You’ve accomplished a lot in your life. You have a career you’re passionate about, cultivated a strong relationship with your significant other, and your finances are intact. Now, you’re ready for something more – parenthood. You and your partner want more than anything to start a family and experience a new milestone together. While you’re anxious to begin the journey, you can’t help but wonder if you’ve waited too long.
If you’ve done any research, you realize that trying to conceive later in life isn’t easy. After 35, there are more significant risks involved. Not to mention, your chances of getting pregnant decrease as time goes on. Though these facts are correct, conceiving a child in your late 30s and 40s is possible. Before you begin your journey, however, there are a few things you should consider.
Your Health
No matter your age, your health plays a vital role in your ability to conceive and deliver a healthy baby. So, before trying to conceive, your first stop should be to the doctor. During your appointment, express your interest in getting pregnant and ask any questions you may have. Ultimately, your doctor will conduct a series of exams and lab work to ensure your body is prepared.
The physician will discuss things like your weight, family medical history, diet, lab results, and lifestyle. They will also refer you to a gynecologist or women’s health expert to analyze your cervical health. If everything is intact, you’ll be given the green light to try and conceive naturally. However, if you have underlying conditions that could impact the pregnancy, your doctor may advise you to adopt healthy lifestyle choices or seek treatment before proceeding.
Your Lifestyle
If you haven’t already heard, having a baby changes everything. As such, you and your partner should evaluate your lifestyle to ensure you’re ready. Do you guys have enough space in your home to accommodate another person? If not, are you going to move into something bigger? What about your career? If you work in a high-stress position, work with certain chemicals, or perform manual labor, will you be able to continue once you’re pregnant? If not, are you financially stable enough to adjust to a one-income household?
Finally, consider your daily activities and interests. Are you used to traveling often? or do you spend your weekend recycling and gardening? Do you two enjoy indulging in the nightlife? Are there projects or activities that you’re involved in? Your baby will consume a considerable amount of your life. As such, you’ll need to be willing to make adjustments to ensure that their needs are met.
Your Support System
The journey from trying to conceive to parenthood is physically and emotionally challenging. Getting through these stages will require you to have a strong support system. The first thing you want to consider is your medical support. You’ll need the best medical professionals on your side to ensure everything goes according to plan. While you have a primary care physician, you’ll need a gynecologist, fertility specialist (perhaps), a midwife, and a pediatrician. Start researching to determine who your best options are.
More than a medical team, you’ll need friends and family in your corner. Having people that care about you along for the journey makes things easier. A best friend can be there to console you if you have issues trying to conceive. Your parents are the perfect support system to assist the few weeks after the baby arrives. Lastly, while you hope that nothing goes wrong, you’ll also need to consider designating someone to care for your child if something happens to you.
There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about trying to conceive later in life. Though your age does have some impact on your ability to conceive and carry a baby to term, there’s a lot more to it. Lots of couples in their 30s, 40s, and even 50s, have gone on to have healthy, happy babies. So, if you’re serious about getting pregnant after 35, take the above factors into consideration and start trying.
