Guidelines for maintaining a healthy and prime pregnancy at the age of 40 years

Be aware of the risk of complications during pregnancy at 40 years of age

Getting pregnant at old age is not an easy thing. Although the opportunity still exists, getting pregnant at the age of 40 and over is more at risk of developing pregnancy complications.

One of the biggest risks that may occur when pregnant at the age of 40 years is susceptibility to miscarriage. In fact, the risk of miscarriage can be up to 70 percent, you know.

It doesn't stop there, women who get pregnant at the age of 40 are also at risk of premature labor. Likewise, the baby might not be born because the contractions are slower.

Not only has an impact on the health of the mother, your future baby can also be affected, you know. If you do not maintain the pregnancy properly, the risk of sudden death in the womb (stillbirth) will also increase. The most feared thing, babies will be born in an imperfect shape, both physically and chromosomally development.

The most common examples of chromosomal disorders are Down Syndrome . Yes, this is quite often experienced by women who are pregnant at the age of 40 years and over.

Guidelines for maintaining a pregnancy at 40 years

Even though it's not easy, that doesn't mean you can't give birth to a perfect and healthy baby at the age of 40, you know. Most importantly, you have to really take care of the pregnancy as well as possible so that the health of the mother and baby remains optimal until labor arrives.

To anticipate the various risks of pregnancy, there are several ways you can take care of your pregnancy at an age that is no longer young, namely:

1. Check for routine pregnancy

Ideally, health checks are not only carried out after the occurrence of pregnancy, but should be done before planning a pregnancy. This aims to anticipate the development of maternal congenital diseases that can harm the fetus.

For example, if you have diabetes, it is imperative that you control your blood sugar levels so that later you do not prevent pregnancy. Likewise for those of you who are overweight, you are advised to lose weight immediately in order to reduce the risk of complications.

During pregnancy, make sure you do pregnancy checks according to the schedule determined by your obstetrician. This examination is in the form of a physical examination, blood tests, and ultrasound to find out problems that can arise during pregnancy.

It is possible that the obstetrician will work with a specialist in internal medicine to monitor the health of pregnant women. Especially for those of you who have congenital diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cholesterol, hypertension, and so on. Some of the tests that will be carried out include diabetes screening, kidney, liver, and heart function tests.

2. Take care of your diet

I don't think there is any special food that pregnant women should consume to keep their pregnancy healthy. Most importantly, make sure the food you eat contains complete nutrition, especially foods that are a source of protein and high fiber.

As much as possible, don't just obey cravings foods that are common during pregnancy. Especially if the food you want contains high sugar and fat such as pregnant milk, ice cream, or chocolate.

Instead of making the body healthy, drinking pregnant milk or eating sweet foods can actually increase the risk of prediabetes or even diabetes. Likewise, high-fat foods can make you gain weight dramatically.

3. Get enough rest

Many people say that bedrest during pregnancy it is important so that the mother is not tired. In fact, this assumption is wrong, you know.

It should be emphasized that pregnant women are healthy people, not sick people. That is why pregnant women are not recommended bedrest without any particular medical reason.

Regardless of the age of pregnant women, whether they are under or over 35 years of age, it is still advisable to have normal activities as usual. In fact, if you are not active, the pregnant woman's body will easily become weak and trigger various diseases that can endanger her pregnancy.

Pregnant women who are lazy to move will be prone to obesity and high blood pressure (hypertension). Most importantly, make sure you get enough rest to keep your body healthy.

4. Take folic acid supplements

In addition to regulating diet, pregnant women are also encouraged to take folic acid supplements. Folic acid, or vitamin B9, is one of the important nutrients that can help the growth of the fetus and protect against the risk of birth defects in babies.

Especially for those of you who decide to get pregnant at the age of 40, low doses of folic acid will certainly not be enough to protect the mother and baby's body during pregnancy. Again, this is because you are at higher risk of developing pregnancy complications than pregnant women who are younger.

High doses of folic acid are recommended to be consumed from 3 months before pregnancy or when planning pregnancy starts. Well, you can get this folic acid need through folic acid supplements.

5. Exercise regularly

Pregnant women may do regular exercise, it is highly recommended. However, pay attention again to the type of exercise, yes.

If you have been accustomed to regular exercise since before you became pregnant, you can continue the exercise whatever it is. But if you are not used to it, choose the type of mild intensity exercise that is safer for pregnant women.

Now there are many choices of sports for pregnant women, ranging from zumba, salsa, yoga, or pilates. Of course, avoid lifting weights, treadmill , or other strenuous exercise that puts you at risk for pregnancy.

Try to exercise at least 2 times a week for 30 minutes each. If you feel it is heavy, you can also divide it into 4 times a week each with 15 minutes of exercise to make it lighter.

6. Carry out a vaccine

The condition of being pregnant makes the immune system decrease so that it is susceptible to disease. Well, this is where the importance of immunization during pregnancy to increase immunity and maintain the health of your baby in the future.

Likewise for those of you who are pregnant at the age of 40 years and over, you are still encouraged to get vaccinated. There are 5 mandatory vaccines which should ideally be done by all mothers planning a pregnancy regardless of the mother's age. These vaccines include hepatitis B, tetanus / diphtheria / pertussis (Tdap), MMR, varicella, and cervical cancer vaccines.

As long as you can maintain the pregnancy properly, it is not impossible for you to be able to give birth smoothly. Your baby will also be born healthy and safe, according to your expectations.