Older Moms: Navigating Pregnancy Risks

0:00It's March 30th. This is Global News today, AI-powered stories shaping the world. I'm Cory with the story. More women in the U.S. are waiting to later to have kids, with 21% of births now, to moms 35 and older, up from just 9% back in 1990. That's according to a recent federal report. While most pregnancies go smooth, advanced maternal age bumps up risks like high blood pressure, obesity, C-sections, twins and some genetic issues for both mom and baby. Doctors say the risks stay pretty low overall, but prep work makes a big difference. Get as healthy as possible before conceiving, with a solid diet, exercise, no smoking, and manage chronic conditions like diabetes. A preconception checkup helps, too, covering vaccines and any health flags. Experts push early ultrasounds in the first trimester to check baby size, due date, and multiples, since fertility treatments common in older moms.

1:00Raised twin chances and pre-term risks. Later scans watch growth in placenta health, plus tests like amniocentesis if needed for genetic concerns. Birth risks climb with age, like 48% C-section rate for moms 40 and up from recent March of dime's data, often due to labor issues. Or big babies from gestational diabetes. Texas, OB, GYN, Dr. Jacqueline Means, had both kids vaginally in her late 30s, but dealt with bleeding and placenta problems postpartum, yet her kids are thriving. Bottom line, older moms can nail healthy pregnancies and happy babies by staying on top of monitoring, like feeling those kicks near term and leaning, on solid prenatal care to dodge the bumps.