Being a mother at 40 advantages and disadvantages

In our society, it is increasingly common to find women who become mothers at 40 for the first time. The way and pace of life in today's society cause the decision to become a mother to be delayed, causing the woman's age of greatest fertility not to coincide with the age of access to motherhood, which results in the appearance of some difficulties. How to be a mother at 40? Having children at this age has its advantages, but also some drawbacks. We go over it all in this article.  

Can I be a mother at 40?

Women can be mothers as soon as they begin to menstruate and ovulate every month. During youth, we find ourselves in the period of greatest fertility, which can last until approximately thirty. As age advances, fertility decreases, as does ovarian reserve and the quality of the eggs. This means that there are fewer eggs and those that remain may present alterations due to aging. This is why success in achieving pregnancy is reduced from the age of 30-35 and, to a greater extent, from the age of 40, which is precisely the age at which, Currently, many women are entering motherhood. In addition to the difficulties in conceiving, it must be taken into account that the risk of the possibility of abortion is also greater, as well as the appearance of genetic alterations in the fetus. Is it possible to be a mother at 40? Yes, but it may take more attempts to achieve it and, sometimes, it will be necessary to resort to the help of assisted reproduction techniques.  

Advantages of being a mother after 40 years of age?

Despite the difficulties, there are also advantages if you decide to be a mother at 40 years old. These are some of them:

Healthier Habits at 40

From this age onwards, it is more common to find women who take more care of their health and are more aware of the need for self-care. Thus, they tend to exercise more, eat a healthier diet, etc.

Patience

It is considered that at 40 years old people have more patience than in previous stages. This allows them to face motherhood and, in general, parenting, with more serenity and less stress, being able to provide better support.

More chance of reaching 95 years of age

This study[1] supports the findings of other studies that demonstrate the positive relationship between late motherhood and the chances of survival at an age as old as 95 years. Specifically, it was shown that women who become mothers after the age of 33 have a 50% chance of reaching the age of 95.

Full awareness of decision-making

Normally, women who decide to get pregnant at age 40 do so after having carefully considered it. This leads them to face motherhood with total conviction and desire.

Possible consequences of being a mother at 40

Given the advantages, we cannot stop talking about some of the disadvantages that motherhood has for the mother and the baby when the pregnancy occurs after 40.

Difficulty getting pregnant after 40

As we have previously mentioned, over the years and, especially after the age of 40, fertility, ovarian reserve, and the quality of the eggs have decreased and this implies that the possibility of achieving pregnancy decreases. Furthermore, at this point, we must also take into account the age of the father, since the quality of the sperm is also affected by the passage of time. Finally, we must remember that, with age and for different reasons, it also becomes more difficult for a pregnancy to come to fruition.

Complications in pregnancy

In addition to the problems we have just discussed, some complications occur more frequently in pregnant women over 40, among which we can find: ectopic pregnancy (outside the uterus), preeclampsia (hypertension), gestational diabetes, premature birth or delayed fetal growth. Intrauterine death is also more likely to occur. Likewise, due to changes in the eggs, there is a greater risk that the baby will have chromosomal disorders, such as Down or Edwards syndrome.

Greater chance of abortion

As we have already mentioned, as the mother's age increases, so does the risk of pregnancy interruption. A study [2] published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology concluded, after analyzing nearly 370,000 pregnancies, that women over 40 years of age were more likely to suffer a natural miscarriage. This is explained by various reasons already mentioned, such as the lower quality of the eggs or diseases that may appear more frequently due to age.