It is necessary to plan the pregnancy by visiting the doctor before getting pregnant. This prior consultation allows checking the state of health of the woman and resolving the doubts of the couple. It is also the ideal time to heal doubts about possible chronic health problems, such as diabetes and hypertension that women suffer. This first contact is advisable to reduce the risks related to these conditions and create an environment conducive to a healthy pregnancy.

Prenatal Care for Women Over 35

Prenatal care is particularly important for women over the age of 35. At this age, women are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure and diabetes during pregnancy and have the right to test for Down Syndrome. To reduce risks during pregnancy, eating is an important factor.

Care recommended by doctors

• Eat healthy and nutritious foods, including those containing folic acid, such as orange juice, legumes, nuts, cereals and green leafy vegetables.
• Get a healthy amount of weight
• Do moderate exercise
• Do not drink alcohol, do not smoke and do not use drugs
• Do not take any medications, including the natural ones, without consulting your doctor first.

Chromosomal Disorders of the Fetus

With the age of the woman increases the risk of giving birth to a baby with chromosomal disorders. The most common and known are down syndrome, a mixture of mental retardation and physical abnormalities, caused by the presence of a chromosome over 21. Normally we are born with 23 pairs of chromosomes. To give you an idea, a 25-year-old woman has a 1 in 1250 chance of having a baby with Down Syndrome; at age 30, from 1 in 1000; at 35 years, 1 in 400; to 40 of 1 in 100, and 45 of 1 in 30.

Fertility Decreases the Older you are

When a woman is over 35 and does not become pregnant after trying for six months naturally, she should consult her doctor. In many cases, infertility can be treated. It is necessary to take into account that from the 28 years the fertility is gradually diminishing. In assisted fertilization treatments, 30-year-old women can have a success rate of 6 out of 10 implants. But if they are over 40, the percentage drops by 4 out of 10.

Check This Out: Overprotective Parenting

The Delivery of the Elderly Pregnant

When the older woman is physically well prepared, say gynecologists, she does not have to have problems with dilatation or expulsion of the baby at delivery. For that, it is necessary to take care also during pregnancy, maintaining good habits of physical preparation. Doctors also say that the greater the pregnant woman, the more likely she will be to suffer from an associated illness such as gestational diabetes, hypertension or obesity. Caesarean delivery is also more likely to occur.

Risks of Abortion in Older Mothers

According to research the rate of abortion in older women is considerably higher than in younger women. A recent study in Denmark found that about 9 percent of pregnancies among women aged 20 to 24 resulted in a miscarriage. This percentage increased to approximately 25% among women aged between 35 and 39 years. And more than 50% in women aged 42 and over.