Ding! Tips for preparing for pregnancy at an advanced age have been delivered!

Author: Wang Ling, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital

Reviewer: Dai Xue, deputy chief physician, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital

With the development of society, the phenomenon of late marriage is gradually increasing, and the difficulty of pregnancy has also risen from "easy mode" to "hard mode". How to successfully "get pregnant" and give birth to a healthy baby in the case of irreversible aging? Today we will focus on this hot topic, so that you can avoid "pitfalls" and have a comprehensive and scientific understanding of pregnancy preparation. The following are tips for preparing for pregnancy at an advanced age! Welcome to read carefully!

Pregnancy is a complex and mysterious process. A high-quality egg takes about 85 days to grow. Therefore, women usually start preparing for pregnancy three months in advance. During each menstrual cycle, 3 to 11 eggs will further develop. In this process, after layers of selection, one or more dominant follicles will be discharged, and the rest will degenerate. This high-quality egg can survive for about 48 hours after being discharged, during which time it will wait to meet and combine with sperm. Every "seed player" is very precious and will directly affect the probability of conception and the outcome of pregnancy.

When talking about egg quality, we have to mention another important "player" - anti-Müllerian hormone.

Anti-Müllerian hormone is abbreviated as "AMH". Don't underestimate it. If youth has an ageless face, then it represents the youth of the ovaries. It is of great significance to the "inventory" and "expiration date" of the ovaries.

A high AMH value indicates that the ovarian "inventory" is sufficient; a low AMH value indicates that the ovarian "inventory" is small and the success rate of pregnancy is also low. As women of childbearing age age, AMH gradually decreases. Therefore, we recommend that older women can test AMH before preparing for pregnancy. Generally speaking, the ideal value of AMH is 2 to 6 ng/ml. If the AMH value is less than 2 ng/ml, it means that the "inventory" is small, and it is recommended to actively try to get pregnant as soon as possible. However, if AMH exceeds 6 ng/ml, it means that the "inventory" is too much, indicating that polycystic ovary syndrome may be present, which is also one of the causes of infertility.

1. Is there anything I can eat to make my ovaries younger?

The answer may be a bit cruel. Is there any magic pill in the world that can make people rejuvenate? As people age, the secretion of dehydroepiandrosterone decreases, which is generally believed to be related to human aging. If you must say that there is something that can be supplemented, then for people with low ovarian reserve function, some dehydroepiandrosterone or coenzyme Q10 can be appropriately supplemented to improve the ovarian microenvironment.

Figure 1 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

2. What is the difference between preparing for pregnancy at an advanced age and preparing for pregnancy at the right age?

During the pregnancy preparation period, many older couples are worried about missing a certain step, which will affect the success rate of pregnancy, and they can't wait to "take the next wave of strong medicine". In fact, whether it is preparing for pregnancy at an advanced age or at the right age, scientific preparation is the "kingly way", and don't "add extra spice".

Next, let’s talk about some precautions during pregnancy preparation.

1. Supplement folic acid Folic acid can prevent fetal neural tube defects. Doctors recommend that women who are planning to conceive take it from 3 months before to 3 months after pregnancy. In fact, many vegetables in life are rich in folic acid, especially dark green vegetables, so it is also recommended that women who are planning to conceive eat more. It is generally recommended to take folic acid within half an hour after breakfast.

Question: If I have been taking folic acid for a long time and have not yet become pregnant, can I continue to take it?

Answer: You can continue to supplement folic acid until you become pregnant. If you have been preparing for pregnancy for more than 12 months, it is recommended that you go to the reproductive department of the hospital for a timely examination to find out the cause of infertility and avoid blindly preparing for pregnancy.

2. Improve unhealthy lifestyle

(1) Pay attention to balanced nutrition, do not be picky about food, and eat a variety of foods. Meat, eggs, milk, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are all good choices.

(2) During the pregnancy preparation period, you should avoid staying up late, maintain a regular lifestyle, quit smoking and drinking, and reduce the intake of carbonated beverages such as coffee and cola.

(3) Maintain your weight within a normal range. If your body mass index (BMI) is greater than 24, it is recommended to eat a healthy diet and exercise more. Losing weight is not only good for your health, but also for pregnancy. On the contrary, a BMI less than 18 is considered thin, which may cause some adverse reactions after pregnancy, such as anemia, malnutrition, etc., and is also not good for the fetus. Therefore, it is recommended to maintain a BMI in the range of 18 to 23.

(4) Exercise moderately: Life lies in exercise. Exercise can enhance physical fitness, improve cardiopulmonary function, and help improve the vitality and quality of sperm and eggs, all of which help to give birth to a healthy next generation.

Figure 2 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

(5) Keep a happy mood: Emotions will affect the stability of the hormone environment in the body. Most infertile patients are affected by their living environment and family, and are often anxious and nervous. Some women may even experience menstrual cycle disorders, and men may experience sexual dysfunction. Therefore, you must keep a happy mood and conduct self-guidance in a timely manner so that you can easily prepare for pregnancy.

Finally, I hope that these tips for preparing for pregnancy at an advanced age can help you. Let us join hands and wait for the flowers to bloom, looking forward to the arrival of new life.