Late Pregnancy-The Risks Can Be Managed

These days, many women tend to have a late pregnancy or start their families in their thirties. Perhaps, women are getting more ambitious and want to fulfill their professional ambitions before starting a family. They are also more educated than the counterparts from the last generation are. The other important thing is that, there have been many advances in the field of medicine.

However, when you decide to take that major decision, there are some risks involved.

The Risks

In late pregnancy, fertility usually decreases in a woman and she is unable to get pregnant, as quickly as she would have in her 20s

According to research, women over the age of 35 who become pregnant are twice as likely to suffer from gestational diabetes during pregnancy. This form of diabetes occurs for the first time during pregnancy.

Women over the age of 35 are also more likely to have a child with a birth defect. Prenatal tests to ensure this does not happen are amniocentesis and chrorionic villus sampling.

Women over the age of 35 are also more likely to have twins; also, if the woman has been on fertility treatment her chances of having a multiple pregnancy increases.

The risk of miscarriage also increases with a late pregnancy.

Some diseases such as a heart problem, hypertension or a kidney problem or diabetes that a woman may already have before she became pregnant, can hamper the proper development of the fetus and cause complications.

What precautions can a pregnant woman take, so she has a safe and healthy pregnancy?

Managing the Risks

She must go for regular check ups to her doctor and get early and proper prenatal care.

She must get her self-vaccinated for tetanus, german measles, and Hepatitis

She must eat healthy. It is important that she eat supplements of folic acid, along with other multi vitamins and calcium. She should eat green leafy vegetables, pulses, fruits and citrus fruits. She should avoid eating fish.

She should not drink alcohol, smoke or do drugs. These can cause the baby immense harm.

Therefore, a late pregnancy is not such a bad thing after all, because the risks can be reduced by proper care during pregnancy.