| Today advanced maternal age pregnancies are | | | | test should carefully weigh the benefits and |
| becoming more and more common. This how women | | | | negatives associated with it. |
| over the age of 35 who become pregnant today are | | | | When a woman does have a pregnancy after 40, |
| classified. When a woman does have a pregnancy | | | | there are other health problems that she may find |
| after 40, she needs to be aware that there are | | | | herself having to deal with. One major one is that |
| certain risks involved. This includes women who | | | | fertility levels are lower in older women. So even if |
| undergo tubal ligation reversal in order to have a child | | | | you have a tubal ligation reversal after 40, you still |
| after 40. Although statistics for such women show | | | | have the additional question of your fertility level. |
| a 41% pregnancy success rate according to one | | | | Other health problems you may face include preterm |
| tubal surgeon who compiles statistics, a woman over | | | | labor, developing diabetes or high blood pressure. |
| 40 wanting a child needs to understand there are | | | | There is also an increased chance of her having a |
| risks associated with such a pregnancy. This is why | | | | preeclampsia pregnancy which could even lead to |
| these are usually called high risk pregnancies. We | | | | eclampsia. However, it isn't age alone that may be a |
| quickly cover these risks below. | | | | cause of these health problems. There are other |
| There are basically two areas of risk that attends a | | | | factors that can be causing them. |
| pregnancy after 40. One is the risk of problems for | | | | An unhealthy lifestyle of smoking, obesity and other |
| the child usually caused by genetic abnormalities. | | | | factors put younger women at as much risk as older |
| You have a higher risk of this with a pregnancy later | | | | women of developing some of the health issues we |
| in life. You are also at a greater risk as you get | | | | mention above. Yet as the chances of developing |
| older of suffering from pregnancy complications both | | | | these health problems does seem to be greater in |
| during the pregnancy and when the child is born. | | | | older women when they have a pregnancy after 40, |
| To begin with, there is a higher chance of any | | | | each woman's doctor and other health professional |
| children of women who conceive after 40 being born | | | | will monitor the pregnancy more closely. |
| with a genetic abnormality. The most common of | | | | This is especially true for a woman's pregnancy after |
| abnormality is Down Syndrome. Any woman who | | | | 40 where she has had tubal ligation reversal. To |
| has a pregnancy after 40 years of age faces the | | | | begin with before the tubal ligation reversal, to |
| chances 1 in 42 of her child being born with Down's | | | | increase your chances for becoming pregnant, be |
| Syndrome. Luckily there are tests that your doctor | | | | sure to use a surgeon who has the lots of |
| can carry out including an amniocentesis. This test | | | | experience at carrying out tubal reversals such as Dr. |
| enables the doctor to determine whether the child is | | | | Gary Berger or Dr. Charles Monteith. Using a well |
| going to be born with such a genetic abnormality or | | | | qualified tubal surgeon will not only increase your |
| not. | | | | chances of conceiving a child naturally but following |
| However, if you choose to have an amniocentesis | | | | his protocols when you do become pregnant will help |
| test you need to understand that there is a risk of | | | | to reduce the chances of developing some of the |
| losing the unborn child. The chances of it happening | | | | medical problems we discussed above. |
| are 1 in 200. Any woman considering having this | | | | |