First Kid in 30s : Risks and Benefits

Recent research is showing that women in their 30s are having more babies than those in their 20s. This can be associated with a lot of reasons. Their younger counterparts are facing a birth-rate slowdown, the study says. Thus, a considerable increase has been seen in women having their first kid in their 30s as compared to the earlier times.

The vicenarian years (the 20s) are, more often than not, spent in studies, honing one’s career, and settling down financially. Eventually, birthing and raising younglings are pushed to the tricenarian years of a woman. Owing to the changing lifestyle, increased financial independence, job security, career growth, and late marriages, more women are considering having their children later these days.

Though the choice of when rests with the woman, it is good to note that the chances of getting pregnant reduce after a woman turns 30. A woman’s eggs are as old as her, biologically and her fertility levels tend to get reduced as a woman ages.

This article deals with the risks and benefits of having the first baby in your tricenarian years, the thirties.

BENEFITS

Financial Stability

This is one of the biggest benefits of having your first kid in your 30s. With your twenties spent in building your career and settling down financially with prudent savings and investments, financial status picks up. The couple finds it easier to afford the necessities.  Baby items, appointing a nanny for help, and also access to good pre-natal and post-natal care become easier. Worries related to finance and stressing oneself out over the expenses incurred can be avoided. Setting up a home and bringing up a child becomes much easier for financially independent parents.

Relationship Stability

Most couples, these days, like to spend the initial years of their marriage building the relationship and discovering themselves. Unavoidably, the first few years can be stressful as the couple settles down together under one roof. Once the difficulties and adjustments make way for a stable relationship, the couple goes in for a baby, a new form of joy to an already beautiful relationship.

Physical and Emotional Fitness

Certain research claims that women who have their first child in their early 30s are reported to have better fitness.  They also have higher energy and fewer aches and pains in comparison to mothers who gave birth in their twenties.

Also, understandably, with their experience, comes their maturity and hence older mothers are likely to be more emotionally prepared. With such nurturing and upbringing, even the children also become benefitted.

Matured Parents

Older parents have of course travelled, worked, lived, and gained more experience. This adds to their maturity levels. This in turn becomes a significant advantage during the upbringing of their child. They can provide a friendlier environment for the kid.

RISKS

While the biological clock of a woman is ticking and her eggs age with time, many doctors mention that it is good not to delay the first pregnancy beyond 35 years of age. The capacity to procreate decreases with age and fertility issues may crop up. Also, one should remember that a woman in her thirties may also have a partner in his mid-thirties. And so his sperm count may or may not be optimal enough. You need to consider a lot of factors if you are planning to delay pregnancy.

Some of the risks involved in having your first kid in your 30s are mentioned below:

Difficulty in Conceiving

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a woman’s ability to have a baby begins to decline gradually from the age of 32. After 35, fertility declines quickly and difficulties to conceive arise. A woman’s ovulation can become erratic with age as her body starts maturing. The number of eggs released may go down and even the quality of eggs may deteriorate considerably. These factors can lead to infertility.

Miscarriage

Risk of miscarriage increases with the woman’s age. Possibilities of stillbirth also rise. This may be due to several factors including the quality of eggs and sperm, age, and biological restraints.

For all women, about half of first trimester miscarriages happen due to a chromosome problem in the baby. The risk of chromosome problems increases with the mother’s age.

Chromosome Problems

As mentioned above, the risk of chromosome problems increases with age. The chance of birthing a child with Down Syndrome increases as the woman grows old.

Down Syndrome, also called Trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused when abnormal cell division results in extra genetic material from chromosome 21. It causes intellectual and developmental delays.

Lifestyle Diseases

With age comes some lifestyle illnesses like thyroid, diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure. It may affect the pregnant woman’s and the baby’s health. These conditions are also known to increase premature delivery.

Pregnancy Complications

There is also an attached high risk of pregnancy complications with delayed pregnancies if you have your first kid in your 30s. The most common and serious complications associated with it are gestational diabetes or high blood pressure (preeclampsia). There is also a high risk of ectopic pregnancy.

In late pregnancies, there may also be an increase in pregnancy-induced vomiting.

Difficult Labour

Labour may also be challenging for late pregnancy. Premature labour is also possible, leading to preterm birth or premature birth.

There can also be an increased chance of C-Section due to difficult or sustained labour pain. It may occur when the cervix refuses to dilate at the right pace or the contractions are not strong enough to push the baby out. These conditions may happen as a result of a matured body.

This article is only for informative purposes. It is wise to consult a medical practitioner/gynaecologist before you delay or plan your pregnancy. Each woman’s health condition differs as a lot of factors come into play.