Can I get pregnant at 40?

Some people have children when they are old. Not everyone will have children at a young age. Some people may have a second or third child when they reach the age of 40, and some will have their first child at the age of 40. Pregnancy at the age of 40 is considered an advanced pregnancy. You must be careful at this time and cannot rush to get pregnant. You must take good care of all aspects of your body first.

Precautions for 40-year-old pregnant women

1. Physical examination: Physical examination is required for both husband and wife, especially for women who are preparing to become pregnant. In addition to routine examinations of the heart, liver, kidneys, etc., the reproductive system should also be examined.

2. Take folic acid orally one month before pregnancy: Taking folic acid can prevent developmental diseases of the nervous system. If you do not take folic acid in time before pregnancy, you should continue to supplement it after pregnancy until the 12th week of pregnancy.

3. Prenatal check-up: Pay special attention to health care during pregnancy and ensure regular prenatal check-ups.

4. Down syndrome screening is performed at 16-20 weeks of pregnancy: This test involves extracting blood from the pregnant woman and testing the amount and concentration of various substances in the blood to determine possible diseases that may occur in the fetus.

5. Amniocentesis at 20 weeks of pregnancy: This test is not necessary for normal young pregnant women. Studies have shown that the older the pregnant woman is, the higher the incidence of congenital idiocy and fetal deformities. This is because as women age, their ovaries gradually age and degenerate, the eggs they produce naturally age, and the chance of chromosomal abnormalities increases. This test can directly obtain the number of chromosomes, and based on the test results, it can be determined whether the fetus has abnormalities. There is a 0.5% chance that this test will result in miscarriage.

6. Pay attention to blood sugar, blood pressure and other indicators: Older pregnant women are more likely to suffer from pregnancy-related heart disease, pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome and gestational diabetes, etc. Because the blood volume in pregnant women is significantly higher than that in non-pregnant women, the burden on the heart is increased. Pregnant women who already have heart disease may have to terminate their pregnancy early due to intolerance.

7. It is difficult for older women to give birth naturally, so they should be prepared in advance: Older pregnant women have a higher indication for cesarean section, and usually 90% of older women choose cesarean section. The pelvis of older pregnant women is relatively hard, the ligaments and soft birth canal tissues are less elastic, and the uterine contraction force is correspondingly weakened, which can easily lead to prolonged labor, even dystocia, fetal birth injuries and asphyxia.

The above are the precautions that the editor introduced to you about 40-year-old pregnant women. I hope it will be helpful to you. I believe that after listening to the editor’s introduction, friends will have a deeper understanding of this aspect. The editor thinks that it is better to have children early. Of course, having children too early is not good either. It is best to have children between the ages of 25 and 35.