5 Tips For A Healthy Pregnancy After Age 35
With more and more women putting off having children until later in life, you are far from alone if you are trying to conceive a baby after the age of 35. While some women in this age range do have difficulty conceiving and maintaining healthy pregnancies, many women successfully have babies in their late thirties, well into their forties and beyond. Here are five tips to boost your chances of a healthy pregnancy after age 35:
Find a Great OB-GYN
A great OB-GYN will be there to guide your health as you work toward becoming pregnant, as well as during your actual pregnancy. By letting your OB-GYN know you are hoping to conceive, they can help make sure you are aware of any potential health issues that may interfere, and provide treatment plans if necessary. If you have difficulty conceiving, you may want to find an OB-GYN specialist with a focus on fertility.
Once you are pregnant, you will be spending a lot of time at your doctor's office, so it's ideal to find a doctor you are happy with and trust as early as possible. This way you can form a lasting patient-doctor relationship rather than switch doctors during your pregnancy. Ideally, you will choose a doctor with a lot of experience helping women over age 35 with their pregnancies.
Take a Prenatal Supplement
Prenatal vitamins are very important if there's a chance you could become pregnant, because they provide key nutrients that reduce the risk of certain birth defects that are more common when you are of advanced maternal age. Since these birth defects can form in the first month of pregnancy, before you're even aware that you are pregnant, you should start taking them as soon as you begin trying to conceive a baby.
Get Fit
Getting your body into great shape can help regulate your menstrual cycle, making it easier to track your ovulation and conceive a baby. Plus, the more fit you are the easier your pregnancy will be on you physically, and the more easily your body will recover afterward. This is especially important since many older moms find pregnancy and childbirth more physically difficult.
Make sure you consult your doctor before starting a new exercise regimen, and to get a good idea of your ideal weight pre-pregnancy. Being seriously under or overweight can negatively impact your fertility.
Get Plenty of Nutrients
When trying to conceive a baby, especially after age 35, you should give your body all the fuel it needs to get pregnant, and to keep your baby healthy once you are pregnant. Don't worry about restricting your diet so much as adding as many healthy nutrients as possible. Eating a wide range of vitamins and minerals in the form of a healthy diet will not only help boost your fertility, but help keep a developing baby healthy as well.
Add as many servings of fresh fruits and vegetables as possible to your daily diet. If you struggle to fit in enough veggies and fruit, try starting your day with a green smoothie loaded with healthy food like baby spinach, kale, cucumbers, berries, and oranges. Try to limit caffeine and alcohol during this time as well.
Be Prepared for Twins
The older you are when you get pregnant, the higher your chances of having twins or other multiples. While there is no way to know for certain beforehand if you are going to have multiples (at least if you are conceiving naturally), it's important to be aware that this is a possibility. Preparing for the possibility of twins or triplets, both psychologically and financially, will make the adjustment much easier if you find out you are in fact having more than one baby.
By being proactive and following these tips, you will increase your chances of getting pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy after the age of 35. For more information, contact a company like Rural Health Services Consortium Inc.
