With the development of science, medicine, latest research in the field of reproductive medicine it becomes possible to give birth healthy baby even in those families where even a decade ago this would have been impossible. How to conceive healthy child when parents are no longer young and when there are health problems, read this article.

Unfortunately, diseases do not choose people, do not divide them into “good” and “bad”, and do not spare even the smallest children. And there are many objective reasons for this. And the mother and father are equally responsible for the child’s health.

Bad habits of adults

And even an unborn child can become seriously ill. This happens especially often if the pregnancy is “accidental”, unplanned.

In this case, drunken conception may occur, and this is a serious injury for the embryo; such a child will definitely not be completely healthy. His health has already suffered severe damage, and he will be susceptible to illness in the future. This is where allergies, diathesis, moodiness, and excitability originate. If parents continue to drink alcohol during pregnancy, the baby’s brain will suffer, and even fetal syndrome may occur.

In the same way, adult smoking is dangerous for a baby, no matter whether it is active or passive. The placenta cannot retain nicotine; it easily penetrates into the baby’s blood and retards its development and weakens its health. Therefore, it is so important to protect the expectant mother from exposure to tobacco smoke.

It’s probably not worth even talking about the dangers of drugs for a developing child.

Ecology

Life in a “big city” is also dangerous for a child - constant rush, stress, poor ecology, noise, to which an adult is so accustomed that he no longer notices it. When a person lives in a busy area and breathes polluted air, the child also suffers. The placenta can't hold everything harmful substances, they enter the baby’s bloodstream and thereby poison him.

In addition, due to the fact that city residents pay little attention to healthy eating, their health is not the best. This means that it will not be strong in the child either.

Physical inactivity

An incorrect, sedentary lifestyle, physical inactivity, constant habitual oxygen starvation also have an effect - all these factors will negatively affect the child. If the baby’s mother protects herself from feasible physical exertion, she will not have enough oxygen in her blood, which means that the baby will not have enough of it.

At the same time, too much physical activity by the mother will also not benefit the child.

Parents' age

With age, people do not become healthier; various chronic abnormalities accumulate. It is believed that the most optimal age for the birth of a child - 22-35 years. Before this period, the female body is not yet fully ready to cope with the load. Then the gradual fading of opportunities begins female body.

The same applies to men; the optimal age for conceiving a healthy child is 22-40 years. If earlier, there may be not fully mature sperm; at a later age they are no longer so mobile and are susceptible to various unfavorable factors that directly affect spermatogenesis.

Health related problems

It may seem so healthy developing baby Only mother is responsible. In fact, the father is no less responsible, and sometimes the child’s illnesses are associated with the father’s health.

Infectious diseases

A pregnant woman should be carefully protected from any, even the most harmless infections, because her illness will definitely affect the child. And the expectant mother will have to be treated very carefully so as not to harm the baby.

There are infections that are practically asymptomatic in an adult, but have a detrimental effect on the developing fetus. Especially in the first three months of pregnancy. These include completely “harmless”.

Even a common runny nose or minor cold of the mother or father during conception will have an impact on the health of the unborn child.

Sexually transmitted diseases, HIV, and AIDS have the same destructive influence. In this case, the baby will be born with these diseases.

A “children’s” infection, rubella, also poses a great danger. If it is mild in already born babies, then for an unborn child rubella carries serious complications if the mother gets sick with it. And the shorter the pregnancy, the more severe these complications are. In the last trimester, the disease severely damages the hearing organs, up to irreversible deafness.

Oncology

It is rare, but it happens that parents are diagnosed with cancer after conception has occurred. And if aggressive treatment is carried out, it will affect the child; he certainly will not be able to be born healthy. And even if the disease is not treated, it will still harm the child. There are special mild treatment methods for this case. But most often, oncologists recommend terminating the pregnancy.

To keep your baby healthy, you should plan a pregnancy after oncology no earlier than five years after the end of treatment and stable remission in women. Before planning, parents should undergo a complete examination by an oncologist.

In men, this period is much shorter - within three months after chemotherapy, sperm is completely renewed.

If a man or woman’s family has close relatives diagnosed with cancer, it is better to undergo a genetic test before pregnancy to determine whether the child is at risk of inheriting this disease.

When any cancer is diagnosed in a nursing mother, she must stop breastfeeding.

Genetic diseases

Many genetic diseases are random failures and do not depend on the lifestyle of the parents. This is, for example, Down syndrome. But there are also genetic disorders that can be prevented in advance. For example, hemophilia is associated with the gender of the child, in the vast majority of cases it is transmitted to boys, but the carrier of the vicious gene is the mother. A girl can develop hemophilia only if her father also has the disease and her mother is a carrier of the hemophilia gene. But this happens extremely rarely - during the entire period of research, only about fifty cases of this disease in girls are known. Among the most famous cases of hemophilia is Tsarevich Alexei Romanov.

Consanguineous marriages

In closely related unions, the risk of developing pathologies in the fetus increases significantly, since both parents carry the same genetic code, since they have common ancestors who could pass on their defective genes to them. Children born into such families are ten times more likely to suffer from genetic diseases. They have a much higher risk of dying in utero or in the first year of life.

There are known cases of long-term consanguineous marriages in the royal dynasties of Spain. It is believed that this is what led to their attenuation.

A visit to a geneticist can help you figure out whether you are distant relatives.

How to prepare for conception

You should prepare for pregnancy from the very beginning. And you need to start about six months before the expected conception.

It is necessary to undergo a full examination. Moreover, both future parents, both father and mother, are obliged to do it.

At the therapist

A general complete examination will help to identify hidden diseases and abnormalities that do not yet make themselves known. This includes a visit to a cardiologist - a mandatory ECG, and a dentist. Women are consulted by a gynecologist, men by an andrologist. If necessary, the therapist will provide referrals to other more specialized specialists.

From a geneticist

This should be done if there have been cases of children with genetic disorders in the families of both parents. A consultation with a geneticist is also needed if the parents are over 35 years old. Based on the analysis of the chromosome set, the doctor will rule out possible genetic abnormalities in the development of the fetus and advise what measures should be taken in case of problems. You may have to use donor cells to ensure your baby is born healthy.

In order for the entire pregnancy to proceed without problems and end with the birth of a healthy baby, you need to follow a few simple rules.

• The best time to conceive is from July to October, when there are a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits and sun. Then there will be more useful substances in the woman’s blood, and the development of all the baby’s organs will be better.
• Take folic acid and a complex of vitamins, which must include and - for about 3 months. before conception and at least 3 months. after him. A lack of these substances can lead to malformations of the child’s brain, damage to the central nervous system, and many others. Folic acid itself is urgently needed for the proper formation and nutrition of the placenta.
• Give up bad habits that are harmful to health in one way or another - in about 5-6 months. before expected conception. During pregnancy, also try not to be in smoky rooms.
• Consult with your doctor about taking medications; if possible, stop taking them for a while.
• The developing fetus is strongly affected by electromagnetic radiation. In the modern world it is impossible not to be under its influence at all, but it is possible to reduce it. A week before conception and throughout pregnancy, keep mobile phones away from your body and turn on the microwave less often.
• Do special gymnastics for pregnant women, listen to pleasant relaxing music, take a walk fresh air. All this has a beneficial effect on nervous system- yours and your baby's.

A man should also think about how to conceive a healthy child in time.

• Give up bad habits, smoking, alcohol, etc. - all this affects spermatogenesis, damages sperm, at least 3-4 months before.
• High temperature has a very bad effect on sperm, their motility and integrity. At temperatures above 37 degrees they generally lose mobility. Therefore, you should not wear tight-fitting underwear, overheat in the groin area, or place a laptop on your knees. Also, for a while, forget about visiting the sauna, bathhouse - in fact, any place where there is a long stay at elevated temperatures.
• You cannot ride in vehicles on electrically heated seats - in addition to high temperature Electromagnetic radiation has a harmful effect on sperm.
• Avoid trauma to the testicles. Stop riding a bicycle or motorcycle for a while and do not expose it to vibration.
• Electromagnetic radiation also has a harmful effect on the testicles. Therefore, at least a week before conception, remove your mobile phone from your trouser pockets and stay away from a working microwave.

These are all general tips that should be followed at any age. But in some cases there are subtleties.
It has already been said that the health of the baby often depends on the age of the mother. But it also depends on the age of the father.

Pregnancy after 30

In past times, pregnant women after 30 years of age were considered “elderly women in labor,” and after 35 generally “old.” The doctors had their own objective reasons for this - the body at 20 and 30 years old was significantly different; age-related changes, and such pregnant women were treated with special attention. It was believed, and is still believed, that at this age it is more difficult to cope with the load, and that children are more often born with physiological abnormalities. This is not entirely true, and after the 30-year mark, women give birth to children just as strong as those who have not yet reached this age. And don’t let the woman feel pressured" public opinion"and a medical title that will accompany you all the time - “old mother in labor.” After all, the oldest woman who gave birth was a little over 70!

In the same way, men who reach 30 years of age do not have to fear that their child will appear weakened. In men, sperm is released starting in early adolescence and this process lasts almost until old age, and sperm retain their function all this time.
If you lead a correct and active lifestyle, this age will not be a hindrance. Modern world significantly expanded the time when people can become parents. So for a man, 30 years old is the time of heyday, the most optimal age for parenthood, and the question of how to conceive a healthy child at 30 years old is no longer so pressing, modern medicine will help with this.

