How often have you heard this popular saying that ‘a second time is the charm?’ For me, quite often, a connation that one cannot make the same mistakes that happened as a first timer or something like that.
I got the long-awaited good news, the test was positive, I was pregnant, and so began my 9 months journey towards motherhood for the second time. Unlike the first, which was basically a walk in the park, I was to find out that my second pregnancy was going to be something akin to ‘trotting around the globe’.
It was during my second pregnancy that I would be hearing ‘Advanced Maternal Age Pregnancy’ also called ‘Geriatric Pregnancy’ for the first time, I mean I had no idea that at 36 almost 37 years that my pregnancy would be high risk. Like I said I thought it’d be a walk in the park, but I found out otherwise during my antenatal visits.
Advanced maternal age is a medical term to describe women who are over age 35 during pregnancy. These pregnancies have an increased risk for certain complications when the birth parent is 35 or older. Some of these complications are higher rates of miscarriage, genetic disorders, and certain pregnancy complications like high blood pressure or gestational diabetes.
I am excited to share with you all I learnt about Advanced Age Maternal Pregnancy. Below are the main risks associated with advanced-aged maternal pregnancy:
1. Genetic abnormalities: For example, Down Syndrome, which happens when there is an extra copy of chromosome 21, increases with age. Advanced maternal age is associated with a decrease in egg quality. This means that as your age goes up, the quality of your eggs goes down. “Older” eggs are more likely to cause chromosomal anomalies.
2. Miscarriage: Spontaneous miscarriage occurs more with age because of egg quality or defects.
3. Multiple pregnancies: The incidence of having multiple increases with advanced maternal age. This is most likely due to fertility treatment.
4. Stillbirth: According to comparative studies, if you’re over 35, there’s an increased risk of stillbirth in most developed countries.
5. Emergency Caesarean section: Older mothers are more likely to have complications, such as placenta previa, where the placenta blocks the cervix or breech position of the baby.
6. Low birth weight or preterm birth (early labour): Women over 40, especially, are more likely to have many risk factors such as obesity, pregnancy-related diabetes or high blood pressure, and a complication called placenta previa.
7. Co-morbid medical conditions: These are the most significant contributor to maternal deaths they include asthma, autoimmune diseases, mental health problems, inflammatory/atopic disorders, essential hypertension, haematological disorders, musculoskeletal disorders and infections.
8. Gestational diabetes: This is more common in older women who are having babies hence the importance of controlling your blood sugar by eating a healthy diet and living an active life.
9. Hypertension: The risk of gestational hypertension has previously been found to be 1.22 times higher in mothers between the ages of 35 and 39 and 1.63 times higher in mothers aged 40 to 44 compared to mothers in their 20s.
10. Greater risk of stroke and heart disease: Pregnant women over 40 are at greater risk of death from cardiovascular disease later in life.
The other reason there are more complications after 35 is that your chances of developing most chronic medical conditions increase as you age. Your body simply responds to these conditions differently once you are older. These chronic medical conditions can affect pregnancy and delivery.
By strictly adhering to the instructions from my health care provider, I had a healthy pregnancy for the duration of it and delivered safely. So, if you are 35 and above, pregnant or considering having a baby, you mustn’t miss your appointments with your health care provider, where you will be monitored and made to carry out the necessary genetic screening tests to ensure mom and baby are just fine.
My name is Uju Enujeko and I had my lovely baby girl on the 23rd of November, 2022, less than 4 months to my 37th birthday. Her birth weight was 2.7kg, but as at the date of this article, she weighs 8.4kg at 4months old. For our moms to be 35 or older you too can have a healthy baby and a successful delivery. It certainly wasn’t a walk in the park and the second time wasn’t the charm I had thought it’d be, but it also depends on your perspective, like I said, with strict adherence to your health care provider’s instructions, diligently keeping to your health routine, it certainly can be a walk in the park or the charm that comes with a second time/chance. You too can get it right!
From all of us @momat4ty, we wish you the best in your endeavors and you can also share your experiences with us in the comment section.❤️
