Getting Pregnant Over 35

July 16, 2020 | By Laura Stevenson

"You are over 35 years old. Your biological clock is ticking. There's not much time left."

These are some of the things you may be telling yourself or hearing from others around you. Do not give in to it.

Maybe you put your career first, wanted time in between rearing children, found more financial security in your late thirties or simply did not find a partner until later in life. Your choices for delaying your first pregnancy or another pregnancy are all valid and should not be the reason to give up.

Age is indeed a factor for successful conception. However, fertility is not a one size fits all. While age can decline the chances of getting pregnant faster, it does not make it impossible.

Age is just a number and a small portion of the fertility equation.

Here are some facts to consider:

  • The chances for those naturally tracking their fertility window, trying to get pregnant and conceive in one menstrual cycle drop from 40% before age 35 years to approximately 30% after 35 years of age.
  • According to a Johns Hopkins University advisor about pregnancy over 35: There is an increased rate of diabetes and high blood pressure during pregnancy, and there is an increased rate of pregnancy loss due to chromosomal abnormalities for miscarriage or still-birth. (*Besides age, these are based on a multitude of factors including pre-pregnancy medical history, diet, lifestyle, and weight.)
  • The chance of an offspring having down syndrome only increases by 1% due to an increased age of pregnancy.

Although there are potential risks, the risks are not so high to consider not trying at all. Do your own research, birth plan, and speak with medical professionals to make your own informed decision.

Ways to help prepare before and after:

  1. Start tracking your fertility with the free Premom ovulation tracker app. Premom can help you identify your most fertile days and determine the best days to have intercourse to optimize your chances of success.
  2. Consider seeing an OB/GYN or a specialist in fetal medicine to look over your medical conditions. Go over your medical fertility history and know the process.
  3. Have a nutritional plan for a healthy diet and lifestyle to help with your overall health & wellness.
  4. Speak with a genetic counselor before pregnancy OR after (up to 12 weeks), and consider testing with your partner.
  5. Genetic screenings, ultrasound anatomy, and a growth scan are options for ALL pregnant women, regardless of age. This can reduce the need for a rare case of performing an amniocentesis, based on advances in medicine, and testing for prenatal care.
  6. Those women nearing 40 or older should consider fetal monitoring in the last trimester.
  7. Take a non-stress test for the baby's heart rate and an ultrasound weekly during certain trimesters in the gestation.

Conclusion

Pregnancy after 35 years should not be a scary thing. The good news is the Premom app can help you with tracking your cycles and finding your fertile window, using basal body temperature tracking, and reading your ovulation tests.

We have added additional ways to support you with our free 9 cycle money-back guarantee and virtual consultations to help with both the physical and emotional/psychological components of fertility. Premom is an all-in-one support app to help you succeed in becoming pregnant!

Download the Premom app via the App Store or Google Play today!

 

 

Reference:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2833410/

 

 

Updated August 24, 2020

fertility, fertility after 35, infertility, pregnancy, pregnancy after 30
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