Doctors constantly talk about the benefits of late motherhood for the female body - with it there is a surge in the release of hormones, the woman simply becomes younger before her eyes, and the onset of menopause is delayed. But it's good for mom. What does it take for a healthy baby?

How to behave as a mother

You must do everything that was said above. But also

• Discuss with your doctor the possibility and risks of an upcoming pregnancy
• Carry out prenatal diagnostic tests, which are carried out twice - at 15 and 20 weeks
• Go through a full medical examination, visit all specialists, and get tested regularly
• If necessary, undergo ultrasound, Dopplerometry, cardiotocography.

Additional tests may be required

• blood chemistry,
• for thyroid hormones,
• blood coagulation system,
• antibodies to phospholipids,
• homocysteine ​​level,

In any case, clinical blood and urine tests are taken twice a month.

Pregnancy after 40

At this age, conceiving a healthy baby is not easy. Statistics say that only 5-7% of women can become pregnant and give birth to a baby after 40 years, especially if this is their first child. Married couples most often have to resort to, but then doctors guarantee the health of the embryo, and the parents are responsible for the child.

When the question arises of how to conceive a healthy child at 40 years of age and older, we must take into account that the man must also undergo a full examination. This is especially true for his “male” health. A consultation with an andrologist is required.

Things to keep in mind

At this age, a woman is already mature, and irreversible changes in the body begin. Pregnancy will definitely prolong your youth! But she needs help.

• Limit your coffee consumption - it washes calcium out of the body, and from the child’s body too.
• Normalize your diet - being overweight or underweight affects your baby.
• Avoid stress.

You will need closer attention from doctors and your family to your condition and the course of your pregnancy. But the reward for everything will be a healthy child.

You got pregnant. Well, it seems like you should be happy, but for some reason there are only questions in your head “maybe it’s too late?”, “will I be able to give birth to a healthy child?”, and all because you are no longer a girl, and your age has exceeded your fourth decade. Do you think that child after 40 cannot be born healthy, because this period is the most dangerous for childbearing?
Throw all doubts and nonsense out of your head. Start enjoying the fact that you will soon become a mother, and believe that your pregnancy will be without complications. Of course, doctors will tell you that giving birth at this age is dangerous, and the pregnancy itself will be difficult.

If you have definitely decided for yourself that you are ready to become a mother, do not back down. By the way, after 40 world stars gave birth to their children, such as Madonna, Iman, Annette Bening, Cherie Blair, Susan Saradon and Jerry Hall.

We propose to consider the most popular questions that arise among those who are planning to give birth to a child after 40 years.

At what age is a woman considered to be a late mother?

In the early 80s, “late” mothers were considered those who gave birth to children after 28 years of age, and in the 90s, those women whose age was over 35 began to be called “old mothers”. Nowadays most often “late” women in labor include women over 37 years of age.

What are the chances of having a baby after 40?

As a woman ages, her chances of becoming pregnant steadily decrease. After 30 years they fall by 20%, from 35 years - by 45-50%, and from 40 years - by about 90%. Of course, these numbers in no way mean that having a child after 40 is an unfulfilled dream.

It is possible to give birth, and this was confirmed by North Carolina scientists who conducted observation for two years for 782 pairs old age. The results showed that only 70 couples failed to conceive a child, leading sex life without condoms for two years. Chief researcher David Dunson believes that couples who want to have a child after 40 should have patience and wait, while not forgetting about maintaining a constant sex life. As a result, the intervention of modern reproductive technology can be avoided, unless there are compelling reasons for doing so.

Why do women give birth so late?

If you compare how forty-year-old women lived 10-30 years ago and how they live now, you can observe a high improving quality of life. Today, such women have good health, can take care of themselves by visiting fitness centers and spa centers, and modern medicine can work real miracles. Dr Julia Berryman believes that Women over 40 are more ready for pregnancy, since they have already taken place in life, they have Good work and all other benefits.

What percentage are mature women in labor?

IN last years There has been an increase in the number of women giving birth in adulthood. Today, a child after 40 is born to 2% of pregnant women. Recent studies indicate that out of seven pregnant women, one pregnant woman is over 35 years old.

Does a man's age affect pregnancy after 40?

Scientists at the University of Bristol conducted a study which showed that Mature women have to wait longer to become pregnant if their partner is the same age.

Thus, it has been proven that a woman who is 3-5 years younger than a man is less likely to get pregnant after 40 than a woman whose man is her same age or 2-3 years younger. British researchers confirmed this fact. They interviewed several women who indicated that their child after 40 was born from men who were several years younger than them.

