kinds of risks can be a convincing argument for someone who wants to be a mother. If a woman is planning a pregnancy, she will try to avoid trouble by adhering to five simple rules.

Rule one. Lose excess weight

How quickly extra pounds appear, and how hard it is to lose them in the fourth decade. But this must be done in order to avoid the appearance of atherosclerosis, hypertension, strokes and other diseases. The entire body during pregnancy should work for the correct formation of the fetus, and not to help all organs, which find it difficult to carry an extra few tens of kilograms. Therefore, even before conception, we eat less, sign up for the gym and reduce the volume.

The ideal consultation option is your doctor, who knows all about your female functions, has observed you for many years, and can tell immediately how much you are at risk. Do not neglect the advice of a gynecologist. An experienced doctor will tell you where to start preparing for conception, when the most favorable period for this, will prescribe possible procedures and treatment, if necessary.

Rule three. We breathe fresh air and eat vitamins

To saturate every cell of your body with oxygen, to give the body an opportunity to feel a surge of fresh strength, to be reborn together with nature - this is another task that needs to be performed. Make morning or evening walks in the park or forest a must, plan your time so that you always have an hour of time for oxygen baths.

Fill the refrigerator with vitamins. Fruits and vegetables, herbs and citrus fruits should always be on your table if you want your child's health to become excellent already within you. Chew nuts, raisins, dates and dried apricots, eat at least a teaspoon of honey a day - the result will appear very soon: a surge of new strength, a beautiful complexion, overwhelming energy.

Rule four. Crossing out bad habits from your life

Even experienced smokers can easily quit smoking forever if there is a goal. And the desire to give birth can become the goal of a lifetime. Therefore, the psychological attitude and full awareness of their capabilities give any woman the strength to part with smoking, drugs, alcohol and never return to them.

The fifth rule. We only think positively

Having made the decision to give birth after 35, you should never hesitate and doubt its correctness afterwards. Only a positive attitude, good thoughts, visual images of a healthy child will be another success in achieving the goal. A healthy mother and child - everything you dream about will definitely come true. You will be the happiest mother in the world, and your child will be healthy and beautiful.

If you are over 35, and you want another child or have not yet given birth at all, there is no need to be afraid. Fear destroys from the inside, and the expectant mother does not need it at all. We make a decision and begin to follow all the rules leading to the fulfillment of a dream.

Lana Alexandrova

From a physiological point of view, the age optimal for the birth of a child is considered to be 18-28 years old, for the second - up to 35 years old. Back in the 80s of the last century, a woman giving birth at 28 years old was considered old-born, and now childbirth at 30 years old has become the norm and women after 37 years old are considered to be late mothers. The father's age optimal for conception is from 18 to 45 years.

A man can conceive even at an older age, but over the years, the quality of the genetic material changes, and the risk of genetic defects increases. The connection between the father's age and such genetic pathologies as schizophrenia and.

Can a woman conceive a child at the age of 40-50?

At the beginning of puberty, a woman's body contains about 300 thousand eggs. They are lost with age - about 13 thousand a year, and by the age of 37, about 25 thousand eggs remain. This is the milestone after which the supply of oocytes decreases rapidly, and by the age of 43 it is almost completely depleted. The chance of getting pregnant in women under 40 with active attempts is 50%, decreasing by 43 years to 1-2%. At the age of 50, it is extremely difficult to become pregnant naturally, there are practically no ovulatory cycles, and the function of the ovaries has almost died out.

Can a woman bear a child aged 40-50?

Pregnancy after 40 years often ends in miscarriages. At the age of 40-44, the indicator is 34%, and after 45 it rises to 53%. For comparison, for women in labor in 20 and 30 years, these figures are 10 and 12%.

At an older age, more than 60% of pregnancies are terminated early. This is due to the defectiveness of the germ cells, the condition of the uterus, which is not properly prepared for the attachment of the ovum, a high level of malformations and chromosomal abnormalities. Late pregnancies are often ectopic.

