Women are having children later and later in their lives, as many pursue careers or want to live out their lives in the prime of their bodies. Anyone who decides to have a baby after the age of 35 should be prepared for the possible risks that a late pregnancy entails.

Even though medicine is advanced enough to deal with most of the risks of late pregnancy, the age of the mother can greatly affect her own body and the health of the baby. The most commonly recognised risk of late pregnancy is Down's syndrome. Women over 35 have four times the risk of having a baby with Down's syndrome.

The risk of placenta previa, when the placenta blocks the cervix, doubles. This increases the risk of the mother haemorrhaging.
Another risk is placental abruption, when the placenta separates prematurely from the uterus and the baby's body is no longer supplied with oxygen and nutrients.
In addition, the risk of high blood pressure increases, which can affect the blood supply to the baby, as well as the risk of gestational diabetes.

The older a woman is during pregnancy, the greater the risk of premature birth. As premature babies are physically underdeveloped, they can have problems with heart and respiratory function, as well as hearing and visual impairments and reduced cognitive abilities.

Even though there are many success stories in which women over 40 have healthy babies and the pregnancy was completely normal, every woman who deliberately postpones having children should be aware of the possible risks.