Question-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
I hope you have time to respond to me at your earliest convenience, since I am not a patient (although I am a mother of 2 young children).
I am writing an article for BabyZone.com about Pregnancy through a woman's ages and how it affects your body & baby. Would you be willing to speak to me about this topic either by phone or email? I promise not to take up too much of your time. Please let me know at your earliest convenience.
Thank you,
Denise Gable
dvgable01@aol.com
Answer -
I will answer any specific question concerning childbirth, pregnancy, or women's health. Just ask away.
Thank you for your time! I have included some general questions for you - please feel free to answer some, or all of the questions and both brief or in-depth answers will be appreciated. Any additional comments would also be appreciated.
When I was pregnant with my second child, at 34, my doctor suggested a multitude of tests that hadn't been suggested at my previous pregnancy (at 31). She said that the magic number for a lot of these extra tests was 35. Is that the case? If so, why?
Can you name some positive and negative aspects of pregnancy for moms & their babies when they are:
20 something
30 something
40 something
How does a woman's body handle pregnancy at:
20 something
30 something
40 something
How does a woman's body handle labor & delivery at:
20 something
30 something
40 something
How do women's attitudes about pregnancy & childbirth vary through the ages?
AnswerWhen I started in practice (25 years ago) we considered a woman who was having her first baby and was older than 35 years of age, to be an "elderly primigravida". Nowadays, women are waiting until their careers are established before getting married or deciding to start a family.There are more assisted fertility patients and many women are having in-vitro fertilization. This increases the number of twins, these days. There is no problem, at all, in carrying a pregnancy to term at any age prior to menopause. Certainly, we would check the cardiac status of the patient, as well as check for any chromosomal abnormalities (Down's syndrome, Trisomy 18) and neural tube defects (Spina bifida, anencephaly). Any women who will deliver at the age of 35 is offerred an amniocentesis to see a karytype of chromosomes. (Teenagers who are pregnant also have a higher inicidence of Down's syndrome). All pregnant women get a test for gestational diabets at 28 weeks and a test for Group B Beta Hemolytic STrep (GBS) and if they are found to be carriers, they will be treated when they go into labor. Certainly, a woman who has Herpes simplex will be delivered by cesarean section if they have lesions at the time of labor. All of the age groups you mentioned ohandle labor and delivery equally well. Most will take regional anesthesia (epidural).
