If the latest celebrity rumors are to be believed, then we all are super-excited to know that actress Cameron Diaz is pregnant with her first child with her husband of three years Benji Madden, and that too at the age of 45. Yes, you read it correctly, the stunning beauty is 45 and she is finally having her first baby. The number of women who embrace the chance of motherhood in their 40s has increased in today’s times. That is because many women keep their focus on their careers or they don’t find the right man till that time.
In the past, being pregnant in your 40s was considered unhealthy and dangerous, both for the mother and the child. And though, the risks do increase when a woman becomes pregnant in her 40s, doctors are now able to properly guide women through this period so that they can have a healthy pregnancy. Today, we are going to tell you some important things about being pregnant in your 40s, just in case you need that information for yourself or someone close to you.
When a woman gets to know that she is pregnant in her 40s, the first thing that comes to her mind is that is it safe at all? A pregnancy in this age is usually not considered a safe option; this fact alone is enough to creep a woman out initially. But if the chances were not in her hands earlier, and now she is getting the chance to become a mother, then who can stop her, right? Apart from the many health concerns, the mental situation may worsen thinking that they are ‘too old’ to be pregnant at the first place and if a woman thinks that she will be fairly old in her child’s future, then things might get worse on the mental front. But, things are slowly changing as more and more women are choosing to be pregnant later in life. So, as long as the mother and the child are healthy and happy, nothing else should matter.
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Being pregnant at any age means that a woman has to go for a lot of tests and when the pregnancy occurs in the later stage of life, the tests increase. The simple reason for this is that your doctor just wants to make sure that everything goes on perfectly for you and the baby. And, I am sure you too would want that only. There might be chances that you get irritated by the number of doctors’ appointments, but trust your doctor and do whatever it takes to ensure that you have a safe delivery and a healthy baby.
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Now before you decide to embrace pregnancy at this stage of your life, you need to make sure that you have healthy habits and a great health in general. You may need to change certain bad habits, like that of junk food or lack of exercise and even get a control on conditions such a thyroid, diabetes, obesity if you have any of them.
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Although women of any age can have a premature delivery, but the risks certainly increase in the 40s. But you can try and make things work properly by having regular checkups and your doctor may tell you ways through which this can be prevented. But if this happens, you have no reasons to worry because these days, doctors are equipped with the best of technologies to help your child grow properly in the hospital.
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Women, who stay in shape even during their 40s, have less chances of having difficult labors. So, for unhealthy women, this means that they may have to suffer dangerous and long labors. But, in general, it has been found that women in their 40s have longer second-stage labors if they are having their first baby at that time.
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These days many women are considering the option of having home births or water births in order to give their baby a more natural environment. But, if you are in your 40s, then you should certainly go for a hospital birth. Being in the care of specialized doctors will give safer options just in case complications arise.
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This again is an issue whose risks are higher in pregnancies that occur at a later stage in life. In this highly uncomfortable condition, women suffer from swelling in the hands and face, may have issues of high blood pressure and may notice an odd looking urine. The problem may cause serious complications during pregnancy, even leading to impairment of the nervous system. It is better to share every detail with your doctor so that they can tell you all about the precautions which you can take to prevent this from happening.
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In every 1000 women, 25 of them may abnormalities when they are in their 40s. What this means is that when the baby is developing under the influence of these abnormalities, there are chances of unusual fetal development. It is highly recommended that both the parents should get themselves tested for the presence of any abnormalities.
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When a woman gets pregnant, she needs to make sure that she is at her healthiest best, and for that, good food and exercises are not enough. Women should take prenatal vitamins when pregnant and the importance of these pills increase when you become pregnant in your 40s. Talk to your doctor and have all the vitamins that are needed by you at this stage.
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Most women who become pregnant in their 40s do have their labors naturally, but in some cases a woman may be induced. And in some other cases, women may also have to go through a C-section. All these decisions are best taken by your doctor seeing your condition, so you should have a trusted doctor with you.
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When a woman is pregnant in her 40s, the chances of health risks do increase in general. Women may have to face gestational diabetes, placenta praevia, preeclampsia and high blood pressure. So, it is advised that the monitoring must be done by the doctor at regular intervals to ensure that any problem can be countered in the early stages.
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This point is as important for the women who are pregnant as it is for people who have a woman around them who is pregnant in her 40s. A woman needs a lot of love and support during pregnancy, and that need increases when there is an increment in the age of the woman. The fear of health risks and complications may bring stress to the mother, so it is important that she gets all the love at this time. People who can cheer her up should do so by doing anything that can make her pregnancy a happy time for her.
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