The risks of getting pregnant at a later stage

Question: I am 25-years old and would like to have children some day but plan on finishing my master’s degree and working for at least two years after that. I would also like to get married and have saved up for the baby before it comes along, which means that I will probably be around 30 or older when this happens. I have heard that I risk having a lot more complications if I get pregnant past a certain age. How true is this? What are the risks? What is the appropriate age to have a baby?

Answer: According to gynaecologist Joyce Munthali, the safest age to have a baby is 25!

“At 25, your body is at its peak, it is strong yet supple and when the doctor says push, you will ably push at 25. You are also unlikely to have complications which will affect the child’s health at this age,” says Munthali.

She adds that though you risk having pregnancy related complications as you get older; it is not advisable to get pregnant if you are 35 or older.

“Of course, this is determined by medical conditions such as diabetes, blood pressure and how many children you have had. At this age, chances of the baby being born with certain chromosome problems, such as Down syndrome are quite high.”

“Also, if you have your children too close to each other, you might have complications because your body has not yet recuperated from the previous pregnancy,” advises Munthali.

She adds that if you have your first child at 35 or older, it is often advised that you don’t have another baby.

According to www.mayoclinic.com here’s what to expect if you decide to get pregnant after age 35: 

You’re more likely to have a multiple pregnancy. The chance of having twins increases with age.

You’re more likely to develop gestational diabetes. This type of diabetes occurs only during pregnancy, and it’s more common as women get older.

You may need a C-section. Older mothers have a higher risk of pregnancy-related complications that may lead to a C-section delivery, such as placenta previa — a condition in which the placenta blocks the cervix.

The risk of miscarriage is higher. The risk of miscarriage also increases as you get older, perhaps due to the higher likelihood of chromosomal abnormalities.