Congratulations on your pregnancy! With birth rates steady for the 40-and-over set, there's never been a more popular time to be a mom over 40. Fortunately, there's also never been a better time — or a safer one.
What to expect when you're pregnant over 40
A mom-to-be in your age bracket has nearly the same odds of having a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby as her much younger counterparts.
Why "nearly"? As we move into the golden years of baby-making — "advanced maternal age," in doctor-speak — our chances of pregnancy complications creep up ever-so-slightly.
What are the risks of being pregnant over 40?
First, we have to deal with the fact that our eggs have been around for longer. Women are born with a lifetime supply of eggs. Though the vast majority continue ripening without incident as we age, each passing year very slightly increases the risk that those eggs will have certain chromosomal abnormalities.
For instance, while a 25-year-old mom-to-be has a one in 1,200 chance of delivering a baby with Down syndrome — a genetic condition caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21 — a 40-year-old's odds are 1 in 100, according to the National Down Syndrome Society.
You'll be scheduled for routine prenatal testing — like NIPT or a quad screen and nuchal translucency screening — that can identify Down syndrome and other chromosomal conditions, just to be on the safe side.
Second, we have to deal with the fact that older bodies are, in general, somewhat more susceptible to a variety of health issues, including high blood pressure and diabetes. That puts pregnant moms 35 and over at a slightly greater risk for the pregnancy-related forms of these conditions like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes — which gives your practitioner another reason to pay closer attention to your pregnancy.
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Preterm labor is also a little more common in 40-and-over moms — as it is in expectant moms 17 and under — yet another reason for all the extra scrutiny.
Other risks the advanced maternal age set might have to confront include slightly longer labor and a higher chance of C-section or assisted delivery with vacuum extraction or forceps, for example, probably due to having somewhat poorer muscle tone and less flexible joints.
What else do you need to know if you're pregnant over 40?
The good news is that if you start off your pregnancy in tip-top shape and maintain it as much as possible throughout, you'll do just as well as your younger pregnant friends. You know what that means: eating well, exercising regularly, taking your prenatal vitamin and getting all those tests your practitioner recommends.
Once the delivery is behind you, you'll have years more experience and wisdom to offer that precious little person you've brought into the world.
Here's to a healthy pregnancy at any age,
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