MATERNAL AGE AND FERTILITY

It is widely known that maternal age does affect fertility. When a woman reaches age 35, her chances of becoming pregnant decreases and the likelihood that she will have a child with birth defects, increases.

This is why when I was struggling with infertility, as soon as I reached 35, I became very frightened and desperate to beat this condition. When I finally became pregnant, I was a little over 35 and felt that my pregnancy would be normal, turns out that was a problematic pregnancy, which I lost at 28 weeks. The pregnancy with my son, although I was now older and as a result more nervous and anxious, turned out normal. The pregnancy with my daughter, now I was over 40 and terrified and felt on many occasions that she would be born with birth defects, turns out I was highly favored by God and apart from some very minor defects, she was born my perfect little girl. I am indeed grateful to all my doctors and other medical personnel who were so committed in seeing to it that my pregnancies were successful.

Thanks to the advancement in medical science, like me, more and more women of advanced age are getting pregnant, (some quite easily) and  are having perfectly healthy babies.

Follow the link below to learn more about maternal age and fertility and see also the risks associated with conceiving after age 35.

 http://www.babyhopes.com/articles/birthdefects.html

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NEW STUDY SHOWS BIRTH DEFECTS DOWN IN IVF BABIES

According to a new review of defect rates in Western Australia, it is found that birth defects are down in babies conceived via invitro-fertilization (IVF).

This is certainly good news for persons considering this option to have children because IVF pregnancies are generally known to have a higher risk for birth defects.

Read more by following the link below:-

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/28/us-study-birth-defects-idUSBRE88R1IG20120928

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"IN PRAISE OF OLDER PARENTS"

In case my last post ‘Down Syndrome and how it happens’ caused  undue stress to anyone who find themselves in this category, I am following up with this post, to bring about some encouragement and validation to all who are thinking of starting families at a later stage in life and the rest of us who are already on this path.

According to a Statistics Canada Report, although it is well known that older women who conceive are at increased risk for miscarriages, stillbirth and babies born with birth defects, these babies are generally just as healthy as those born to younger women.

The report went on further to say that these children are often more advanced, saying their first words and taking their first steps earlier than those born to women in their mid to late twenties.

Another article ‘In praise of older Parents’, looks at the benefits of being older parents which includes the fact that older parents are usually more established in their careers and are generally more financially secure by this point in their lives and are also more equipped to manage the changes that having children bring.

Older parents also say that they are now more patient with their children more than they would have been when they were younger.

Of course, like everything else, there is a flipside to all things good. Many older parents will find that they are mistaken for grandparents and that can cause some discomfort if you are not secure in who you are. From experience I know that keeping up with toddlers later in life is somewhat of a challenge and these kids somehow seem to need your attention more.

All in all, I strongly believe that a child that comes to us at any age in our lives is such a blessing and once we do not set ourselves up for failure by having ridiculously high expectations, the experience should be a rewarding and fulfilling one. Just to reiterate my closing point, our son is hyperactive, from he was in the womb (if I might say). When he was two years old, one of his uncles said to me, “I am in awe of how you keep up with him.” I guess he made that comment because I am not a mom in my 20’s or even 30's for that matter. I did not have to think too much or too long about my response to him, I quickly said, “I came into this with no high expectations” and I did not have to say anything else, he got the point.

Follow the links below for more information in this regard:-

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2008/09/24/older-mothers.html

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/pdf/Older_Parents.pdf

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LOW OR HIGH AMNIOTIC FLUID LEVELS IN PREGNANCY

amniotic fluid index (AFI)

"The amniotic fluid is part of the baby’s life support system. It protects your baby and aids in the development of muscles, limbs, lungs and digestive system. Amniotic fluid is produced soon after the amniotic sac forms at about 12 days after conception. It is first made up of water that is provided by the mother, and then around 20 weeks fetal urine becomes the primary substance. As the baby grows he or she will move and tumble in the womb with the help of the amniotic fluid. In the second trimester, the baby will begin to breathe and swallow the amniotic fluid. In some cases the amniotic fluid may measure too low or too high. If the measurement of amniotic fluid is too low it is called oligohydramnios. If the measurement of amniotic fluid is too high it is called polyhydramnios."

A doctor will know your amniotic fluid levels by employing a few different techniques, but most commonly through amniotic fluid index (AFI). Some of the conditions that causes oligohydramnios (low amniotic fluid levels) are birth defects, placental problems and leaking or ruptured membranes among others.

"The risks associated with oligohydramnios is dependent on the gestational age of the pregnancy.  The amniotic fluid is essential for the development of muscles, limbs, lungs, and the digestive system. In the second trimester, the baby begins to breathe and swallow the fluid to help their lungs grow and mature. The amniotic fluid also helps the baby develop muscles and limbs by providing plenty of room to move around. If oligohydramnios is detected in the first half of pregnancy, the complications can be more serious and include compression of fetal organs resulting in birth defects, increased chances of miscarriage or stillbirth, preterm birth among others."

Polyhydramnios (high amniotic fluid levels) occurs in 1 in 100 pregnancies and is diagnosed through an ultrasound. Some of its causes include birth defects, fetal heart conditions, diabetes, blood incompatabilties  in the fetus and mother, among others.

