Pregnancy and Age

As you get older, there is more chance of having a baby born with a birth defect. However, most women in their late thirties and early forties have healthy babies. See your health care provider on a regular basis before you get pregnant and be sure to go for exams throughout your pregnancy. Your health care provider probably will want to do some special tests to check on your baby's health.

Women today are often delaying having children until later in life, when they are in their thirties and forties. While many women in their thirties and forties have no difficulty getting pregnant, fertility does decline with age. For women over 40 who cannot get pregnant after six months of trying, it is recommended that they see their health care provider for a fertility evaluation. It is not uncommon to have trouble becoming pregnant or experience infertility (inability to become pregnant after trying for one year). If you think that you or your partner may be infertile, you can discuss this with your health care provider who can recommend treatments such as drugs, surgery, or assisted reproductive technology.