If you’re considering getting pregnant and you’re in your 40s, you can certainly get pregnant, but you may face an increased risk of problems.
If you’re looking to have a child in your mid-40s, you can find help with Dr. Christopher Quinsey and our dedicated medical team in Lake Mary, Florida.
To learn more about pregnancy later in your reproductive life, look at some of the pros and cons you can deal with being pregnant in this age group, and how we can manage the risk that can come with it.
There are good reasons to have a child later in life. You are more likely to be in a better financial situation to care for a new life and have a more stable personal life.
Research even suggests having a child later can help provide a lower cognitive decline, longer life, and better educational results in children.
But getting pregnant over 40 also means you have a high-risk pregnancy, which often comes with potential problems. They include:
One of the primary reasons you may face these issues if you get pregnant in your mid-40s is due to the rapid decrease in hormones, which affects fertility. In your 40s, eggs are not as easy to fertilize, so to address this and the other possible complications, we offer some options:
We can offer tips on dietary needs and supplements to help you stay healthy as you try to conceive and during pregnancy, as well as provide guidelines for the weight and exercise regimens.
Also, you should stop smoking, drinking, and using illegal substances to offer the best chances for the birth of a healthy child.
Hypertension is one of the most common problems older women deal with, and it can complicate your pregnancy, as can diabetes. You need to have those under control before considering getting pregnant. And once you get pregnant, we watch for them during each trimester.
If you’re having trouble getting pregnant, we can go over your options for fertility treatments and try to address issues that may be reducing your chances of conceiving.
After you get pregnant, we can test the fetus to determine the chances of defects or other issues, using such tests as chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis. The first uses small placental cells to gather data, and the second tests amniotic fluid for abnormalities.
Preterm labor and birth are also common problems in mature pregnancies, as well as stillbirths. We can help manage these issues and offer cesarean deliveries if natural birth is problematic for whatever reason.
Having children in your 40s is possible and can be quite safe, but it means being on top of your health concerns and making sure to see us on a regular basis throughout the pregnancy.
If you’re considering having a child in your mid-40s or have concerns about being pregnant at that age, make an appointment with Dr. Quinsey and our team today.
