Having Babies After 35 Is Safe And while it's true that conceiving after 35 comes with an increased risk of complications—like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, chromosomal abnormalities, and even miscarriage or stillbirth—many people go on to deliver healthy babies.
Rest assured, most healthy women who get pregnant after age 35 and even into their 40s have healthy babies.
Down syndrome occurs in people of all races and economic levels. The risk increases with the mother's age (1 in 1250 for a 25 year old mother to 1 in 1000 at age 31, 1 in 400 at age 35, and about 1 in 100 at age 40). However, 80% of babies with Down syndrome are born to women under age 35 years.
Although fertility declines after 35, it is still possible to get pregnant and go on to have a healthy pregnancy. It's important to see your doctor, get the right prenatal care, and know when you ovulate to maximise your chances of getting pregnant after 35 naturally.
Don't let that worry you, though, because most women will be able to conceive naturally at the age of 35 and give birth to a perfectly healthy baby. It's been suggested that there's up to an 86% success rate for couples that try for a full year who are aged 30-34.
For example, a woman at 30 often has around 100,000-150,000 eggs in reserve. By 35, that number is likely around 80,000. Late into the thirties, that number could be 25,000, 10,000, or fewer.
If you are thinking about having a baby in your late thirties or early forties, you are not alone. Women ages 35-45 are increasingly becoming first-time moms. And most healthy women in this age group have healthy pregnancies, births and babies.
Definition of geriatric pregnancy
We define advanced maternal age (formerly geriatric pregnancy) as those who are 35 years or older at their estimated delivery date.
Current supplementation policies designed to prevent neural tube defects may incidentally prevent Down's syndrome, provided a sufficiently high dose of folic acid is used.
After age 35, there's a higher risk of pregnancy-related complications that might lead to a C-section delivery. The risk of chromosomal conditions is higher. Babies born to older mothers have a higher risk of certain chromosomal conditions, such as Down syndrome. The risk of pregnancy loss is higher.
Late preterm babies (babies who are born between 34 and 37 weeks of gestation) are less mature and developed than full-term babies. Hence, babies born at 35 weeks are at a higher risk of developing complications than full-term babies. One of the best ways to prevent preterm birth is with high-quality prenatal care.
A temperature below 35 C is abnormal for a baby. Low body temperatures can endanger the life of the baby and, hence, necessitate quick action. The normal temperature of a child is generally between 97.7 F (36.5 C) and 99.5 F (37.5 C) when measured with an oral thermometer.
Your Chances of Getting Pregnant: Early 30s (30 to 34)
Your odds of conceiving are still high—up to an 86% success rate for couples that try for a full year. The only major change is that your chances of miscarriage by age 30 have risen to 20%.
Ages 27-34: 86% chance of conceiving in one year. Ages 35-39: 82% chance of conceiving in one year.
The main health complications for babies born at 34 weeks of gestation include difficulty with lung capacity and breathing. The earlier a baby is born, the greater the likelihood of bleeding in the brain. These hemorrhages may be mild; however, babies with more severe brain bleeding can have permanent brain damage.
But as people get older, they face an increased risk of medical issues that can potentially complicate their pregnancy. While delivering at age 35 and older is officially considered “advanced maternal age,” Dr. Kalish notes that in reality, there's no “magic number” for being at-risk for complications.
Research suggests that an age gap of 27 to 32 months may be associated with the best health outcomes for mother and child. In terms of sibling relationship, siblings who are closer in age tend to fight more but are also closer which may have positive benefits for social skills.
But the most important factor affecting fertility in women over age 35 is a decrease in egg quality. This decrease in quality impairs fertilization and embryo development, and reduces the chances of achieving a healthy pregnancy.
By age 30, fertility (the ability to get pregnant) starts to decline. This decline happens faster once you reach your mid-30s. By 45, fertility has declined so much that getting pregnant naturally is unlikely.