Pregnancy after the age of 40

Pregnancy after the age of 40 has become a growing trend. While women are still commonly advised to conceive before the age of 35, statistical data increasingly confirms the opposite.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States, the number of first-time mothers between the ages of 40 and 44 doubled between 1990 and 2012, compared to the seventies of the last century. 

There are several reasons why women today often delay childbirth. Some of them include fertility treatments, early career development, financial challenges... 

Advantages of pregnancy after the age of 40 

Sometimes, the benefits of parenthood after the age of 40 are much greater than those in their twenties and thirties. Some of them include: 

• Most likely, you have already established your career 
• Your financial situation may be better compared to the previous period 
• Children have a higher chance of favorable cognitive status* 
• Possibility of a longer lifespan** 
• Better educational achievements for children*** 

Is pregnancy in the forties risky? 

Thanks to advances in medicine, technology, and scientific achievements, it is now possible to give birth to a completely healthy baby after the age of forty. However, every pregnancy after the age of forty is considered risky. Therefore, such pregnancies are monitored with greater caution, and special attention is paid to avoid the following complications: 

• high blood pressure in the pregnant woman - can increase the risk of developing a pregnancy complication called preeclampsia; 
• gestational diabetes; 
• development of birth defects (e.g., Down syndrome); 
• miscarriage; 
• giving birth to a baby with low birth weight; 
• ectopic (tubal) pregnancy - a complication that sometimes occurs after in vitro fertilization (IVF). 

How age affects fertility?

After the age of 35, the number of eggs significantly decreases, and therefore the chances of getting pregnant diminish. Moreover, there is a higher risk of miscarriage and congenital defects. 

The risks that increase with age include: 

• a reduced number of eggs; 
• unhealthy eggs; 
• ovaries not releasing eggs adequately; 
• miscarriage; 
• higher chances of developing health complications. 

Thanks to the development of technologies that overcome many problems caused by infertility, women now have a much better chance of getting pregnant after the age of forty. 

Some of the increasingly available options include: 

• assisted reproductive techniques (e.g., IVF); 
• egg freezing at a younger age; 
• sperm banks; 
• surrogacy. 

The number of eggs rapidly declines as the years pass. From around 25,000 eggs that an average woman has around the age of 37, this number decreases to only 1,000 eggs by the age of 51. During puberty, the number of eggs ranges from 300,000 to 500,000. 

How to achieve pregnancy after the age of 40? 

After the age of forty, it will likely take a little more time to conceive. However, if attempts have been ongoing for more than six months without success, it may be best to seek assistance from fertility experts. 

Important nutrients 

While trying to conceive, it is essential to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Nutrition plays a crucial role because the mother's supply of nutrients influences the future healthy growth and development of the baby. 

The use of folate (folic acid, vitamin B9) is vital during the preparation for conception. Low levels of folate in the mother are a risk factor for pregnancy complications and the development of neural tube defects in the fetus, which can occur at the very beginning of pregnancy, a period when most women are not yet aware of their pregnancy. Therefore, it is crucial for folate levels to be optimal when entering pregnancy, even during the preparation for conception. Increased intake is recommended at least one month before conception and during the first three months after conception. 

Women who are trying to conceive or are already pregnant are advised to use folate, an active form of folic acid. Although they are the same active substances, folic acid and folate differ in that folic acid is chemically synthesized. Folate is the salts of folic acid and its form is the naturally occurring form found in foods. 

For folic acid to be utilized in the body, specific enzymes are necessary, which a significant percentage of women do not have. As a result, folic acid remains unused. Natural, active folate is fully utilized in the body. It is already active, and it does not require an enzyme. 

Pregnatol Active Folate + Vit B12 contains folic acid in its natural, active form, along with the active form of vitamin B12. 

Learn more: Pregnatol Active Folate + Vit B12 For successful preparation and a healthy pregnancy 

Learn more: Pregnatol DHA For healthy visual development 

Learn more: Pregnatol Multi + Active Folate contains 20 carefully selected and adapted nutrients for increased needs during pregnancy and breastfeeding. 

 

*https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jgs.14658

**https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4270889/

***https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1728-4457.2016.00105.x

****https://www.nature.com/articles/ejcn201594