What else can interfere with pregnancy after 40?

The following can prevent you from conceiving a child:

• Incorrect nutrition.
• Excessive use coffee. If you drink more than two cups a day, your ability to conceive decreases, and the risk of miscarriage also increases.
• Use alcohol.
• Smoking after 35 years, there is a risk of congenital deformity of the fetus and the birth of a low-weight child.
• Thinness and fatness also negatively affects the birth of children in adulthood.
• Stress. How more women and she is nervous and worried, the less chance she has of having a child after 40.

Should you seek help from doctors?

In adulthood, when she has already exceeded 35, a woman begins perimenopause, When it is very difficult to catch the days of ovulation. That is why it is best to seek help from a doctor who will determine what can be done. Most likely, he will develop a special diet and prescribe vitamins. Some doctors advise their patients to undergo acupuncture, which has a positive effect on the development of ovulation.

What effect does age have on pregnancy?

The older a person gets, the more likely he is to develop any diseases. As a rule, closer to 40, many women experience chronic disorders, including diabetes. In addition, blood pressure may increase, and the risk of malignant tumors is very high. Of course, such violations negatively affect the birth of children after 40.

And even if a woman does not have any diseases, hypertension, diabetes and bleeding can occur at any time during pregnancy.

Postpartum complications increase already at the age of 20-29, but most often, and this is 20%, they appear at the age of 35-40 years. As a rule, with the development of modern medicine, any pregnancy disorders are recognized already in the early stages, therefore, there is a greater chance that a child after 40 years will be born healthy.

How is childbirth in adulthood?

Often, in order to give birth after 40, women have to stimulate labor, do epidural anesthesia. Many women in labor cannot give birth on their own, so they are given C-section.

Some studies show that a lot depends from the mood of the women in labor themselves. Those who understand everything more clearly are more likely to comply with doctors’ requests and agree to a caesarean section.

Does the risk of having a caesarean section increase as you get older?

So far such dependence not installed. Surgical intervention has the same percentage both at 30 and at forty years.

Can the age of the mother affect the development of the child?

High probability that a child will be born after 40 unhealthy or developmentally disabled. There is a high risk of having a child with a disease such as Down syndrome.

According to recent studies, after 30 years, one child in 400 is born with Down, and after 40, one in 32. In addition, late births can end ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage and stillbirth baby. It has not yet been possible to establish the cause of stillbirth in older pregnant women, while out of 440 babies today one is born dead.

What is the percentage of miscarriages in mature women?

Miscarriages have become a frequent occurrence in our lives. Compared to young women in labor, The risk of miscarriage in mature women is approximately 50% higher. Childbirth after 40 most often has this outcome.

Here, by the way, obstetric and genealogical history plays a role. It is not difficult to understand that women who have never had a miscarriage have a lower risk of miscarriage at the age of 40 than those who have experienced such a pregnancy outcome at least once in their lives.

How often does preterm birth occur?

A child after 40 years of age can be born prematurely, but only if the woman gives birth not my first child. Those expecting their first child most often give birth on time.

Does the risk of having twins or triplets increase with age?

The older the woman, the greater the likelihood that she will give birth to more than one child. But there is a greater chance of fertility fraternal twins.

There is an opinion that older children are more prone to diabetes. Is it so?

Yes, whether late children develop type 1 diabetes depends on how old the mother was at the time of birth. At the age of 35 it is about 25%, after forty 30% or more.

For example, a woman can give birth to a child after 40, who has adolescence developing diabetes, and the likelihood is 3 times higher than in children born to young mothers.

Should a pregnant woman be under increased medical supervision?

Yes, a pregnant woman should most often go to the doctor, get tested and undergo various studies.

What is the probability that the doctor will prescribe surgery?

Yes, Doctors today tend to play it safe, prescribing a cesarean section to women in labor instead of a normal birth. But today, all over the world, based on practice, doctors are trying to avoid such actions, increasingly directing mothers to natural childbirth.

Maybe it's better to refuse to have a child?

There is a certain risk of having a child after 40 years of age, but this is not a reason to refuse pregnancy. After all healthy woman and at that age she can give birth to a completely healthy child.

What types of tests are used to diagnose pregnancy in “late” mothers?

There are two types of tests used in the process of monitoring a pregnant woman. This scanning and diagnostics. Scanning tests provide only preliminary conclusions about the likely presence of deviations:

Study of hormonal levels in the blood. Used to identify the risk of chromosomal abnormalities, including Down syndrome. Duration: 16-18 weeks of pregnancy.

Ultrasonography also used to detect various abnormalities, including Down syndrome and various genetic disorders. A child over 40 is examined at 10-18 weeks of pregnancy.

