Women experiencing pregnancy over 40 years old is becoming more commonplace. Many women put off having children in their 20s and 30s to focus on their careers. Some women feel they have waited too long to start a family once they reach their 40s. It is more difficult for a woman to become pregnant after reaching age 40 and there are more risks involved. But many women are able to get pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy.

The first obstacle to overcome is decreased fertility. Some women may enter menopause by age 40 and therefore cannot get pregnant. Some women by age 40 are in perimenopause. They still have menstrual cycles but they do not ovulate, which means pregnancy is not possible for them. Women who bear a child earlier in life have a greater chance of pregnancy over 40 years old than women who have not had child yet.

Fertility treatments may increase the chances of conceiving for some women. Modern medicine has several options that can greatly improve a woman’s chance of getting pregnant.

There are many natural methods that greatly improve your chances of getting pregnant quickly as well – learn all about your natural options here.

If a woman is still unable to conceive after going through these treatments, donor eggs can be used as an alternative. Many women use donor eggs to get pregnant after age 40.

Women who are fortunate enough to get pregnant after the age of 40 face a higher risk of pregnancy complications than younger women do. One of the biggest risks is miscarriage. Women over 40 have a miscarriage more than twice as often as women under age 40. Once a woman reaches her mid-40s, there is a 50 percent chance of miscarriage. There is also an increased chance preterm labor, making the odds have having a successful pregnancy low.

The chances of birth defects also increases as a woman ages. This is caused by the quality of the woman’s eggs declines with age. Birth defects are relatively rare for women over 40, occurring about 1 percent of the time. Younger women have a lower chance of birth defects, occurring about once per 250 births.

As we age, our bodies are not as fit as they were in our 20s. Women experiencing pregnancy over 40 years old will suffer from fatigue more frequently than younger women. Eating well and getting moderate exercise on a regular basis can help reduce fatigue. Taking a good multi-vitamin that include folic acid will help the mother and baby stay healthy.

There are some additional complications that affect pregnant women over 40 more frequently than younger women. Gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, and pre-eclampsia occur twice as frequently in women over 40 compared to younger women. Giving birth is more difficult as well. Caesarean sections occur more frequently as well as the baby presenting in an awkward position at birth. Low birth weight is a more common occurrence as well.

There are some advantages for women experiencing pregnancy over 40 years old. The best advantage is that women in their 40s are emotionally better prepared for pregnancy and motherhood. They are usually better prepared financially for the costs of pregnancy and raising a child. More life experience makes women in the 40s more confident and at ease with their situation, making pregnancy a joyful time that younger women may not be able to appreciate.

Despite the fact that it is more difficult to conceive later in life, pregnancy after age 40 is becoming more common. With the help of modern medicine, many women are able to conceive later in life, giving them the opportunity to have a child at an age that it once was considered rare to get pregnant. Often for these women, the increased risks are outweighed by the reward of having a child later in life.

Having a hard time getting pregnant? If so, we HIGHLY recommend the book, Pregnancy Miracle by Lisa Olson. Lisa is an author, researcher, nutritionist and health consultant who dedicated her life to creating the ultimate pregnancy solution guaranteed to permanently reverse the root of infertility, help you get pregnant quickly and naturally and dramatically improve the overall quality of your life, without the use prescription medication and without any surgical procedures.

Learn more by visiting her website here