HAVING CHILDREN LATER IN LIFE IS THE NEW NORM How To Get Your Body Baby Ready

Women are choosing to delay childbirth more often. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the birth rates for women over the age of 35 have increased every year since 2010. Pursuing a career, saving money and the availability of advanced fertility treatments are some reasons women choose to delay having children until an older age. But no matter your age, you should have a plan in place before getting pregnant.

“Planning for pregnancy must include making sure your body can support a healthy pregnancy,” said Dr. Katherine Diase, board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist with Houston Methodist Obstetrics and Gynecology Associates at Sugar Land. “This will not only benefit your first child, but also any subsequent babies.”

Here are some important decisions to make before becoming pregnant to ensure your body is baby ready.

Stop Smoking

The single most important change a woman can make before becoming pregnant is to give up smoking. Smoking risks include low birth weight, premature birth and an increased chance of cesarean section. If smoking occurs in your home, your baby is at greater risk for asthma and ear infections.

Begin Taking Folic Acid

Insufficient folic acid intake has been connected to spina bifida and other birth abnormalities, many of which occur before a woman realizes she’s pregnant. Before you even start trying to get pregnant, start taking folic acid to build up a reserve. Taking a prenatal vitamin ensures that you’re getting optimal nutrition and it will meet most women’s needs for folic acid. The recommended dosage is 0.4 mg of folic acid or 4 mg if you have a family history of spina bifida or other neural tube defects.

Exercise Regularly

Physical exercise is extremely important. “If you develop a regular exercise habit now, before becoming pregnant, you’re more likely to continue after you’re pregnant,” Diase noted. “Studies show that regular exercise during pregnancy promotes faster and less painful labor and may also decrease the risks of gestational diabetes and cesarean section.”

Take Control Of Any Long Term Conditions

High blood pressure, diabetes, asthma and seizure disorders are just a few examples of chronic conditions that may impact your pregnancy.

“It’s a good idea to develop a plan with your doctor in a preconception appointment as some medications for chronic conditions can affect the fetus,” added Diase.

Your obstetrician-gynecologist can help you manage chronic diseases during pregnancy and lower your risk of birth defects.

Make Healthy Life Choices

“I advise women to consider their life choices carefully, including when and how they will have children,” said Diase. “After age 35, the risks of having difficulty conceiving, miscarriage and chromosomal abnormalities increase.”

Getting pregnant later in life can be more difficult as fertility decreases with age, for men and women. But making healthy choices now, before you’re pregnant, increases your chances of a healthy baby. •

Expert Nicu Care

Houston Methodist Childbirth Center at Sugar Land is the first neonaal intensive care unit in Fort Bend County to be designated at a NICU level III. This level III designation means the best quality of neonatal intensive care is available to meet the needs of moms and babies who have unique care journeys, including specially trained medical staff and personnel.

Houston Methodist Childbirth Center at Sugar Land also provides round-the-clock care for women and babies with dedicated board-certified obstetrician-gynecologists on-site 24/7 who can provide obstetric-designated emergency services for expecting moms who are 16 weeks or greater in their pregnancy. For more information about our Childbirth Center, visit houstonmethodist.org/childbirth-sl or call 281.274.7080.

Schedule A Visit

To schedule an appointment with Houston Methodist Obstetrics and Gynecology Associates at Sugar Land, visit houstonmethodist.org/obgyn-sl or call 346.456.5328