We have spoken on several occasions of the current tendency to delay pregnancy in Western women. This is mainly due to the current incorporation of women into higher education and the world of work, but also, there is no doubt, the extension of the idea of being mothers consciously, choosing the right time for many reasons, personal, educational, labor, economic and family organization.
But being a mother from 35 years old It involves some special considerations regarding maternal and child health.
The social tendency to delay motherhood
Today's society does not make maternity the sole vital objective of women, but also makes it difficult to be a mother, making women decide to do it quite late. There is no real organization in the extended family nor is there real help for work and family reconciliation.
In addition, many women seek to realize their work achievements and have a child can be a brake on their careers, in addition to being supported only by the obligation to leave work or leave the baby in a nursery a few months. It is not easy to decide to be a mother.
Fertility decline
The first problem that a woman over 35 can find herself when deciding to be a mother from that age is the decline in their fertility. The woman is much more fertile in her twenties and from the age of 35 her ability to become pregnant decreases greatly.
The aging of their cells begins to become apparent and the first manifestations of the shortening of their cycles can also occur. Our bodies naturally work to decrease the chances of pregnancy as we approach menopause.
Today, thanks to a much older general state of health, a 35-year-old woman is in full health, but her reproductive system can already send signals for fertility to decline.
Assisted reproduction
For this reason, couples with problems of conception, both for female cause and also for other factors, male, are needed to go, increasingly, to assisted reproduction techniques.
In cases of ovarian stimulation or embryo implantation, the chances of having a multiple birth will multiply, which implies a higher rate of spontaneous abortion, prematurity, and cesarean section.
The risk of chromosomal abnormalities
A late pregnancyIn addition, it increases some risks, especially those of the baby having chromosomal alterations such as trisomy. Amniocentésis or other lower risk tests are usually used to rule out these problems, although, you always have to be aware that prenatal diagnosis does not cure anything.
According to each person, in their personal conscience and risks, they must decide whether to take this test. In some cases, if there is no desire to avoid birth in case of genetic problems, it could be counterproductive, since amniocentésis increases the risk of pregnancy loss.
Assess the risks of abortion associated with the test, the risks of trisomy and the decision that would be taken if this or another problem is diagnosed, are issues to consider and for which, in each case, requesting specific data from the doctor is convenient .
Other health risks for mother and child
Likewise, mothers over 35 years old, may have higher risks of premature delivery, caesarean sections, instrumental deliveries, hypertension or gestational diabetes, circumstances that must be taken into account when deciding the age of maternity. They are not cause to advise against it, but it is necessary to be informed of all the implications.
Although, in all cases of pregnancy, it is essential to see a trusted doctor who monitors the health of the mother and child, the be a mother past 35 It makes it much more important and will require, on many occasions, greater control to detect or avoid complications.
