what are the consequences f childbirth n the older woman?

Question

what effects does pregnancy have on the body in the older woman,will there be higher risks to myself and the baby.how does age effect pregnancy??

Answer 1

As you get older, your uterus becomes "weaker" so it could possibly lead to preterm labour/miscarriage, there is also a higher risk of downs syndrome in your baby.

There is also the point of what kind of life you can give your child, what activities you can enjoy together as you get older. Will you be around to see your child grow up, get married and have kids?

Answer 2

a lot depends upon the health of the woman. Some 50 year olds are healthier than some 30 year olds. Do you drink? Smoke? Exercise?

I would trust nature to know what its doing..more often than not the body will naturally abort a pregnancy that is not viable..in other words if you can carry the baby to term you will...which is probably not very helpful to you.

I think the main problem with age is that your actual fertile window becomes much smaller so there is less chance of conception.

But if you have conceived naturally as an older woman, then I would say 'don't worry be happy'. Eat well, rest, exercise. It might take you a little longer than other women to bounce back after pregnancy, but that's all. There's no reason why your baby won't be healthy.

Oh, and personally I'd avoid all those prenatal tests for the 'older woman' - amniocentisis etc. They're much more trouble than they're worth and I believe they will harm your bond with the baby.

Answer 3

The risks of downs is greater for an older mother, but test are available for this a simple blood test first and if anything is detected then you will be offered an anmio this is were a needle is inserted into the womb to draw some amio fluid out and is tested this can also tell you the sex of your child but this runs the risk of miscariage so needs great concideration if you have it my cousins have had this test done in their early 20s so its not only aimed at the older woman, as for the body she is more at risk of miscarriage and premature birth but in my opinion this is only just slightly higher than a younger womans and the risks are the same but higher for an older woman.

How rude some people are on here saying these nasty things

Answer 4

Oh my god please ignore those ignorant answers.
The prime time for a woman to have a baby is her early twenties, from 30 onwards it becomes more difficult to conceive, however if you do there are increased risk of Downs Syndrome, which can be tested for.
The body is aging and so the strain of the pregnancy may make you more tired than a woman 20 years younger (of course),recovery may take longer than that of a younger woman. Pregnancy stretches the muscles, strains on the back etc. The fitter you are the better you recover whatever your age.............. look at Madonna, she is fitter than many 25 year olds. As we expect to live till our 80s then what child is not going to know its mum. And are all young mums better mums ?
Best of luck, my mum had her 2 youngest children over the age of 40, they are boys and are the cleverest and best looking of the family!

Answer 5

How "old" are you talking about?

I'm 34 and expecting my first child a week before my 35th birthday in December. I've had no problems (other than bad morning sickness which even younger mums can get), my blood pressure is excellent, baby is doing fine, my blood tests show I have a VERY LOW risk for Downs syndrome (they didn't even bother doing an amniocentesis as I'm so low risk) nothing wrong at all.

I'm a trained dancer and I don't drink or smoke - I'm healthier than most of the 21 year olds I know (who are overweight, eat too much junk and drink too much!).

My grandmother had her kids at 36, 38 and 40 in the days before advanced medical care and scans and epidurals etc. No problems. She had three easy pregnancies and three healthy babies.

My mum had her children at 36 and 42. No problems. Easy pregnancies (she didn't even have morning sickness!), 2 healthy babies (I was nearly 9 lbs for those who say older mothers have low birthweight babies!)

I also know lots of "young" mothers who have had a terrible time in their pregnancies. My BF's mum started her family at 19 and she had a terrible time. My BF was so tiny, sick and premature at birth they didn't expect him to live and he had to have major surgery to save his life at 5 weeks old. And this was after being born to a 19 year old mother!

To be honest I am NOT convinced that "older" mothers are automatically at all these terrible risks. I have not seen it in my own life. I beleive a lot of it comes down to your own inidividual health. A healthy 35 or 40 year old woman shouldn't have any real problems in pregnancy.

Many of the problems associated with pregnancy in older women are problems that were there before they got pregnant - ie blood pressure, poor diet, being overweight, hormonal imbalances, heart problems etc.

Answer 6

Yes, there are higher risks such as chromasomal abnormalities, high blood pressure, pregnancy-induced diabetes, twins, and a small increased risk of breast cancer if this is a first child later in life. I think the gains far outweigh the risks though. I also think you should get tested to see if anything is concerning about baby - best to prepare yourself with information and resources ahead of time than do it while taking care of a newborn.

Answer 7

i cant believe some of the answers,especially the first one, wot a ignorant thing 2 say! im 35 and 35 wks pregnant, i had the test 4 Downs,which came back very low risk so i didnt have the Amnio offered 2 me, my blood pressure and everythin else has been perfect all the way thru. no morning sickness! there are loads of women havin kids in their 30's and 40' with no problems,people just say things to scare you, ignore them.every pregnancy can have have problems regardless of the mums age.

Answer 8

Hi I am no expert but I do know there are NO risks of getting cancer as that idiot said!!!
The biggest risk you have is having a downs syndrome child
The Drs do a test called amio semtesis ( probs spelt wrong)
this will show up whether your baby is downs or not
Good Luck Sweetheart

Answer 9

Here's a great resource on pregnancy after 35. By the way, there is no increased cancer risk for older moms, as the above uninformed (and unkind) person wrote.

http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/681_1155.asp

http://www.marchofdimes.com/pnhec/173_812.asp

http://www.webmd.com/content/article/51/40823.htm

Answer 10

Don't know, I'm a male... not only that but I'm not a OBGYN either. BUT, you could always ask Jane Seymour... ya know... the 40-something lady that had twins I think??? Yeah, ask her.