Many women decide to seek pregnancy after 40. This choice presents many risks and complications, both for the mother and for the baby. Although it is not impossible to live this experience in a healthy way, it is necessary to prepare properly before getting pregnant, so that the body is in an optimal condition. In fact, it must be considered that the difficulties will be particularly greater with regard to conception and childbirth, not to mention that the probability that the baby is born with Down syndrome or other chromosomal defects is higher.
Steps
Step 1. Make an appointment with your primary care physician or gynecologist to get a full checkup before trying to become pregnant
As the years go by, the chances of suffering from very common health problems (such as higher blood pressure and diabetes) increase. Some women may also have disorders that adversely affect fertility, such as polycystic ovary syndrome and endometriosis. A specialist will help you identify what is not working optimally.
- Be sure to explain to him that you are planning to conceive a baby. Ask him what the realistic wait times are for resolving or managing any health problems you have before giving it a try.
- Ask him if you will be able to continue taking the medications you are currently taking while trying to conceive and during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Learn about safe alternative therapies and medications while pregnant. There are none? You must be sure that you can realistically manage these ailments without resorting to any external substance so that no problems arise.
- Together with your doctor, consider what health problems you believe need to be considered before trying to get pregnant. As fertility begins to decline from age 35 onwards for most women, those over 40 will have to find a balance between the ailments they suffer from and the decrease in their fertile period.
- Get vaccines recommended by your doctor, who may perform tests to check if you are immune to diseases such as rubella and chickenpox. After the vaccine, wait for a month before trying to conceive.
Step 2. Learn to manage any existing health problems before conceiving
Those that have a far from significant effect on daily life can negatively affect once you are pregnant. For example, if diabetes is not treated, it increases the risk of having an abortion; if your blood pressure is moderately high, it can get worse quickly.
- Get treatment for sexually transmitted infections and diseases right away, as they can cause infertility.
- Strive to have a normal weight. Being overweight or underweight can cause you more of a problem during pregnancy, but also while trying to conceive. For example, underweight women may have ovulatory irregularities, and conceiving becomes impossible.
Step 3. Improve your nutrition
Eating well is especially important while you are trying to get pregnant, because having normal levels of folic acid and other vitamins can help prevent certain birth defects.
- Although you can take vitamin supplements, try to change your eating habits; eat foods containing folate, such as citrus fruits, legumes, and dark leafy vegetables. They can prevent anemia and other birth defects.
- Eat whole and complex carbohydrates, cut out refined ones, or consume less.
- Fill up on protein with lean meats and omega-3-rich fish, such as salmon. Eat low-fat eggs and dairy products.
- Reduce the amount of sugar you ingest.
Step 4. Start exercising, or move more
Exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight and make it easier for you to experience pregnancy and labor.
In the program, include both aerobic and resistance exercises
Step 5. Take a folic acid supplement
Choose one that allows you to take at least 400 mcg per day. Folic acid is the man-made form of folate and can reduce the incidence of neural tube defects.
Start taking it at least three months before trying to conceive
Step 6. Avoid smoking, whether active or passive
It can make you less fertile, even leading to premature menopause and causing a whole host of complications during and after pregnancy, such as giving birth to an underweight or breathing baby.
If your partner smokes, explain to him that he should quit, because secondhand smoke is also harmful. Furthermore, smokers are less fertile
Step 7. The baby may have chromosomal abnormalities
Although many women over 40 lead healthy pregnancies, the truth is that the rate of chromosomal defects is significantly higher in their children. One in 100 women over 40 gives birth to a child with Down syndrome, and the risk increases with age, rising to an average of one in 30 at the age of 45.
- Discuss this possibility with your partner and / or family. Decide if you are willing to take the risk and determine what you would do if you find yourself in such a situation.
- Research specific diagnostic tests you can do while pregnant. You may have an amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS), but both tests could cause a miscarriage.
Step 8. Remember that the abortion rate is higher, ie it is estimated to be 35% among women between the ages of 40 and 45, and reaches 50% for those over 50
Furthermore, the chances of intrauterine death, that is, the death of the fetus that occurs 20 weeks after conception, are two to three times higher than in women who are 20-30 years old. See if you feel emotionally ready for such an experience, which can even repeat itself, in an attempt to have a baby.
Step 9. Make an appointment with a genetic counseling expert
If you are particularly concerned about the risk of birth defects or other health problems for the newborn, this specialist can help you gauge the odds.
Collect all necessary information about maternal and paternal family members, including diseases, health and reproductive problems. The counselor will consider family history for this assessment
Step 10. See your doctor often while trying to conceive
Since the chances of suffering from fertility problems are higher after 40, you should consult a gynecologist if you are unable to get pregnant despite trying for six months. Waiting longer decreases the chances of success, as fertility may decline and even alternative treatments may become less effective over time.
Warnings
- Do not eat fish containing high levels of mercury, such as shark, swordfish, fish belonging to the Malacanthidae family, and king mackerel.
- Do not drink alcohol or take recreational drugs while trying to conceive and during pregnancy. These substances can cause severe birth defects and complications.
