2021 has turned the page, and the Lunar New Year will also be approaching. When it comes to the New Year, one of the topics that elders can't always do without is spawning.
At this time, married friends will always ring in the ears the advice of the elders: "Give birth to children early", "Women have children early and it is easy to recover", "After this age, it is not easy to have children"...
We also often see some articles mentioning the best age for women to have children, and many people may know this concept, but they do not understand it in depth.
Does the optimal age for childbearing really exist? How old are you? Is there also an optimal reproductive age for men? How to properly prepare for pregnancy? These issues should not be ignored by both men and women, and let's take a look at them together today.
Is there a medically optimal age for childbearing?
How old are you?
Medically, the optimal age for childbearing exists.
The optimal age for women to have children is between 25 and 35 years old. Women in this age group are physically mature, the egg quality is high, the fetal growth and development are good, and the incidence of premature and deformed babies is low.
The optimal age for males to have children is 27 to 35 years old. Men of this age group have high sperm motility, good physical fitness, stable career, good economic conditions, and superior conditions for raising children.
Are early and older childbearing really that scary?
Women who become pregnant and give birth earlier than 20 years old, because the body organs are not yet fully mature, especially the reproductive organs and pelvis are still in the developmental stage, premature birth will have a higher risk of pregnancy hypertension, birth canal laceration, fetal dysplasia and so on.
However, the function of the pelvis and ligaments of elderly pregnant women is degraded, the elasticity of the soft birth canal tissue is small, and the contractility of the uterus is correspondingly weakened, which is easy to cause dystocia and fetal birth injury. In addition, the egg quality of elderly pregnant women is reduced, prone to distortion, and the incidence of fetal malformations and some genetic diseases is relatively high.
After the age of 35, the male hormones in the body begin to decay, the sperm motility will gradually decline, and the rate of genetic mutations in sperm will increase accordingly. It is easy to have infertility, birth defects, and even miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth, stillbirth, and a variety of congenital anomalies or congenital malformations of different natures and types.
The harm of premature birth and older childbirth is so great that the best childbearing age is missed, but how should older women who want to have two or three children correctly prepare for pregnancy?
What should I do if I have passed the optimal age for childbearing?
How to prepare for pregnancy with high quality?
Do a good job of preconception assessment
Preparation before pregnancy:
1. Choose the season suitable for pregnancy: the end of summer and early autumn (August to September) is more suitable, the temperature is suitable, and the vegetables and fruits are abundant. Pregnant women's food intake is about 10 to 20% more than usual, pay attention to nutritional balance, vitamin and mineral supplementation.
Pregnant women with obvious nausea and vomiting and early pregnancy reactions can take a small number of meals, and the diet should be light and easy to digest.
2. Develop good living habits and regular living and resting: comfortable environment, quit smoking and alcohol, do not stay up late, regular healthy exercise. Keep away from toxic substances and radioactive sources.
3. Maintain a good attitude: Increasing age will bring some difficulties to conception, and may also face more fetal problems. Relax, communicate with your family and doctors, adjust your mindset, and avoid excessive emotional ups and downs.
4. Evaluate your health status before pregnancy: Find out whether you have chronic diseases, infectious diseases, genetic diseases, etc., and whether it is suitable for pregnancy.
Examination for underlying diseases, such as cardiovascular examination and evaluation in pregnant women with hypertension and heart disease, and relevant immune antibody tests in pregnant women with immune system diseases.
5. Take folic acid from three months before pregnancy to three months of pregnancy to prevent fetal malformations. If you are unexpectedly pregnant, you must also make up for it. Use medication with caution during pregnancy preparation and do not take medication yourself. If medication is necessary, be sure to follow the advice of your doctor.
Pregnancy management
1. In the first trimester of pregnancy, a health manual should be established, and the doctor will check the gestational age, determine whether it is intrauterine or ectopic pregnancy, fetal heart rate, etc.
Elderly pregnant women have an increased risk of hypertension and diabetes, and pay attention to blood glucose and blood pressure monitoring.
2. The second trimester of pregnancy is an important period for screening for fetal chromosomal abnormalities and structural malformations.
Ultrasound screening is performed at 20 to 24 weeks of gestation and 28 to 30 weeks of gestation, and if necessary, MRI or fetal karyotyping and genetic testing are performed.
3. In the third trimester of pregnancy, the fetus doubles in weight and the brain cells surge, which is a key stage of nutrition for pregnant women.
Pay attention to a reasonable and balanced diet and control the amount of salt. Especially for pregnant women with puffy lower limbs, you can eat more watery foods, and also carry out appropriate exercise to prevent blood clots.
Management during childbirth
Advanced age is not indicative of caesarean section, and doctors evaluate the mode and timing of delivery at the end of pregnancy.
In particular, the success rate and safety of vaginal delivery in pregnant women under 40 years of age did not differ significantly from those of women of appropriate age.
For older pregnant women with a strong willingness to deliver by caesarean section, the indications for caesarean section may be relaxed according to the situation.
This article is reproduced from the WeChat public account "Popular Science China"
Expert of this article: Pei Jindan, Attending Physician of obstetrics department of Shanghai First Maternal and Infant Health Hospital; This article is reviewed by Cheng Ling, chief physician of gynecology department of Wangjing Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences