Unexpectedly Pregnant After 45? Here's What You Need To Know

You have heard the expert opinions that getting pregnant after 45 is almost impossible. Statistics show that the experts are right:

• Women in their twenties have a 20 to 25 percent chance of conceiving during any given month. They will also have a relatively low miscarriage rate at between five and 10 percent. 
• The per-month chance of getting pregnant is around 15 percent for women in their thirties. They have a spontaneous miscarriage rate of about 20 percent.
• Women in have around a five percent chance of conceiving naturally every month at 40, a rate that increases to 10 percent with IVF. Women in this age group have a 33 percent chance of miscarrying. By the time they are 45, the per-month pregnancy rate goes down to a shockingly low one percent.

Should you be over 45 and hoping to become a mother, the statistics may help you embark on your plans with a larger dose of realism that induces you to explore alternative options. Should you be younger, those figures may help you make the decision that getting pregnant a little earlier is the right thing to do after all. If you are already over 45 and you've just found out that you are expecting a(nother) baby, though, those statistics do not help you at all. Other women your age may not be able to get pregnant naturally, but you were, whether you intended to conceive or it just happened. 

Dorothy, a 48 year old friend, just found out that she is expecting her fifth baby. Because her period had already been irregular courtesy of the perimenopause, she was not sure whether her morning nausea was caused by pregnancy or something else at first. Still, this experienced mother's powerful instincts led her to take a pregnancy test — a test that turned out to be positive. With her youngest child being 10 years old, she was excited to be expecting again, but also scared. "What if something goes wrong?" she wanted to know. Her prime concerns? Chromosomal abnormalities, complications during pregnancy or childbirth, and how to be a new mother again after she thought she was "done" having babies.

What Should You Do When You Find Out You Are Pregnant?

The same advice that applies to any woman who finds herself pregnant unexpectedly applies to you — while you could have taken certain health measures to promote prenatal health if you were planning to get pregnant, that is simply not possible if you experience a surprise pregnancy. You can begin taking those measures as soon as you find out that you are pregnant, however.

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Taking a daily dose of 400 mg of folic acid from the day you find out you are expecting will contribute towards preventing birth defects such as spina bifida. There is also evidence that an omega-3 fatty acid supplement will benefit your health and your baby's. In addition, you should make any necessary lifestyle adjustments: stop smoking if you did, eat a healthy and balanced diet, stop consuming alcohol, and cease rigorous exercise such as running until you have the chance to discuss the risk with your OBGYN.

Pregnant After 45: The Importance Of Prenatal Care

The first eight weeks of pregnancy are key to your baby's further development, and seeking prenatal care as soon as you find out you are expecting is very important. Your doctor can advise you exactly which supplements are right for your situation, how you can ensure that you gain the recommended amount of weight during your pregnancy, and whether alterations should be made to medications you may be taking for chronic health issues.

Though pregnancy after 45 is riskier than pregnancy earlier in life, your doctor will probably still recommend that you exercise regularly. If you engaged in very strenuous exercise such as running marathons before you got pregnant, you may be advised to adopt an alternative exercise routine. 

Women in their forties have a higher risk of developing such pregnancy complications as gestational diabetes, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and preeclampsia, and the watchful eye of a good OBGYN will ensure that, even if you do develop any of these conditions, you will have the best treatment possible.

Prenatal Screening And Diagnostic Tests

Because women in their forties have a significantly increased risk of having with chromosomal abnormalities, you may also want to discuss the possibility of prenatal screening tests with your OBGYN. Tests available to you include:

• The first trimester scan: This non-invasive and risk-free test combines blood tests with a detailed ultrasound to determine your risk of chromosomal abnormalities, including Trisomy 18 and Down Syndrome.
• The triple and quad screening tests are blood tests that seek to determine your risk of having a baby with a birth defect.
• Amniocentesis, a diagnostic test that can confirm or rule out the presence of chromosomal and genetic disorders, generally carried out from the 14th week of pregnancy. 
• Chorionic Villus Sampling, a diagnostic test that can be performed from the tenth week of pregnancy.

Should your baby have a chromosomal abnormality or genetic disorder, becoming aware of this early on in your pregnancy will help you decide what steps to take next.

Benefits Of Older Parenthood

Remember Dorothy? She was afraid she'd be judged — because having a fifth baby at any age is quite unusual these days, and she had received plenty of less than positive comments about the four that she already had. She was proven right pretty quickly. Her elderly mother asked her why on Earth she'd want a baby at that age. Well, there are lots of reasons to be tremendously excited about having a baby after 45, actually!

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While the likelihood of increased financial stability is often cited as a benefit of older parenthood, that one doesn't apply to her situation either. Dorothy, in fact, recently lost her job. Having a new baby will make finding another one significantly harder. She'll still have the other benefits of older parenthood that are often talked about though: having raised a child who is now an adult already, she's experienced, relaxed, and will treasure her new baby, knowing first-hand just how fleeting childhood is. As a woman of nearly 50 she has also learned a lot about herself and the world over the years. That's a wisdom she will be able to share with her new child. In her case, the new baby will have the benefit of lots of doting siblings, but what if you are having your first baby at 45 or beyond? Knowing that the chance of motherhood could have slipped right past you, you will enjoy every moment that much more, and your baby will reap the benefits.