Polyhydramnios could increase pregnancy complications such as, premature birth, placental abruption (breaks or tears on the sac that holds the amniotic fluid), among others.

For more information including treatment of these conditions, please visit the undermentioned  sources:-

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancycomplications/lowamnioticfluidoligohydramnios.htm

http://www.marchofdimes.com/Pregnancy/complications_polyhydramnios.html

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THYROID DISEASE AND PREGNANCY

In a post last week, I wrote about how having a thyroid condition can affect your fertility.

http://onereachinganother.blogspot.com/2011/06/thyroid-disease-and-fertility.html

For this post I will focussing on having a thyroid condition and being pregnant. Having a thyroid condition means that you either have hypothyroidism (having an under-active thyroid gland) or hyperthyroidism (having an overactive thyroid gland).

Pregnant women who are experiencing tiredness and weight gain, because these are some of the usual signs of pregnancy, will often not think that these symptoms could be associated with hypothyroidism. A blood test, measuring your TSH level, is the best way to know if you have hypothyroidism.

If you have been diagnosed with this condition, then your doctor will look at treating you with thyroid hormone medication to normalise your thyroid functions. This medication is completely safe to take during pregnancy because it is the same hormone that is produced by the body, for the normal function of the thyroid.

Although hypothyroidism is the most common thyroid condition known to affect pregnant women, your pregnancy can also be affected by hyperthyroidism as well. In the same way that tiredness and weight gain, (signs of hypothyroidism) can be overlooked as just pregnancy symptoms, nervousness, weight loss, nausea, feeling warm among others(all signs of hyperthyroidism) can also be overlooked as mere pregnancy symptoms.

A pregnant women who has been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, must seek to have this condition controlled because miscarriages and birth defects very often will occur.  Treatment includes taking antithyroid medications, which will cut down the thyroids overproduction of hormones.

For much more on this subject, please visit the site below:-

http://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/thyroid/thyroid-problems-pregnancy

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HAVING CHILDREN LATER IN LIFE

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It is recommended that couples start their families in their twenties, because at that time women are more fertile and better able to deal with the demands of motherhood and parenting.

This is very true, but many of us struggling with infertility, or have ever struggled with infertility, have not much choice in this matter, and as a result find ourselves starting our families much later in life.

The risks of getting pregnant  later in life cannot be ignored.  There is the risk of certain birth defects e.g. Down Syndrome. There is the risk of miscarriage, pre-eclampsia, babies with low birth weight among others and so there is much anxiety for women who find themselves pregnant later in their lives.

Regardless of this however, women are still becoming pregnant at this stage in their lives. I had my son at 39 and later said I would try for another up to the age of 43. I know of many other women who have had children at this age and even older. In Hollywood, there are a lot of older mothers, Halle Berry who gave birth to daughter Nahla at 41,  Mariah Carey who just gave birth to twins at age 40, and everyone will remember Kelly Preston, who gave birth to her third child in December, at the ripe old age of 47. There is also recent news, that Carla Brunni, first lady of France is currently expecting, at age 43. I remember when I had my miscarriage in 2009, I was 41, then and was telling someone about my ordeal, who was quick to ask, ‘is it safe for you to get pregnant at your age?’ I was not sure if I was to feel offended or not, but I knew she only said that, because of what she was socialized to believe about women and pregnancy, and is not able to think outside of the box.

I guess many women, including myself are simply just thinking that other older women get through their pregnancies, successfully, so we can too and choose to take a positive attitude in this regard. Kelly Preston said, she did not think about the risks, she just thought that it would be difficult.

Pregnancy, on a whole, regardless of your age comes with many risks and so if older women should reflect on the risks only, they would never go on to have the families, they want. The key to any successful pregnancy, later in life, I believe, is being as healthy as you possibly can, before and during  your pregnancy, staying as close as possible to your doctor and most of all, having a very positive attitude.

ALL THE VERY BEST IN YOUR DECISION TO BECOME AN OLDER MOM.

FETAL SURGERY FOR SPINA BIFIDA

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This is certainly good news for all women of childbearing age.

There is currently a new study which states that fetal surgery could possibly be done to treat, Spina Bifida, the most common form of birth defect and could offer hope for treating other birth defects.

See article in RedOrbit

http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1993923/fetal_surgery_takes_a_huge_step_forward_in_treating_children/index.html?source=r_health

From the article:

“Spina bifida is the most common birth defect of the central nervous system, affecting about 1,500 babies born each year in the United States”.

"This is the first time in history that we can offer real hope to parents who receive a prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida," said N. Scott Adzick, M.D., Surgeon-in-Chief at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, director of Children's Hospital's Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment, and lead author of a federally sponsored study reporting results of a clinical trial of fetal surgery for myelomeningocele, the most severe form of spina bifida. Adzick, who led a team at CHOP that pioneered fetal surgeries for this condition and set the stage for this clinical trial, added, "This is not a cure, but this trial demonstrates scientifically that we can now offer fetal surgery as a standard of care for spina bifida."