I’m in my 40s and wonder about having a child now. What should I know?
Age can affect fertility for everyone. Answering the questions in the reproductive life plan can help you decide when to start trying to have a baby.
Someone in their 40s sometimes feels better prepared to be a parent than when they were younger. They may be more established in their careers and their life experiences help them feel more prepared for the challenges of parenthood.
It is possible to have a healthy pregnancy and baby in your 40’s, however, there are increased risks such as:
- not being able to become pregnant
- taking longer to become pregnant
- high blood pressure during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia)
- diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes)
- miscarriage
- preterm labour
- having a small baby (slow growth during pregnancy)
- having a baby with a genetic condition (e.g., Down syndrome)
Though treatment for fertility problems offers a better chance of becoming pregnant, fertility treatments can also be stressful, expensive, hard on your body and don’t always work.
Learn more about pregnancy over 35.
A person produces less testosterone as they get older and their sperm quality and function may change with age – which may affect their ability to conceive a baby.
Changes can include:
- fewer healthy sperm
- sperm that doesn’t move well
- sperm that doesn’t have a normal shape
There may also be health problems for the baby such as higher rates of:
- birth defects
- some forms of mental illness (such as schizophrenia)
- some childhood cancers
