Are you expecting a baby and are you already thirty? Or maybe you are just planning a pregnancy? What you need to remember in order to safely and he althily survive to childbirth, tells us the gynecologist, Dr. Elżbieta Reutt-Jaworowicz.
Women later decide tomotherhood . First, they want to educate themselves, become independent, find a good job and gain a professional position. Many of them only start to think seriously about thebabywhen they are in their thirties. Unfortunately, then it often turns out that it is not that simple. And then there is less and less time forpregnancy .
Doctor, why are women in their 30s so difficult to get pregnant?
- Not least because many women take contraceptives for a long time. And after weaning them, it is not always possible to get pregnant right away. You have to wait at least a few months or even a year. Sometimes treatment is needed. We forget that these drugs were invented for women who already have a baby and do not want another pregnancy. And now ladies are starting to use them without even knowing if they can have a child at all. Another thing is constant stress, environmental pollution, long working hours, sitting in front of the computer for many hours a day - all this has a negative effect on the fertility of not only women but also men. The quality of their sperm drops dramatically. Even 20-30 years ago, the number of sperm considered sufficient for fertilization was over 80 million in 1 milliliter of sperm, 10 years ago - 60 million, now only over 20 million. This includes therefore more and more men are having fertility problems and more and more married couples are unable to have children.
You don't see it in maternity hospitals, they are often overcrowded …
- I think that we, the doctors, have some merit in this, because we urge our patients to make a decision about a possible pregnancy. There is time for everything in life - also for bearing children. If you miss this period, it's hard to make up for it. With age, the entire body ages, not only the skin, but also the reproductive cells. Menstrual disorders are already occurring and it is more and more difficult to get pregnant. That is why we tell patients of a certain age that it is time to think, because this is the last call for the birth of a child.
When is the last pregnancy bell ringing?
- First baby is bestbe born between the ages of 20 and 30, and up to 35 years of age thereafter. Youth is it!
And if a woman over 35 comes to you and says that she would like to have her first child, you advise against her?
- I never advise against her if she is he althy, has good material conditions and wants to have a child very much. I say: please try it! Of course, such a patient should be informed that the risk of having a child with a genetic defect increases with age. But that's what prenatal testing is for. There are women who say: I don't want any prenatal tests, no checkups, because I'm going to have this baby anyway. In the age of the Internet, women know a lot about it, sometimes maybe too much.
What's wrong with women looking for information on the internet?
- The fact that once they read this information, they are very afraid later. That is why I say to such a patient: please do not read this. The lady is there to be he althy, to look nice and not to worry if the pregnancy is developing well. For such worries is me - the doctor.
What are the dangers of late motherhood?
- First of all, it is difficult to report pregnancy due to the decrease in the level of hormones conducive to its proper development - progesterone and estrogen. As well as the risk of miscarriage due to general ill he alth. The older the woman is, the more likely she is to develop hypertension, diabetes, hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, obesity.
And yet there are women who give birth late and are doing well.
- Of course, I have more and more patients over 35 years old. I recently ran a 43-year-old woman who was pregnant in twins. However, it must be clearly stated that after the age of 35, the hormonal balance in the body is no longer what it should be and he alth is not as good as in younger women.
What should a late mother remember before a planned pregnancy?
- First of all, about being under a doctor's care. At least once a year, she should visit the gynecologist and internist to check if she has he althy lungs, kidneys, liver, regular and ovulatory cycles, etc. problems with the heart, thyroid gland. The mother's he alth is essential for the proper development of the pregnancy. If the body was not he althy before, complications may occur in pregnancy, e.g. pregnancy poisoning, characterized by high blood pressure, proteinuria and generalized edema. During pregnancy, a woman up to the 30th week should visit the gynecologist once a month, unless he or she decides that it is necessary more often, and after the 30th week - every 2weeks. Ultrasound examinations are very important for late mums. The first is done between weeks 12 and 14 of pregnancy, the second between weeks 20 and 24, the third between weeks 30 and 32, and the fourth after 36-37. week of pregnancy. The first examination is to exclude possible fetal defects (mainly Down's syndrome). If the doctor is concerned about something, then the patient is referred for prenatal tests, e.g. amniocentesis. By puncturing the abdominal wall, a sample of amniotic fluid is collected for testing, and on this basis it is determined whether there is a risk of having a baby with a genetic defect.
Does a late mom have to take special care of herself?
- It all depends on the state of pregnancy. Generally speaking, 30-year-olds are great in pregnancy because they are mature, know what they want in life and care about their baby very much. So they are very motivated. There are rarely women who demand time off to rest at home. Late mums are extremely disciplined. If you tell them not to put on weight, they stick to the gram! They take care of their weight, visit specialists recommended by the attending physician. As patients, they are simply phenomenal!
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