Expecting a baby at forty

Why am I talking about this?

Let's start with my mother, who was expecting a baby when she was 42. When she complained of heart palpitations to the doctor, she was prescribed heart medication. Some time later, when my mum was taken to the hospital after taking heart medication, a blood test revealed that it was far from a heart-related disease, but instead she was pregnant!!!

It was certainly not the easiest pregnancy for her. However, the attitude of the doctors and hospital staff left much to be desired, and how she been told off when she started giving birth, because the little girl decided to come earlier than the date indicated in the papers. Today, I have a younger sister with a 21-year age difference and we have the same mother 😉.

In London, I have a lot of meetings with families where the first or even several children

have been born to parents in their forties. These are families where financial stability has been achieved. We hear every day how much criticism women receive when they decide to have children at forty, but men are somehow left behind.

Comments on the topic:

"Do you also think how old you will be when your child goes to school?"

"What do others think of you?"

"Do you want a disabled child?"

"Where were you before that you are only now having children?"

"Can you still have children before menopause?"

The list goes on...

Today I will talk about the pros and cons of expecting a child in your forties.

(The Daily Telegraph 1.11.2018, the study was conducted on 40 million births where the man's age was 45+)

For some reason, only the age of women when having children is emphasized, but after reading a lot of different materials and studies, the man's age and, consequently, the quality of the sperm, which is largely influenced by lifestyle, play a big role in the health of the child and the course of pregnancy in a woman.

Men who decide to become fathers at the age of 45+ have a higher risk of a child being born prematurely, with a low birth weight and needing intensive care than babies whose fathers were younger. Children of older fathers are more likely to have autism, schizophrenia and obsessive tendencies (full purity control, only maximum results in studies, etc.).

The researchers believe that in older men changes occur in the sperm, which in turn affects the growth of the embryo. The best thing men can do for higher quality sperm is to limit alcohol consumption, quit smoking, exercise and eating healthily.

In America, over one hundred thousand women aged 40+ give birth every year.

In the case of women, we know that pregnant women in their forties are at risk and under greater surveillance. (However, on the website of an Estonian private clinic, these women were called elderly pregnant women, which reminds me of a grandmother).

Women aged 40-44 have a risk of miscarriage of up to 33%, compared to 10%-20% among younger women.

PROS

1. Economic security

2. Settled family life

3. More medical supervision during pregnancy

4. More education and awareness of raising children

5. Less stress and worry due to economic situation

CONS

1. Risk for gestational diabetes

2. Higher risk of miscarriage, up to 33%

3. Risk of premature birth

4. Higher risk of genetic defects

5. Societal criticism

6. Negative comments and bullying from medical staff (unfortunately, this happens a lot)

7. Possible high blood pressure during pregnancy and heart disease

One study conducted in the US found that women who gave birth at the age of 29 live longer. Studies showed that the life expectancy of those who gave birth earlier could reach 95 and a half years. But here it is also possible that it is due to genes. At the same time, it was revealed that women who have given birth older than 35 years of age have better verbal memory.

So, is it still so scary to become a mother at forty? No, it's not ☺️