Diagnostic tests provide more accurate and reliable information:

Chorionic test (CVS)- uterine cells are taken for research, during the diagnosis of which the presence or absence of Down syndrome, as well as some other genetic disorders, is revealed. The test is carried out at 11-13 weeks of pregnancy, the accuracy of the study is 99.9%.

Amniosentesis used to study amniotic fluid, during which the diagnosis of muscular dystrophy, Down syndrome and many other genetic disorders occurs. The data obtained is 99.9% accurate. Dates: 16-19 weeks of pregnancy.

Alpha fetoprotein- blood test, which is carried out at 15-18 weeks. Used to identify Down syndrome and nervous system defects.

Cordocentesis is a fetal blood test that helps detect rubella, toxoplasmosis and Down syndrome. Performed at 18 weeks of pregnancy.

Are the tests dangerous for mother and baby?

All tests do not pose a danger to the pregnant woman and her fetus, with the exception of amniosentesis, chorionic test and cordosenthesis. When taking uterine cells for research, there is risk of miscarriage, and this can happen in one out of 100 cases. The risk of miscarriage during cordocentesis and chorionic test is 1-2%.

Should every woman do these tests?

No, not necessarily. Usually, every fifth woman, planning to give birth to a child after 40 years, refuses from passing such tests. This is their right, but it should be remembered that in some cases, doing this or that test is simply necessary from a medical point of view.

Is it true that mature women Do they manage their children better?

Research shows that “mature” mothers are calmer, more balanced and, as a rule, spend more time with their child. Life experience, accumulating over many years, makes itself felt precisely during the period of raising children. As a rule, they better understanding of purchases. By the way, according to statistics, children of “late” mothers are more well-mannered and have improved performance at school.

Can the birth of a child be a shock for the mother?

Undoubtedly, before this, the woman devoted her entire life to herself, and now she needs to be near the baby 24 hours a day. Fatigue, which is inherent in young mothers, does not leave those who gave birth to a child after 40.

There is an opinion that mature mothers live longer

Research conducted by scientists at the University of Manchester showed that Women who give birth at the age of 35-40 have a greater chance of living to 80-90 years. It was not possible to establish the reasons for this, but there is an assumption that the increase in the life span of old-time mothers is associated with delaying menopause to a later date.

They gave birth to late children

• Geena Davis gave birth to a daughter, Alize Keshvar, at the age of 46. Two years later, twins appeared in the family.
• Kim Basinger gave birth to a daughter, Ireland, at 42.
• Beverly D, Angelo At the age of 46, she gave birth to twins using artificial insemination.
• Great Madonna She gave birth to her first child, daughter Lourdes, at the age of 40, and 2 years later her son Rocco was born. Hearing rumors that she was supposedly going to adopt a baby, the great star threatened to sue, as she was actually accused of not being able to have any more children. Most likely, the pop diva will decide to give birth to her third child in the near future.

The birth of a baby is a happy moment, and it doesn’t matter how old the mother is. I would like to once again wish future “late” mothers patience and Have a good mood. You will definitely be fine. So be prepared for the fact that all your time will be spent on the little creature. Isn't this a woman's happiness?

When you see a woman with a stroller on the street, it is not always easy to determine who it is: an elderly mother or a young grandmother? Now a woman can become a mother, regardless of age.

More and more women are deciding to have their first or subsequent children at the age of 35-40 years and older. Some researchers attribute this trend to the development of early prenatal diagnostic technologies, which gives families confidence in the birth of a healthy child.

Over the past 25 years, the number of women becoming pregnant between the ages of 35 and 40 has increased by 90%. Over the years, medicine has accumulated significant information about the characteristics of pregnancy and childbirth in the late reproductive period. What difficulties will the expectant mother face?

According to statistics, a woman under 30 years of age is more likely to become pregnant
within one month it is 20%, and at 40 years of age it sharply drops to 5%.
Therefore, women planning pregnancy after 35 should
it is recommended to apply for medical care
after six months of unsuccessful attempts.

Probability of conception after 35

The ability to conceive begins to gradually decline after age 30. It's connected with:

• decrease in the number of ovulatory cycles;
• increasing incidence of endometriosis with age;
• increasing the likelihood of tubal infertility;
• high frequency of extragenital diseases.

Pregnancy over 35 years of age

Women over 35 years old are automatically at risk for developing pregnancy pathologies. However, statistics show that if future mom takes care of himself and has good health, then her pregnancy can proceed as successfully as at 20 years old. What pitfalls should a pregnant woman beware of?

• In women of late reproductive age, the risk of miscarriages increases.
• More often, abnormal development of the placenta occurs.
• There is a high risk of exacerbation and appearance of somatic diseases, pregnancy complications: arterial hypertension, gestosis, eclampsia, bleeding, premature birth, diabetes in pregnant women.

