As years pass, there is no denying that getting pregnant becomes far challenging than what it would have been a few years ago.

Many women choose to start their family later in life. In fact, nearly one in five births are to women over the age of 35. Most have perfectly healthy pregnancies and babies but being an older mum can affect your pregnancy and the birth. Finding out how it can help you to be prepared.

A study in the medical journal Fertility and Sterility confirms that there is a steep drop in fertility in the 40s. Researchers found that women in their 40s treated for infertility had a 25 percent chance of getting pregnant using their own eggs. But by age 43 that number dropped to 10 percent, and by 44 it had plummeted to 1.6 percent. Among women who did get pregnant, the miscarriage rate was 24 percent for 40-year-olds, 38 percent for 43-year-olds, and 54 percent for 44-year-olds.

Experts say after the age of 45, it’s almost impossible to get pregnant by undergoing heavy treatments. Women can get pregnant after this age by only using fertility treatments. “The longer a woman waits, it is harder to get pregnant. It is because her egg supply reduces significantly as she ages and older eggs are more likely to have chromosomal problems, raising the risk of miscarriage or birth difficulties,” said gynecologist Dr. Sarah Taher.

Women who get pregnant at an older age have an increased risk of ongoing health conditions and some may only be discovered when they are pregnant. “The older the mother is, the more likely she is to have health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure,” said the gynecologist. “These conditions can affect how well the pregnancy and birth goes, as well as the mother’s health,” she added.

Sadly, both miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy are more common in women aged over 40. “The rate of miscarriage increases steadily, so that by the age of 45, women have about a one-in-two risk of miscarrying if they conceived naturally,” said Dr. Taher. “Other pregnancy complications that are more common include multiple pregnancy, placental abruption, pre-eclampsia, placenta praevia and gestational diabetes,” she added.

Over 40 mommies to be are very much likely to give birth by caesarean and the rate of this increases the older the mother is. “The reason is that there is a likelihood that the baby might be in an awkward position during birth, especially if it was the first born child,” said Dr. Taher. “There is an increased risk of fetal distress during labor, particularly for first-time pregnancies in women aged over 40. There is also a great likelihood of long labor, because the muscles of your womb work less efficiently when you’re older,” she added.

There are some physical advantages for women in their 40s over younger women. “It’s possible that they are eating a better diet and exercising more regularly than they did when they were in their 20’s,” said Dr. Taher. “Older women are more health cautious, they are strict on themselves and they follow the rules religiously to achieve their goals, which in this case is a healthy pregnancy,” she added.

The chances of conceiving for women over the age of 40 is about 20 percent, according to the average annual rate of pregnancy per cycle, falling to less than five percent by the mid-40s . “After the age of 45, women are not able to get pregnant naturally. As early as 15 years before women go through menopause, the number of their eggs begins to decrease,” said Dr. Taher. “Women’s reduced fertility is not about the quantity of eggs they have, it’s also about their quality. By the age of 40 the eggs that a woman’s ovaries release each month are more likely to have structural problems, also known as chromosomal abnormalities,” she added.

Chromosomal abnormalities in the eggs can raise the risk of miscarriage and birth defects. This is why both these complications are more common in older women. “The only two good things that might happen when a women waits until after 40 to have babies is that they are emotionally and financially stable,” said Dr. Taher. “As an older mother, she would be in a good position to make wise parenting decisions and be confident about her approach to child-rearing,” she added.

When approaching the menopause age, a woman’s hormones work harder to release an egg from the ovaries. “This means that there is a one in two chance of having twin babies,” said Dr. Taher. “This is a result of two eggs being released at the time of ovulation. The two eggs can be fertilized and implanted in her uterus, resulting in non-identical twins,” she added.

Pregnant women aged over forty should follow a balanced diet during their pregnancy. “They should constantly follow up with their gynecologist to prescribe the right vitamin and minerals to support the development of the fetus,” said Dr. Taher. “Parental vitamins are a must for mothers to be no matter what age they are. A pregnant woman should concentrate on eating a wide variety of healthy foods while making vegetables, fruits, whole grains and protein the main components of her diet,” she added.

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