One more baby before hitting 40
Dear Dr. Dana,
I’m seriously considering having one more baby before I get to be 40, which is only two years from now. Of course, I have to discuss this with my husband and my teenage child.
I’m worried because there’s this prevalent talk that it isn’t advisable to bear children after 35, that there’s a high probability of giving birth to a baby with genetic abnormalities. Is it fact or fiction, Doctora? What can you advise me about my planned pregnancy? Thank you and God bless.
Nympha
Dear Nympha,
If at all, pregnancy at any age is certainly not without risks, more so for pregnancies at midlife. However, in most cases, these risks can be minimized. Also, midlife pregnancies around mid 30s and over are not as catastrophic as envisioned by some.
It is a fact that fertility diminishes gradually after a woman reaches 35. So, the keyword is gradual not abrupt. It is not as though today you can still conceive but the next day you cannot anymore, unless, of course, you experience premature menopause. For reasons unexplained, there is a small probability for older first-time mothers to deliver a baby with genetic abnormalities. Again, statistics show that a 40-year-old woman has less than a one percent chance of having a child with genetic abnormalities.
For instance, a woman of 45 has only a three percent chance of having a child with genetic abnormalities. The optimist would look at it this way: This 45-year-old woman has a 97 percent chance of having a normal and healthy child. There, that should put to rest dramatic consequences of mid30s pregnancies, although again, pregnancies at these ages may have some health complications like diabetes and high blood pressure. Also, a woman over 35 can have problems associated with endometriosis and fibroid tumors, both of which can affect fertility and pregnancy.
All these risks can be minimized if a more mature woman, who is likely to have a planned pregnancy, prepares herself physically to become pregnant. Now, in your case, for instance, should your husband and your child approve of having a new addition to the family, take care of yourself in the best possible way. Have a healthy diet; avoid cigarettes, alcohol and caffeine. Better yet, go see your obstetrician. She is in the best capacity and capability to once more collaborate in the miracle of birth. Very truly yours, Dr. Dana R. Sedante