Statistically speaking a 40 year old woman only has a 5 percent chance of getting pregnant per month. This means that even for those that will get pregnant, it may take longer. … Getting pregnant after 40 is possible without fertility treatment, but your chances of having trouble conceiving are higher.
The number of women having babies after age 40 has quadrupled. Forty is the new 20 when it comes to having babies creating a distinct trend with a host of positives for women who delay motherhood including living longer than those who give birth at young ages.
I was 41 years old when I had my baby girl Keyani Faith. She will be 3 months old in 5 days. I never saw myself having baby at an early age. I always said growing up that I would like to have a kid or 2 in my late 20’s or early 30’s but life had a different plan for me and I ended up giving birth at 41.
I was completely shocked when I found out that I was pregnant. It took me few hours to realize that the doctor 3 hours earlier had confirmed that I was expecting. I went to see the doctor because I was experiencing abdominal pain. Same abdominal pain I get every month the only difference this time was that I didn’t have my period for 7 weeks. It was very unusual for me to not have my period since I am a very regular person, but once you turn 40 years old things start to happen and due to some of the symptoms I had I really thought I was starting to have menopause. My symptoms were hot flashes, night sweats, abdominal pain, increased irritability, and the need to urinate more often, other than that I didn’t experience anything else that made me believe that I could be pregnant.
When I called my family via video to tell them the news that’s when reality hit. You should’ve seen their faces, it was priceless, they were so excited and that’s when I broke out in tears. Wow! I am going to be a mother, I cant believe God is allowing me to experience pregnancy. There were many other things that came to my mind right after the joy of knowing that I was 7 weeks pregnant but I could write a book instead.
If you think you’re too old to have a baby…you’re probably not. Just ask first time moms Halle Berry who gave birth at 41, Jennifer Lopez who had twins at 38, or one of your friends. In 2006 one in every twelve first babies was born to a woman over 35. When you look at women having babies regardless of whether or not it’s their first child, one in seven babies were delivered by women 35 or older.
Obviously when you are 35 years old or older you are at high risk. I have to mention that I had a beautiful pregnancy. However when I was around 32 weeks pregnant I started to experience what every woman experience. I was unable to sleep well, I was feeling too heavy- not to mention I was all belly- It was hard for me to sit, lay down, take a shower, shave, go up and down the steps, wash my hair, drive and I even developed carpel tunnel.
When I went to my regular doctor’s appointment to have an ultrasound to see the position of the baby I was told at that visit that my blood pressure was high. I was sent immediately to the ER. I was feeling well. The doctor was surprised I didn’t have any symptoms as high as my blood pressure was. That same day I had my baby via C-section. My baby girl came to the world 4 weeks early.
I had to stay an extra day at the hospital with her because her blood sugar was not stable. I was doing very well after surgery however the following Friday I was admitted to the hospital with Atrial Fibrillation ( An irregular, often rapid heart rate that commonly causes poor blood flow) and the Friday after I was admitted again to the hospital because my blood pressure was high again. These are things that happen during or after pregnancy that can happen to anyone younger or older. You just have to have faith and hope everything works out for the best.
Many women are in no rush to have children. This is something that it may be hard to believe for some people. My opinion is that we should respect people’s desires about their personal preference when it comes to having kids, specially when you see many women who are not ready or unable to have kids. I have known of women who are currently suffering or have suffered in silence because they are unable to get pregnant. Sadly not everyone is meant to be married and have a family. This is one of many things society teach us at an early age to get married and have kids but we all should know what works for us and what makes us happy. Many people have asked me for the longest time when I was going to have kids and they would tell me what a great mother I would be. To be honest all of them were probably right but the truth of the matter is that I was the one who needed to make that decision for myself and the science behind it had to be in my favor as well, I couldn’t let anyone else make it for me. This age is a great age for me to have my beloved daughter since I am now more financially and emotionally secured. Now I am ready to share all the unconditional love I have for her. You just have to be ready and God will take care of the rest , He is the one that knows everything, you just have to trust Him.
One should not have kids when someone tell them to have one. A woman should have kids when she is ready. Enjoy your life just exactly how you always imagined. Nobody walks in your shoes. Live your life happy with or without kids, your life, your choice. Travel the world if that is what you like, go to school, live your career life, at any rate just live life and have fun while doing it.
I think Forty is the new twenty!!
God Bless,
Janitza
Let's Be Real Authentic with Janitza 