Don’t let your age stop you from having a baby! I said what I said. Advanced maternal age isn’t what it used to be. It’s not the dirty thing, it’s actually a very popular theme with working women, we’ve seen an increase in mothers over 35+.
My background
My mother was 36 when she had me. Even back in 2000, they considered her a geriatric mother. That term is so offensive in my opinion. There is nothing wrong with having a child over 35. But to continue my story, my mother continued to have five more pregnancies after me. One resulted in a miscarriage (the usual 1 in 4 statistic) and then her final child was born at the age of 42. Having older parents never really bothered me, the only time I suffered any type of problem was when other people would make a comment – asking if I was having fun with grandma… inserts rolling eye emoji
The facts
Advanced Maternal age is still discussed as a serious problem but over the past four decades there has been a dramatic increase of pregnancy over the age of 35. Rebecca Dekker has a PhD and is an RN. She has a wonderful handout to answer some serious questions in regard to advanced maternal age.
According to ACOG – Older women are more likely to miscarry or have a stillbirth. They have a greater chance of developing gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and of delivering a baby who is very small. Then there can be problems with labor, resulting in a higher chance of cesarean birth. And while pregnancy increases a woman’s risk of developing blood clots (deep vein thrombosis), this risk is higher for older moms.
It’s important to understand, however, that age-related concerns rise gradually, not all at once at age 35. This was made by Rebecca Dekker.
The downfalls
The biggest problem that advanced maternal age comes down to is the struggle to conceive naturally. I’ve worked with multiple clients as birth support where age was one of the biggest issues with conception.(It’s why having a fertility doula on your side can be beneficial to support you through the ups and downs of trying to conceive) There is a decline in eggs as well as a higher risk in miscarriage. There is also a higher risk of pregnancy complications such as down syndrome, higher risk of stillbirth, preeclampsia, among others.
The wrap up…
Don’t let this discourage you from having a child ( or hell even children). Your body was designed to have children, even if it’s a bit harder you can do this. If this is something you want, find a supportive team that is in your court! They want to see you succeed and want to make your dreams come true. Having a baby is a blessing regardless of your age. This I do know. Of course, there will always be naysayers. Trust yourself.