Each woman has her own age for motherhood, but if it does not fit into the standard framework, then it often raises many questions. Late motherhood has its advantages and disadvantages, which it makes sense to familiarize yourself with in advance, especially if the pregnancy is planned and desired.
What pregnancy is considered late
A little more than a decade ago, the exchange card of women who gave birth closer to 30 years old was crowned with the inscription "old-born", especially when it came to late childbirth. Today, medicine has gotten rid of this stigma, moreover, every year the number of women who are in no hurry to become a mother immediately after graduation is growing. Therefore, gradually later parenting has become associated with age after 40. This does not mean that it is impossible to bear and give birth to a healthy baby during this period. The very terms of childbearing are set for each woman by nature itself and purely individually. It's just that the older a woman is, the more likely she is to have chronic diseases, and the risk for the unborn baby increases accordingly.
At the same time, no doctor will give any guarantees about the possibility of avoiding genetic abnormalities in the fetus, although this cannot be avoided when a child is born at any age.
Pros and cons of late motherhood
Among the advantages are:
- a more careful attitude to one's health even before the onset of pregnancy, including the prevention of existing problems;
- a responsible approach to all doctor's recommendations during pregnancy;
- Conscious love for the child.
Of course, the last point is quite controversial and it is impossible to say that one who became a mother at the age of 20 loves her baby less than the one who is 40, especially if motherhood was given at a high price. It's just that the older a woman is, the more life experience she has, which concerns, among other things, the future upbringing of the baby.
The disadvantages mainly relate to possible complications that arise during pregnancy and during childbirth. Well, one more aspect, which is more psychological, concerns precisely the age of the mother: the older she is, the less time she has left to have time to put the child on his feet. Although if there are no material problems, then this is not a reason to deny yourself the joy of motherhood.
The process of childbirth itself can take place naturally, regardless of the age of the expectant mother, so you should not be afraid about this.
Risks of pregnancy and childbirth
The main danger of late pregnancy is the increased risk of the possibility of fetal genetic malformations, increasing after the woman reaches 35 years of age. Also, pregnancy itself can be more difficult, when pressure surges, toxicosis and edema are perceived in a different way than at the age of 25. But to a greater extent it depends only on the state of health, and not on the age of the mother. This also applies to childbirth, especially if they are not the first.