Features of childbirth over 35 years of age

As a result of a decrease in the elasticity of the uterus and soft tissues, and hormonal imbalance in women over 35 years of age, the likelihood of labor weakness increases, which leads to an increase in the duration of labor. The risk of uterine and perineal rupture increases. Childbirth is often complicated by large blood loss.

The first birth over the age of 35-40 is more difficult than repeated births and more often ends by caesarean section.

Late pregnancy: risk for the baby

The biggest problem of late pregnancy is the relatively high chance of having a baby with a genetic abnormality. This trend is associated, first of all, with the aging of germ cells and the accumulation of genetic mutations in the mother’s body. Over the years, the harmful effects of various teratogenic and mutagenic factors on the body accumulate: toxic products, ionizing radiation, and others.

Pregnant women in the older age category have a higher risk of premature birth and low fetal weight, which reduces the adaptive potential of the newborn.

Pregnancy in late reproductive age is more common
multiple So, the age of 35-39 years is considered the peak of the birth of twins.

After 35: secrets to a successful pregnancy

Despite all but, most of the desired late pregnancies are successful and end with the birth of a healthy baby. However, if a woman of 20 can afford some frivolity, then a woman over 35 will need to be especially sensitive to her health.

1. When planning a pregnancy, it is advisable to undergo a comprehensive examination and treatment of chronic diseases - gynecological and somatic. Pregnancy after the age of 35 should not be accidental.

2. You must register with antenatal clinic in the early stages and undergo timely examination during pregnancy.

3. It is important to strictly follow the diet and regimen, not to overload yourself with work, and monitor your weight and blood pressure.

4. Screening during pregnancy for early detection or exclusion of the risk of congenital pathology of the fetus is of particular relevance.

Expert: Tatyana Ivanova, gynecologist
Tatyana Uzonina

Photos used in this material belong to shutterstock.com

Planning a pregnancy is not an empty phrase, but a whole group of events that parents who want to give birth to a healthy child in the future must undergo. It consists of many procedures carried out to examine the health of a married couple, their correct lifestyle and proper nutrition.

First of all, pregnancy planning is aimed at detecting and subsequently eliminating all possible risks for the child.

How to properly prepare for pregnancy? Which doctors should you visit? What infections should be dealt with first? About this and much more in our article today.

When to start preparing?

It is best if future parents begin to prepare for the upcoming pregnancy a year before conception. Of course, not all couples have that much time for this, which is due to the great desire to have a baby as soon as possible.

That is why preparation should begin at least 3 months before married couple planned to conceive a child. This period is quite capable of protecting the baby from potential dangers.

Where to start?

It is best to start with psychological preparation: future parents must realize that a child is a responsible step and it is extremely important to really understand its significance.

If their family already has children, then it is necessary to prepare the kids for the arrival of a brother or sister, and also determine who can help the parents in raising the unborn child.

Proper nutrition

It is very important during this period to choose the right diet - the basis for the birth of a healthy child.

1. A married couple needs to eat a lot of vegetables and fruits, lean on fish and meat dishes, consume cottage cheese and dairy products.
2. A woman needs to eat sweets and baked goods as little as possible so as not to gain weight. excess weight even before pregnancy. If you really want something sweet, you can replace sugar with fructose or honey. The presence of salt in food should also be limited.
3. You should not drink tea or coffee, but rather switch to drinking plenty of juices and fruit drinks or drink bottled spring water.

1. The nutrition of the expectant mother should be based on natural products, which should be consumed little by little, but under no circumstances should you overeat - just like starve.

Physical training

In order to keep fit, a woman needs to play sports. Performing some exercises every day helps the expectant mother carry the baby without problems, give birth safely and take on the desired shape as soon as possible.

In addition, moderate physical training helps in the fight against varicose veins, prevents the formation of stretch marks and tears, strengthens muscles and takes care of the condition of the hips and pelvis.

Taking vitamins

How good it would be if a woman received all the vitamins important for health while eating food! However, the reality is that at the preparation stage she must necessarily take vitamins from the “box”.

After all, the body of the expectant mother, as a rule, is depleted by all kinds of diets, and her health worsens due to smoking and the environment.

What do you need to know?

When choosing vitamins, you should not consult your friends or neighbors about this. Medicines and various dietary supplements are also not the best choice for women planning a pregnancy soon. And their use is possible only when a gynecologist or therapist insists on it.

An exception may be folic acid - it is recommended for all expectant mothers to take it, since it reduces the risk of possible defects in the development of the baby's brain. As a rule, acid is used as a supplement to vitamin complex, which the doctor recommends to the woman.

Which doctors should I see?

