Hi Lianka,
Thanks for your question! Your question is part opinion and part medical, so you may receive quite a few responses regarding differing "opinions" on having a baby in your mid-40s. Many women are having babies while in their 40s, and with good gynecological care and medical screening/tests, you can lessen help your chances of having a baby with severe birth defects. That is the real question here---what are the chances of having a baby that is not healthy?
As you know, a pregnancy is considered "high risk" on age alone after a women reaches the ripe old age of 35 (said tongue-in-cheek). Seriously, though, the more advanced maternal age, the higher chances of birth defects, pregnancy and other complications. If you would like to know more about these risks, March of Dimes is a great resource.
The other side of your question is in regards to "opinion"; when is a women "too old" to have a child? Men are able to have babies at much older ages, so are we discussing a parent's ability to parent a child? Are you considering adoption, or having a baby without being married?
It is interesting to hear that your mom had your little sister when she was 44 years of age. You have first-hand experience of the familial impacts of having a mom of "advanced" maternal age. What did you see as the positive and negative aspects?
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Hi Lianka,
Thanks for your question! Your question is part opinion and part medical, so you may receive quite a few responses regarding differing "opinions" on having a baby in your mid-40s. Many women are having babies while in their 40s, and with good gynecological care and medical screening/tests, you can lessen help your chances of having a baby with severe birth defects. That is the real question here---what are the chances of having a baby that is not healthy?
As you know, a pregnancy is considered "high risk" on age alone after a women reaches the ripe old age of 35 (said tongue-in-cheek). Seriously, though, the more advanced maternal age, the higher chances of birth defects, pregnancy and other complications. If you would like to know more about these risks, March of Dimes is a great resource.
The other side of your question is in regards to "opinion"; when is a women "too old" to have a child? Men are able to have babies at much older ages, so are we discussing a parent's ability to parent a child? Are you considering adoption, or having a baby without being married?
It is interesting to hear that your mom had your little sister when she was 44 years of age. You have first-hand experience of the familial impacts of having a mom of "advanced" maternal age. What did you see as the positive and negative aspects?
September 12, 2010 - 6:07amThis Comment
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