October 4, 2021

Grad school. Check. Post-graduate degree. Check. Established career. Check. Next on the list – a baby! Doctors across the country are seeing more women waiting to have children until they’ve marked off other major milestones. In fact, 20% of women are waiting until their mid-30s to start their families. If you are among those waiting, there are some extra considerations for pregnancy at age 35 and older, and being aware of them can help a mom-in-the-making foster a healthy pregnancy.

Possible Challenges

Women in this demographic are more likely to make healthier, informed, and responsible lifestyle choices compared with younger generations. But there are still some risks to be aware of for women who become pregnant at or after age 35. They include:

Infertility. By age 30, fertility begins to decline, and it becomes more rapid once women reach their mid-30s. This is due to a decrease in the number of healthy eggs women have as they age. By age 45, fertility is declined so much that the statistical chance of conceiving naturally is fairly unlikely for most women.¹

Abnormal Chromosomes. The risk of having a baby with a chromosome abnormality such as Down syndrome is small, but the risk does increase to 1 in 400 births after age 35.²

Miscarriage. The risk of miscarriage increases gradually with age as well, from 8.9% for women ages 20 to 24 to 74.7% for women who are 45 and over.³

Making Healthy Choices

As we age, that finicky metabolism starts to wane, making weight gain, diabetes, thyroid disease, or hypertension riskier for us all. These conditions also can make conception and pregnancy more difficult. But sticking to a healthy lifestyle goes a long way in supporting a healthy pregnancy at any age. Here are some tips to remember before you conceive and during pregnancy:

• Get a preconception checkup to help identify any health conditions that may affect your pregnancy.
• Treat any conditions that your doctor may find.
• Take prenatal vitamins.
• Eat healthy foods with lots of fruits and vegetables.
• Exercise regularly.
• Don’t smoke, take drugs, or consume alcohol.
• Reduce stress.
• Go to all your prenatal care checkups.
• Keep up with treatments for any condition your doctor may have found.
• Gain the right amount of weight.
• Continue to stay active.

The right time to have a baby is different for every woman. If you’re 35 or older and thinking about a family, now is the time to commit to a healthy lifestyle.

Prenatal Vitamins Can Help

Prenate^® Enhance is an excellent prenatal vitamin option to help meet vitamin D and DHA requirements and is designed specifically for women of advanced maternal age. It has advanced forms of these ingredients, which are more efficient for your body to use and will help ensure you and your baby get the full benefits of taking a prenatal vitamin supplement.^4-5 One of the biggest benefits of Prenate^® Enhance is that it can provide the extra supplementation that diet alone may not provide. Talk to your doctor to find out if Prenate^® Enhance is right for you.

 

Prenate® Vitamin Family
This post is brought to you by the Prenate® Vitamin Family, a line of prescription prenatal supplements designed to enhance preconception, prenatal, and postpartum nutrition in women. Talk with your doctor about how taking a daily prescription prenatal or postnatal vitamin could help support a healthy pregnancy and postpartum wellness.