Gynecologist

First of all, a woman should visit a gynecologist. This is necessary so that he can determine the presence of possible gynecological diseases, determine the stability of the cycle and take smears for vaginal microflora and infections.

Therapist

An appointment with a therapist is necessary for an in-depth examination of both parents. This doctor determines how their health can be corrected and what this will require: necessary treatment, recommendations for nutrition and physical activity.

If such a need arises, the therapist sends the future parents (and the mother first of all) to specialist doctors.

Endocrinologist

Without his examination, preparation for birth also cannot be considered complete. He will prescribe hormone tests for the woman, showing exactly how bearing a healthy child will occur.

Dentist

Since the baby “takes” a lot of calcium from the mother, causing the teeth to begin to decay, a visit to the dentist becomes a mandatory procedure when preparing for pregnancy. After all, caries is not so much an aesthetic problem as an infectious one.

During pregnancy, there is a high probability of transmitting this infection to the child.

Analyzes required for planning

During the planning period, a woman is usually prescribed the following types of studies:

• UAC and OAM;
• blood group test;
• scraping from the cervix and its cytology;
• three types of ultrasound;
• tests for HIV, syphilis, gonococci, etc.;
• Escherichia coli, staphylococcus;
• blood clotting test.

The doctor prescribes other tests if:

1. The woman has already had a miscarriage or experienced a frozen pregnancy.
2. The expectant mother took antibiotics.
3. She already had an abortion.
4. The couple's closest relatives suffer from genetic disorders.

What should a future father be prepared for?

How to give birth to a healthy baby? It is important not only for the mother, but for the father to prepare for pregnancy and childbirth. He must join a normal lifestyle, eliminate alcohol and cigarettes from his diet, eat well and get enough sleep.

In addition, the future dad must undergo a medical examination, during which he will take a spermogram, be examined for the presence of hereditary diseases and possible infections, and also find out his blood type and Rh factor.

Possible infections: what are they?

Infections that affect future parents usually work in a hidden “mode”. However, it is they who subsequently become the cause of the possible appearance of congenital deformities in the baby.

Of course, not every microorganism found in the blood of future parents causes abnormal development of their child. However, no one wants to risk the health of the fetus, therefore, before conception and during pregnancy, it is better to protect yourself as much as possible from any types of infections.

How can infection be transmitted to the unborn baby?

It is transmitted in two ways:

• with blood directly through the placenta;
• through infected genital tract.

Flu

Very often, women do not pay much attention to the fact that they can get the flu during pregnancy. However, the danger is not so much the virus as its complications, expressed in the load on the kidneys and disruptions in the immune system. All this can lead to miscarriage or premature birth.

Let's say more: it is after the flu that a woman, especially a pregnant woman, becomes an “object of attention” for pneumococci or staphylococci. Therefore, it is very important not to lose sight of this and strengthen the immune system in all available ways.

Rubella

This is the most dangerous infectious disease, in which it is quite easy to become infected at the 5th week of pregnancy, but extremely undesirable. It is this period that becomes the cornerstone in relation to the development of the future child, because rubella is irreversible consequences leading to abortion and the death of the child.

But if the expectant mother has already had rubella or was vaccinated at one time, she may not worry about the baby’s health, since she has a powerful immunity to the disease.

For other women, to prevent rubella, it would be better to get vaccinated against rubella two to three months before they plan to become pregnant, and then monitor the process of developing immunity by taking tests during pregnancy itself.

Cytomegalovirus

It is also extremely dangerous for a newborn, and the worst thing is if a woman becomes infected with it through contact with a sick person.

If this occurs in the early stages of pregnancy, the infection will threaten miscarriage or the appearance of various abnormalities in the fetus. Cytomegalovirus, which “attaches” to a woman later, can trigger childbirth ahead of schedule or the appearance of its congenital form in an infant.

The best prevention against infection before and during pregnancy is to not have any contact with people who have this infection in the acute stage.

Toxoplasmosis

An infection that poses a serious threat to the health of the mother and her child. As a rule, infection occurs after a woman cuddles a cute kitten with toxoplasmosis. However, if she previously had this infection, immunity to it remains in her body for the rest of her life.

For all other mothers, the danger grows along with the timing, and if in the first trimester the infection is not dangerous, then:

• on the second, the child has a chance of acquiring congenital toxoplasmosis (20%), affecting the eyes and central nervous system;
• in the third trimester, the risk of infection increases to 60% of cases, and infection can lead to increased intracranial pressure, mental retardation and even epilepsy.

Herpes

The likelihood of contracting herpes is quite low, and its exacerbation deserves serious attention if it occurs at 32 weeks of gestation.

Other infections

These may be thrush, mycoplasmosis, chlamydia and other infections, which in severe form increase the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth.

