Many people believe that the essence of being a woman is giving birth. In short, being a mother. But sadly, not everyone is able to conceive. In fact, statistics show that about 6.7 million of women in the reproductive age population have the inability to have a child.
However, there are women who have been blessed to be pregnant, even though they are already in their late 40’s. While it is certainly a glorious time for you and your partner, you should keep in mind that late pregnancy often comes with various risks so your pregnancy may be challenging more than usual. With that in mind, we would like to share to you some tips on how to survive a late pregnancy.
The Risks
As mentioned above, late pregnancy comes with risks. To help you prepare for your pregnancy, you should be familiar with what these are.
- Chromosomal Abnormalities – The rate of chromosomal defects is a lot higher in infants given birth by women over 40, and this is most likely going to lead to various disabilities like Down Syndrome.
- Multiple Births – Your chances of having twins or more increase with your age. This is most especially true if you are used fertility drugs, or you have undergone in vitro fertilizations. While having multiple births may seem like a great idea, please bear in mind that carrying two babies will be more physically difficult for you.
- Pregnancy Loss – Women over 40 have a higher risk of miscarriage as compared to younger women. Oftentimes, the miscarriages are connected to chromosomal abnormalities.
- Other Health Issues – Other health issues that you may encounter while you are pregnant may include pre-eclampsia or labor problems, diabetes, calcium deficiency, thyroid problems, obesity, and various body aches.
Late Pregnancy Survival Tips
So you see, late pregnancy can be really challenging, especially with the risks involved. But of course, there are some things that you can do to protect yourself from these risks. Here are some of them:
- Do Not Listen To Statistics – First things first, do not pay too much attention to the scientific data. Yes, knowing about the risks is useful but obsessing about it can be bad not just for you but for the baby too. Just use the information to determine what are the precautions that you should carry out but do not dwell too much on it.
- Eat a Lot – Pregnancy is not the perfect time for you to starve yourself. Keep in mind that your body and baby needs nutrients the most at this time. But this does not mean that you should eat just about everything. Remember that balanced diet is still the main priority.Shy away from sugar-rich and high-sodium foods as these can increase your chances of developing diabetes and having high blood pressure. Too much sodium may also cause swelling and we are pretty sure you would not want that!
- Take Prenatal Vitamins That Contain Folic Acid – Having the right nutrients is important now more than ever. The prenatal vitamins are vital in helping your body prepare for the changes that come with pregnancy while the folic acid is important for the development of your baby’s brain.
- Maintain Healthy Weight – Most of the risks that come with pregnancy over 40 is associated with obesity. Because of this, you should maintain a healthy weight if you wish to minimize the risks. You can do this through a balanced diet and regular exercise. Since your pregnancy is quite sensitive, it is best that you avoid strenuous exercise but simple exercises like walking may be useful for you.
- Visit Prenatal Classes – Since there are lots of risks involved, it is safer that you attend prenatal classes so that you can be able to know what are the things that you should do to minimize such risks. In addition to that, you should also always attend antenatal care so that your doctor can keep a closer look at you and your baby.
- Try To Relax – Because of all the risks, pregnancy may become a stressful event for you. But please bear in mind that stress will just make things worse so try to relax a little. You can do this by spending some quality time with your partner and doing the things that relax you.
With these tips, you can be able to take good care of yourself during your pregnancy. More than that, these tips can also help ensure that your baby will be safe and sound inside your womb for the whole nine months.