It is increasingly common for women to become mothers after age 35, an age at which some work and socioeconomic stability has been achieved that encourages them to live the experience of motherhood.
But being a mother at an advanced age also has its counterpart. According to a study conducted by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University Clinical Hospital of Valladolid, after age 35 there are greater risks in pregnancy and childbirth.
Research carried out by professionals at the center states that almost 30 percent of pregnant women of this age suffer from perinatal pathology. They are more likely to develop complications in pregnancy, among them the most common are gestational diabetes, a problem that involves serious risks to the mother and the baby, hypertension, the main cause of prematurity, and uterine bleeding.
After 35 years they also increase the probability of having a premature delivery (9.6% of deliveries over 35 years are premature) and complications in childbirth such as caesarean sections or instrumented deliveries, with respect to younger women. That, not to mention an increased risk of the fetus suffering from some type of chromosopathy.
The study also reveals some data that we can extrapolate to other centers. A quarter of the pregnant women who attend the Vallesoletano hospital are over 35 years old. In general, they have a high socioeconomic and educational level and a skilled work activity. In the majority there has been a history of abortion and sterility, but once they have felt fulfilled, they decided to become mothers.
But the decision to become mothers does not imply certain success, since it is also known that advanced maternal age affects fertility. The biological clock does not deceive and after 35 years getting pregnant is twice as difficult.
Some time ago we talked in the blog of the best age to be a mother, between 25 and 29 years. Women agree on this premise, but the truth is that every time you are a mother at more advanced ages, many have their first child with 35 years or more.
Of course, everyone is free to choose the most suitable time to become a mother, but you have to be aware that after 35 years there are greater risks in pregnancy and childbirth.
