Pregnancy after the age of 35: How to make mom healthy, baby healthy?

The article was professionally consulted with Specialist Doctor I Nguyen Thi Man - Obstetrician and Gynecologist - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.

Currently there are many reasons why women consider pregnancy after the age of 35 such as the desire to focus on improving their education and building a career, unstable economy or housing and unemployment. So do you know the chances of getting pregnant at the age of 35 will have any risks?

A woman is most likely to get pregnant in her 20s. Women who are healthy at this age and are trying to conceive have about a 1 in 4 chance of getting pregnant in one menstrual cycle. In other words, 25 out of 100 women will be successful each month.
At the age of 40, a healthy woman has, on average, only a 5% chance of getting pregnant in each cycle. At the same time, the chance of miscarriage also increases with your age. A typical 40-year-old has about a 40% chance of losing a pregnancy. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), by the time you're over 45, a natural pregnancy is impossible for most women.

The biological clock is a fact of life that changes over time, especially when you reach the age of 35. It's simply the age at which various risks become more concerning during pregnancy. Example:
It may take you longer to get pregnant: You were born with a limited number of eggs. When you reach the age of 30, your eggs will start to decrease in quantity and quality. In addition, the eggs of older women are not fertilized as easily as the eggs of younger women. If you are older than 35 and have not been able to conceive for 6 months, consider visiting a fertility clinic. You are more likely to have multiple pregnancies: The chance of twins increases with age due to hormonal changes that can cause the release of multiple eggs at once. Using assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization can also cause multiple pregnancies. You're more likely to get gestational diabetes: This type of diabetes occurs only during pregnancy, becoming more common as women get older. Tight control of blood sugar through diet and physical activity is one of the essential measures for these women, but sometimes medication is still needed. If left untreated, gestational diabetes can cause a baby to grow too big for average, increasing the risk of injury during delivery. In addition, gestational diabetes can also increase the risk of premature birth, high blood pressure during pregnancy, and complications for the baby after birth.

You're more likely to have high blood pressure during pregnancy: Research shows that high blood pressure that develops during pregnancy is more common in older women. Your doctor will need to closely monitor your blood pressure and your baby's growth and development. For these women, it will need to go to antenatal care more often and in some cases, women will be assigned to give birth early to avoid possible complications for both mother and baby. You are more likely to have a low birth weight and premature baby: Premature babies, especially those born too early, often have complex defects or medical conditions. You may need a caesarean section: Older mothers have a higher risk of complications than younger mothers, such as placenta previa. Higher risk of chromosomal abnormalities: Babies born to older mothers have an increased risk of certain chromosomal problems, such as Down syndrome. Higher risk of miscarriage: The risk of fetal loss from miscarriage and stillbirth increases as you get older, possibly due to a pre-existing medical condition in the mother or a chromosomal abnormality in the fetus. Research shows that reduced egg quality, combined with an increased risk of chronic conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, can increase the risk of miscarriage. Although more in-depth studies are needed, studies show that a man's age at the time of conception can also affect the health of his unborn baby.

Taking good care of yourself is the best way to take care of your baby. Pay special attention to the following basics:
Prenatal counseling: Talk to your doctor about your overall health and discuss lifestyle changes that can improve your chances of conceiving. and give birth to a healthy baby. Address any concerns you may have about its potential to affect your ability to conceive or become pregnant. Ask your doctor about ways to increase your odds of conception and treatment options if you're having trouble conceiving. Regular and scheduled checkups during pregnancy: Regular prenatal visits help your doctor monitor your health and the health of your baby. Tell your doctor about any signs or symptoms that worry you. Eat a healthy diet: During pregnancy, you'll need plenty of folic acid, calcium, iron, vitamin D, and other essential nutrients. If you've been following a healthy diet, stick to it. Taking prenatal vitamin supplements daily, especially a few months before conception, can increase the chances of successful conception. Gain weight in moderation: Reaching the right amount of weight can have many health benefits for your unborn baby and make it easier to lose extra pounds after giving birth. Regular physical activity can help reduce or even prevent discomfort, increase positive energy levels, and improve your overall health. Exercise can also help prepare you for labor and delivery by increasing stamina and muscle strength. However, you need to confirm with your doctor before starting or continuing to exercise, especially if you have health problems.

Avoiding stimulants: Alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs are banned during pregnancy. Take a prenatal vitamin: All women of childbearing age should take a daily prenatal vitamin that contains at least 400 micrograms of folic acid. Getting enough folic acid every day before and during the first 3 months of pregnancy can help prevent defects related to the baby's brain and spinal cord. Taking folic acid may be protective for older women, who are at higher risk of having a baby with a birth defect. Some prenatal vitamins already have 800-1,000 mcg of folic acid available. This amount is still safe during pregnancy. As a matter of fact, some women need more than 400 mcg to protect against birth defects. However, be careful not to take more than 1,000 mcg (1 milligram) of folic acid without your doctor's approval. Women with a history of previous births with a baby with a neural tube defect need 4000 mcg. Learn about testing for chromosomal abnormalities before pregnancy. This test is intended to detect abnormalities in the chromosomes of you and your husband, and in the event of an abnormality, your doctor will give you further options for you and your husband to choose from.

Some older women trying to conceive may need more time and help than younger women. If you're under the age of 35, your doctor may recommend fertility treatment if you've been trying to conceive without success for more than a year. This period will be shortened to 6 months if you are 35 years of age or older. And if you have any medical condition that affects your ability to conceive, your doctor may recommend immediate assisted reproduction, such as:
Drugs that stimulate egg production In vitro fertilization (IVF) ) If you want to have a baby at some future date, but are not ready at the moment and are worried that the risks will increase with age, you can choose to freeze your fertilized eggs for insemination. later in the test tube. Embryo quality is likely to be highest when you have embryo or egg storage closest to your most fertile year.
Another option is to use donor eggs or embryos. The fertility facility will use a healthy egg from a young woman and fertilize it with your husband's sperm or donor sperm, and then the healthy embryo will be implanted in your uterus, to you can carry and give birth.
Regardless of the age of giving birth, it is still extremely necessary to have a reproductive health checkup and perform vaccinations and supplement with multivitamins. To prepare for a healthy pregnancy, both husband and wife should have a reproductive health checkup 3-5 months before becoming pregnant.

The wife should:
Get vaccinated before pregnancy (especially against rubella because rubella in pregnancy is extremely dangerous ) Genetic testing to screen for genetic diseases before pregnancy Check for gynecological infections Avoid affecting the health of the mother and the fetus Especially women over 35 years old who want to get pregnant (especially if they have never been pregnant) will have to have a very detailed health check because pregnancy at this age is common. problems: Ovarian failure, premature birth, higher risk of birth defects, placenta previa, preeclampsia. The husband should:
Check reproductive health, detect diseases of testicular atrophy, physiological weakness, weak sperm... Sexually transmitted diseases, especially those that cannot be cured, are extremely dangerous. Vinmec currently has many comprehensive health care programs for couples, pregnant mothers and their unborn babies, including basic pre-marital examination packages, advanced pre-marital examination packages, and maternity packages. . Vinmec has a team of experienced doctors in the fields of obstetrics and gynecology, IVF, stem cells, gene technology, capable of synchronously and comprehensively deploying the most advanced assisted reproductive techniques today.

References: mayoclinic.org, webmd.com