There are galore reasons women whitethorn hold pregnancy. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, determination is an upward inclination successful the mean property of large individuals worldwide.
Approximately 19% of each pregnancies and 11% of each archetypal pregnancies are presently successful those implicit property 35 successful the United States. In 2020, the mean property for archetypal births was 27.1 years compared with 21.4 years successful 1970.
If you are large oregon readying a gestation implicit property 35, you whitethorn person galore questions oregon concerns astir pregnancy and childbirth.
Definition of geriatric pregnancy
We specify precocious maternal property (formerly geriatric pregnancy) arsenic those who are 35 years oregon older astatine their estimated transportation date. Historically, pregnancies astatine this property oregon older are considered astatine higher hazard – for diligent and fetus – for assorted reasons.
Increased hazard factors for gestation astatine property 35 oregon older
While pregnancies astatine property 35 and older are considered high risk, not each volition look the aforesaid challenges. Potential risks are connected a continuum and summation with age. Medical studies disagreement these property ranges and their associated risks into five-year increments.
"At Nebraska Medicine, we look astatine property arsenic lone 1 component," says Teresa Berg, MD, Nebraska Medicine maternal-fetal medicine doctor. "We see everything that whitethorn beryllium going connected successful your beingness that could complicate your gestation and past marque plans based connected each the variables."
Increased hazard factors beryllium for a assortment of reasons, including:
- The improvement of age-related diseases, specified arsenic precocious humor pressure, obesity oregon diabetes
- As the fig of eggs decreases with age, the remaining eggs are astatine higher hazard of disorders that tin impact fertility and chromosome abnormalities
- Lower fertility rate
Potential complications see an accrued hazard of:
- Gestational diabetes
- Cesarean delivery
- Preterm birth
- Miscarriage and stillbirth
- Fetal growth
- Chromosomal abnormalities and congenital malformations
- Multiple pregnancies (twins)
- Preeclampsia, particularly implicit property 40
Pregnancy attraction implicit 35: What to expect
What to expect for gestation attraction and screening depends connected your age, wellness history, and different factors. Your doc volition see each hazard factors erstwhile processing your individualized attraction plan.
Depending connected your situation, expect to discuss:
- Ultrasounds: At a minimum, 1 successful the archetypal trimester, 1 astatine 20 weeks, and 1 successful the 3rd trimester (detailed ultrasonogram). Women implicit 40 with hazard factors whitethorn person ultrasounds each 4 to 6 weeks
- Potential prenatal DNA screening, genetic counseling oregon diagnostic testing
- Antenatal fetal surveillance: tracing bosom rate, fetal enactment and amniotic fluid (once oregon doubly per week)
- Preferences for labour and delivery
- If you person 2 oregon much hazard factors, your doc volition astir apt urge daily, low-dose aspirin to trim the hazard of preeclampsia
"Although determination is an accrued hazard astatine oregon implicit property 35, we inactive spot the bulk of women present astatine word with babies that thrive," says Dr. Berg. "There are much decisions to beryllium made, but typically these women attack with the readiness and acquisition they request to commencement oregon grow their family."
Preparing for your pregnancy
If you're readying a gestation implicit property 35, look intimately astatine your existent wellness and immoderate medications you are taking. If you person a chronic wellness problem, code it with your doctor. Ask them however you could marque gestation safer and healthier.
"We enactment our patients by treating the full person," adds Dr. Berg. "We sermon not lone each carnal aspects but besides things similar their enactment strategy and intelligence health. We locomotion them done what to expect astatine each signifier of gestation and usher them done it."
Tips to support successful mind:
- Unless you person a chronic unwellness oregon a aesculapian condition, you whitethorn not request to spot a maternal-fetal medicine specialist. It is communal to enactment with your obstetrician and lone consult with a high-risk specializer if and erstwhile needed
- If you're astatine hazard of aboriginal delivery, effort to get your location acceptable earlier to consciousness prepared
- If oregon erstwhile complications occur, cognize that determination is thing you did (or didn't do) that caused them
- Consider attending 1 of our childbirth acquisition classes and pregnancy and postpartum enactment groups
Nebraska Medicine Olson Center for Women's Health has a squad of maternal-fetal medicine specialists with specialized expertise successful managing high-risk pregnancies. If you're caller to Nebraska Medicine and request to docket a new gestation appointment, delight telephone 402.559.4500.
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