In today’s society, the number of women getting pregnant after 40 is rising. The truth is ladies are still attending college as well as finding their place in the working society when in their 20s. When these women have the opportunity to find their Mr Right, following a string of unsuitable candidates, they will quickly be in their 30s.

With the biological clock ticking, it is common knowledge that mature mums, especially those conceiving beyond forty face a great deal more fertility issues than their younger counterparts.

Nonetheless, getting pregnant after 40 with normal, wholesome pregnancies and no problems can be done. It is just that statistically, women who get pregnant after 40 experience more risk of fertility issues and troubles and are as a result put through an assortment of checks that are non-compulsory for younger women.

If you are in your 40s and trying to conceive, you should know the concerns and possibilities available to you so that you can improve your experience and maternity success.

Supply of Eggs

The biological reduction in the production of eggs is the main reason ladies take more time to succeed in getting pregnant after 40.. At puberty, women have close to 300,000 – 400,000 eggs. This amount decreases by 13,000 year on year.

Ladies have a set quantity of eggs and this quantity peaks when she reaches puberty. At maturity, themaximum availability of eggs averages around 300,000 – 400,00 per lady. This availability of ovaries is at its end when the woman hits her forties and so , considerably reduces her odds of getting pregnant after 40.

A productive female in her thirties has a 75% likelihood of getting pregnant within twelve moths of trying to conceive. In contrast, a woman in her 40s only has a 50% chance of conceiving and this percentage drops year on year as a result of the organic decline in the stock of ovum.

Attributes of Ovum

The eggs left in women over 40 tend to have chromosomal fault. Consequently, mature ladies tend to experience miscarriages, have higher risk of having a downs syndrome child or a child with birth defect.

The advancement in fertility treatment has allowed for the detection of unusual embryo growth. Tests for unusual growth are not 100% foolproof. Even then, several nations have legislation that allow ladies to opt for medical termination of a pregnancy before 12 weeks of pregnancy if atypical progress is detected.

You will have to discuss the risks and benefits of these tests with your doctor early on so that you have adequate time to make an informed decision.

Risk involving Miscarriages and Still Birth

For females getting pregnant after 40, proper preconception attention is totally essential to reduce these risks.

Ladies getting pregnant after 40 can dramatically change their chances of getting pregnant naturally through fundamental modifications to their life style habits. This calls for abstinence from alcohol and caffeine and smoking, regular exercise and a wholesome diet.

It is highly suggested that you and your partner get checked to ascertain that there are no genetic flaws, that you have a normal womb and ovaries and that the bulk of the sperms are normal.

Through Assisted Reproductive Technologies, egg and sperm filtration can be done so that only good quality eggs and sperms are fertilize. This can significantly enhance the probability of a healthy and normal birth.

Once you are pregnant, it is crucial to have regular ante-natal checks with your midwife to ascertain that all is functioning well and that and deviations can be remedied in a timely manner..

Threats at Birth

The difficulties in getting pregnant after 40 does not disapper when the ladies finally become pregnant. Ladies beyond 40 also face greater risks during labour.

• Premature delivery

• Cesarean birth

• Premature separation of the placenta resulting in hemorrhage

• Placenta previa

• Meconium-stained amniotic fluid

• Postpartum haemorrhage

• Malpresentations (breech or other positions other than head down)

• Preeclampsia

• Gestational diabetes

It is important to review your individual situation with your gynaecologist and make informed choices and plan of prevention or action early.