In general, for the body of women after 40 years, pregnancy is a severe stress and is accompanied by an increased level of complications. Mortality due to complications of pregnancy and subsequent childbirth in older women is higher than from other diseases. But be that as it may, today children are born to 2% of women over 40 years old.

Can a woman give birth to a healthy child at the age of 40-50?

By the age of 40, many women already have chronic diseases, including arterial hypertension, and the risk of malignant tumors is increased. All this negatively affects the child, there is a high probability that he will be born unhealthy or will have developmental disabilities. According to recent studies, after 30 years, the probability that a child will be born with Down syndrome is 1: 400, after 40 years - 1: 110, at 45 years this ratio is already 1:30.

In older women in labor, childbirth may end with the birth of a still child. The reason for this has not yet been established, but according to statistics, out of 440 children, one is born dead.

The disease of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus depends on the age of the mother during childbirth. The likelihood that a child born to a woman after 40 years of age will develop diabetes in adolescence is 3 times higher than that of children born at a young age.

Of course, there is a risk, but if a woman is loved, healthy and leads a healthy lifestyle, why should she give birth to a sick child?

Ask any expectant mother: does she want to have a healthy baby? The answer will be unequivocal: of course he does! But is everything decided only by the desire of the parents? Unfortunately, a child can receive a not very pleasant "gift" from future mothers and fathers ...
What to do if there were genetic abnormalities in the family of one of the spouses? And is it possible to prevent the birth of a sick child?

A ancestral curse?

Recently, the majority of pregnant women under observation in the antenatal clinic receive a referral to an appointment with a geneticist. And you should not be very afraid of this. After all, modern medicine has already learned how to diagnose the main violations of the genetic code in utero and successfully cope with some of them.

All hereditary information of a person is "recorded" in DNA molecules. The genetic code is responsible for the type of blood, the color of the eyes, hair, skin, as well as the predisposition to various diseases in the born man. And any violation in the genetic material can lead to a failure in the development of any organ or system. And since all hereditary information is transmitted from parents through germ cells (egg and sperm), then, accordingly, any violation of the DNA structure in previous generations can be reflected in the developing embryo.

Of course, the likelihood that you will have a child with some kind of hereditary defects is quite small, but there is still a risk. Especially if such cases occurred in previous generations of one of the parents. In general, any couple has a danger of giving birth to a sick child, but it is negligible - only 5%. The development of any anomaly is rather a spontaneous process.

Let's take a look at some of the conventional wisdom on this matter.

Debunking myths

Sick children are born from closely related marriages

This is not entirely true. But couples entering into such a marriage are much more likely to manifest the defective gene, since it was passed on from one ancestor. Geneticists call this the "founder effect." Accordingly, it is not in vain that such family unions in the main part of the planet have been banned for a long time.

Genetic mutations are the result of drunk conception

And this is not true. Immediately after conception, the fertilized egg, while moving to the place of attachment to the uterus, does not in any way come into contact with the mother's blood. That is, there is a certain period when there is no need to fear for the embryo.

This does not apply to the subsequent period of pregnancy. Alcohol has the most negative effect up to 12 weeks, when all systems and organs are being formed in the child.

Taking medicines during pregnancy

The list of medications that have a negative effect on the development of the fetus is quite limited (some antibiotics, antineoplastic and vasoconstrictor drugs).

In addition, there are situations when taking medications is simply necessary, therefore, in medicine, the principle is practiced: if the benefits outweigh the harm, then taking medications by a pregnant woman is allowed.

The fear of fetal ultrasound is also a delusion of many expectant mothers. But a timely ultrasound scan can help in detecting serious fetal developmental disorders. And it has long been proven that this procedure does not harm the unborn child at all.

If one child is born with a genetic defect, then all the rest will be born sick.

