Pregnancy in your 40'sand 50's
When it comes to having babies, we are moving into a new era and 40’s may have become the new twenties! Janet Jackson actually became pregnant at 50yrs old! According to AARP the rate of women having babies in their 50's have increased more than 165%. In the year of 2000, the number of women who became pregnant at ages 50-54 was 255. In 2013, the number of pregnancies of women in this age range increased to 677!
So what are those things that a women should be aware of in relation to their health when they are considering getting pregnant in their late 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. The incidence of certain health conditions do increase in women who are considered “advanced maternal age” in the obstetric medical world. Those risk include an increased chance of diabetes (gestational diabetes), high blood pressure (gestational hypertension), and preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a condition that includes increased blood pressures, decreased liver function. In some cases preeclampsia becomes a more severe condition that is called eclampsia which causes seizures, excess bleeding, coma and even death. OK,…. I’m not trying to scare away your skittles, but for any women that gets pregnant, regardless of their age, all of these conditions that I mentioned are possible. Getting pregnant in your late 30’s and onward however will increase your risk of getting these conditions .
What are some concerns that women have who get pregnant in their 40’s and 50’s? Some may feel concerned about being able to keep up with the demands of a small baby and also of a toddler in their terrible twos. There are some mothers who feel concerned about being mistaken for their child’s grandmother. What do you think? How old is too old to become pregnant? Do you have any concerns of becoming a mother in your 40’s or 50’s?