Only timely diagnosis and competent treatment will help not only nip them in the bud, but also do it in advance - even before the woman becomes pregnant.

What do women need to know after 35?

Late childbirth, which occurs between 35 and 45 years, is a series of difficulties that accompany women from the very moment of conception. At this age, women often find it difficult to become pregnant and bear a healthy child, especially if they have previously suffered from a number of infectious diseases or had abortions.

Age from 35 to 40 years is often accompanied by a decrease in the level of blood clotting, which is most dangerous during difficult childbirth, or, on the contrary, the formation of blood clots. In addition, babies in women over 35 are often born with low birth weight.

How to protect your baby and yourself?

If a lady decides to get pregnant after 35 years, she needs to know that keeping herself in good health physical fitness and taking care of health is the main key to success in the field of childbearing.

The best solution would be to attend preparatory courses, which both future parents should attend at once. It is also worth finding a good specialist in advance who will guide the woman during pregnancy.

Don’t panic if he suddenly starts trying to dissuade the woman from getting pregnant: anxiety associated with late labor, is natural, but this does not mean that giving birth after 35 is prohibited by law or medicine.

Examination of couples at risk

Any disease, whether it is in an active stage or occurs latently, can harm both the baby and his mother. Therefore, it is extremely important not only to determine its presence, but also to treat it in advance, before pregnancy.

In the case where future parents have an obvious problem with conception, or the woman has already had unsuccessful pregnancies that led to miscarriages or the birth of a sick child, the couple needs to carry out thorough examination at doctors.

In this case, special attention will need to be paid to tests, appointments with a geneticist and ultrasound examinations at different times.

If a doctor observing a couple suspects the presence of chromosomal abnormalities in the mother’s body, which often affect women after 35, he may suggest that the future parents undergo a chorionic villus biopsy. This examination excludes a number serious illnesses and some serious developmental disorders in the infant.

In what cases is the help of a genetic specialist required?

Consultation with a geneticist is necessary if:

• the presence of a hereditary disease in future parents;
• the couple has a child who has already developed the disease;
• the expectant mother is over 35 years old;
• the wife had an acute respiratory infection or took medication in the early stages;
• future parents are close relatives to each other;
• Pregnancies that a woman had resulted in miscarriage or stillbirth.

7 rules for a healthy lifestyle (before and during pregnancy)

No stress

Expectant parents should avoid any stressful situations, overwork at work and at home, colds and viruses. It is best to eradicate the habit of drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes.

Moderate sport

Before and during pregnancy, it will be useful for a woman to switch to moderate physical activity to keep herself in good shape. You shouldn’t remove them completely, because low-impact sports are extremely beneficial for health and well-being.

Swimming

It’s great if future parents love to swim and decide to sign up for the pool! Swimming has a beneficial effect on general state health and strengthens muscles.

Women who are in the “after 40” group should not neglect this sport and be sure to go to water aerobics groups, but it is better for them not to swim in rivers or lakes, as this increases the risk of contracting some kind of infection.

No extra loads

Pregnant women are prohibited from working at night and lifting heavy objects. Also, during pregnancy, you should not use ankle sewing machines or traveling by bicycle, making sudden movements and coming into contact with hazardous substances.

Daily regime

A pregnant woman must walk a lot, saturating her lungs with oxygen, in order to subsequently give birth to a healthy child. At the same time, she is supposed to sleep at least eight hours a day, and goes to bed no later than 11 pm.

It is best if the bed where the expectant mother sleeps is comfortable, but not very soft. Doctors believe that during pregnancy she should sleep on her back or right side.

Sex

Having sex during pregnancy is not prohibited, but it is better to leave it for a more favorable period: after the 1st trimester, if the woman has previously experienced miscarriages or became pregnant for the first time.

Also, it is better not to have sex in the last 2 months for women who have given birth not for the first time, but had it done surgically in the past.

Finally, during pregnancy you need to get plenty of rest, eat well and be examined by a doctor in order to give birth to a strong baby and become a truly happy parent!

What you need to do to conceive and give birth to a healthy baby

Any person who has already become a parent or is just waiting for this joyful event wants one thing more than anything in the world - to be the child was born healthy. However, this wish does not always come true. What to do - even the youngest children are susceptible to serious illnesses, and I don’t even want to talk about the possibility of any congenital disorders and diseases. But it is necessary! After all, many of them can be prevented, taken away from a small fragile creature long before its birth! And future parents should worry about this in advance - as soon as they decide to “give birth to a child.”

But swimming in open waters, unfortunately, will have to be limited - in most of them the risk of contracting an infection is too high. Take reasonable care, combine activity with rest, eat right, get regularly examined and consult a doctor - in this case everything will go well and your baby will be born healthy!