This is fundamentally wrong. The likelihood of having a healthy child exists even in families where there have been cases of the birth of handicapped children. It depends on the type of genetic mutation. But only a geneticist can determine the degree of risk. That is why it is so important to study the history of a kind from a genealogical and medical point of view.

And even if a new life has already arisen under your heart, with the help of various methods of intrauterine diagnostics (study of amniotic fluid, etc.), you can identify some diseases even before the baby is born.

Having seen a woman with a stroller on the street, it is not always easy to determine who it is: an elderly mother or a young grandmother? Now a woman can become a mother, regardless of age.

More and more women decide to have their first or subsequent children aged 35-40 years and older. Some researchers associate this trend with the development of technologies for early prenatal diagnosis, which gives families confidence in the birth of a healthy child.

Over the past 25 years, the number of women who become pregnant at the age of 35-40 has increased by 90%. Over the years, medicine has accumulated significant information about the characteristics of pregnancy and childbirth in the late reproductive period. What difficulties will the expectant mother face?

According to statistics, a woman under 30 has a chance of pregnancy
within one month it is 20%, and in 40 years it drops sharply to 5%.
Therefore, women planning a pregnancy after 35
it is recommended to seek medical attention
after six months of unsuccessful attempts.

Probability of conception after 35

Fertility begins to decline gradually after age 30. It's connected with:

• a decrease in the number of ovulatory cycles;
• an increase in the incidence of endometriosis with age;
• an increase in the likelihood of tubal infertility;
• high incidence of extragenital diseases.

Pregnancy over 35

Women over 35 years old automatically fall into the risk group for the development of pregnancy pathology. However, statistics show that if the expectant mother looks after herself and is in good health, then her pregnancy can proceed as successfully as at 20. What pitfalls a pregnant woman should beware of?

• Women in late reproductive age have an increased risk of miscarriage.
• More often, there is an abnormal development of the placenta.
• There is a high risk of exacerbation and occurrence of somatic diseases, complications of pregnancy: arterial hypertension, preeclampsia, eclampsia, bleeding, premature birth, and pregnancy diabetes.

Features of childbirth over 35 years old

As a result of a decrease in the elasticity of the uterus and soft tissues, hormonal imbalance in women over 35, the likelihood of weakness in labor increases, which leads to an increase in the duration of labor. The risk of rupture of the uterus and perineum increases. Childbirth is often complicated by large blood loss.

The first childbirth over the age of 35-40 years is more difficult than repeated and is more often completed by cesarean section.

Late pregnancy: risk to the baby

The biggest problem with late pregnancy is the relatively high chance of having a baby with a genetic abnormality. This tendency is associated, first of all, with the aging of germ cells and the accumulation of genetic mutations in the mother's body. Over the years, the harmful effects of various teratogenic and mutagenic factors on the body accumulate: toxic products, ionizing radiation and others.

Pregnant women of the older age group have a higher risk of premature birth, low birth weight, which reduces the adaptive potential of the newborn.

Pregnancy in late reproductive age is more common
multiple fetuses. So, the age of 35-39 years is considered the peak of the birth of twins.

After 35: secrets of a successful pregnancy

Despite everything, most of the desired late pregnancies are successful and end with the birth of a healthy baby. However, if a woman in her 20s can afford some lightheadedness, then a woman over 35 will need a particularly sensitive attitude to her health.

1. When planning a pregnancy, it is advisable to undergo a comprehensive examination and treatment of chronic diseases - gynecological and somatic. Pregnancy over 35 years old should not be accidental.

2. It is necessary to register with the antenatal clinic in the early stages and be examined in a timely manner during pregnancy.

3. It is important to strictly adhere to the diet and regimen, do not overload yourself with work, monitor your weight and blood pressure.

4. Of particular relevance is screening during pregnancy for early detection or elimination of the risk of congenital fetal pathology.

Expert: Tatiana Ivanova, gynecologist
Tatiana Uzonina

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