Is there a higher risk of giving birth (second child) at an older age? A specialist explains the precautions to take during childbirth and childcare [supervised by a doctor]

What age is considered older to give birth?

In Japan, the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology defines a first-time mother aged 35 or older as an “elderly first-time mother.”

This is aimed at first-time pregnant women, and there is no definition of advanced age for multiparous women. It is true that the risk of pregnancy increases with age, even for second-time mothers.

Learn in advance what happens during pregnancy, birth, and childcare of your second child.

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Recent trends in older women giving birth

Recently, due to factors such as women entering the workforce and diversifying values, the age at which women give birth for the first time is getting older.

According to a survey by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, about 30% of mothers who gave birth in 2016 were aged 35 or older. Considering that in 1975, only about 10% of mothers gave birth at age 35 or older, this shows how much older women giving birth has increased in recent years.

Recently, as the number of women giving birth at an older age has increased, survey results have shown that the incidence of uterine diseases is also increasing. Some believe this is related to the aging of pregnant women, and the issue is how to protect the health of mothers and children as the number of women giving birth at an older age increases.

Giving birth at an advanced age and having a second child

Being pregnant with a second child at an advanced age

If you are pregnant with your second child at an older age, you should be aware of the following points:

• Congenital disorders in children
• Risk of miscarriage
• Complications such as high blood pressure and placenta previa
• Childcare and housework when feeling unwell due to morning sickness
• Taking care of yourself when you’re busy

The older the mother, the higher the chance of the child being born with a congenital disease and the risk of miscarriage. There is also the possibility of complications such as pregnancy-induced hypertension

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Giving birth to a second child at an advanced age

If you are giving birth to your second child at an older age, you will need to consider what to do in the event of complications or if you need to have a cesarean section.

The main thing to consider is:

• Costs if treatment or hospitalization is required
• Childcare if hospitalization is required
• Slow postpartum recovery

And more.

Hospitalization and Caesarean section costs may have to be paid for by yourself, so you need to save money and take measures such as medical insurance. Also, if you are hospitalized, your husband will have to take care of your first child. You should also get your husband trained so that you can manage even if it is just you and your child.

After giving birth, hair loss and pelvic floor muscle recovery are more likely to be slower than in younger women, so it is important to take care of yourself as much as possible with exercises, massages, etc.　

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Raising a second child at an older age

When a woman gives birth at an older age and then raises a second child, declining physical strength is an inevitable problem.

Raising a child is already a busy time, with things like breastfeeding, night crying, and sudden fevers, but you also have to look after your first child. If you are raising a second child after giving birth at an older age, be sure to take advantage of the support of your family and the community and ask for help from those around you.

It is important to find ways to reduce the burden on mothers, such as sharing housework with their husbands and other family members and consulting with public health nurses during regular checkups.

Giving birth at an advanced age and having children one year apart

Giving birth at an advanced age and having children one year apart

Raising a newborn baby is a time when the mother has to bear and carry the baby on her back, which places a great physical burden on the mother. When women give birth at an older age and have children close together, the key is to protect the mother’s health.

When holding your first child, it is important to avoid putting strain on your stomach and back during pregnancy. Avoid arching your back too much, and hold the baby mainly with the strength of both arms to reduce strain on your body.

In addition, if the older child catches a cold, the pregnant mother may also catch a cold. Especially in the case of older mothers, the mother’s physical strength is also reduced, so cooperation from the family is essential, such as the father taking charge of caring for the older child.　

Giving birth at an older age and giving birth to children at a younger age

When giving birth at an older age and giving birth to children one year apart, a major issue is how to look after the young first child during the hospital stay. Since there is a higher risk of complications when giving birth at an older age, hospitalization may be necessary.

In order to be able to deal with sudden hospitalization, it is important not only to prepare a hospitalization kit for the mother, but also to prepare baby food and clothes for the older child, and to share with the father and other family members how to deal with hospitalization.

Giving birth at an older age and raising children at a younger age

It is said that if a woman gives birth to two children one year apart at an older age, she is more likely to encounter the following problems during child-rearing:

• First child’s babyhood
• Lack of communication with children due to parents’ declining physical strength

If you are completely devoted to raising the younger child, the older child may become jealous. It is effective to make the older child feel superior by calling them the big brother or sister they look up to, expressing gratitude to them a lot, and giving them time alone.

Also, older parents tend to have fewer opportunities to play or go out together, but if they take good care of their older child, they will also be more likely to look after their younger child well.

If you have children close together, you can take consecutive parental leave, so try to find ways to make your household run smoothly with minimal burden.

If you are pregnant with an unwanted second child…

If you find yourself pregnant with a second child despite not having planned it, it is important to first calmly consider what obstacles are preventing you from giving birth and raising your second child.

If the cost is a barrier, consider whether you can increase your income or reduce your expenses from now on. It is said that raising a child can cost several million yen just for education expenses, but it is not necessary right after the birth. If you prepare to change jobs or review your expenses from now on, you may be able to see areas where you can save little by little.

If the burden of childcare is a barrier, consider asking for help from your husband, parents, parents-in-law, or local support. It is important not to take on the burden alone, but to consider various options and make the best choice.

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Should prenatal testing be performed if giving birth at an older age?

The older the mother, the higher the risk of the baby being born with a congenital disease or miscarriage. According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the miscarriage rate for women up to age 34 is 10.9%, while it is 20.7% for those aged 35-39 and over, and 41.3% or higher for those aged 40 or over.

If a baby is diagnosed with an illness after birth, the parents must decide on a treatment plan during this time, which can be a major emotional shock, and can be a huge mental and physical burden.

If you know during pregnancy whether your baby has a congenital disease , you can prepare yourself mentally and move quickly to make treatment arrangements. If you are worried about your baby’s health after giving birth at an older age, you should consider prenatal testing.

What is NIPT (New Prenatal Testing)?

There are several methods of prenatal diagnosis, but the methods used for definitive diagnosis, such as amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling, have disadvantages, such as increasing the risk of miscarriage, and maternal serum markers, which can be performed simply by taking a blood sample, cannot be performed until after the 11th week of pregnancy.

One such technique that has been gaining attention in recent years is NIPT (non-invasive prenatal testing) .

NIPT (New Prenatal Testing) is similar to maternal serum markers in that it uses blood drawn from the mother to check for congenital disorders caused by chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus . It can be tested immediately after pregnancy is confirmed by ultrasound, and is highly safe and highly accurate, with the ability to detect Down syndrome with 99.9% sensitivity . If you want to check your baby’s health without increasing the risk of miscarriage, consider NIPT (New Prenatal Testing) .

summary

In Japan, first-time mothers over the age of 35 are called “elderly first-time mothers,” but there is no definition of “elderly mothers” for multiparous women. However, it is clear that the older you are, the higher the risk of miscarriage and pregnancy complications. Use this article as a reference to safely give birth to and raise your second child at an older age.

NIPT (non-invasive prenatal testing) , a type of pre-pregnancy diagnosis , can test for congenital diseases caused by chromosomal abnormalities in babies by simply taking a blood sample from the mother.

At Hiro Clinic NIPT, we can perform the test immediately after confirming pregnancy with an ultrasound examination, and 95% of the time, the results are delivered within 8 days of blood collection (excluding some plans). In addition, all Hiro Clinic NIPT clinics, excluding affiliated facilities, offer an express delivery option (delivery in as little as 2 days from blood collection).

If you are concerned about giving birth at an advanced age, please feel free to contact us.

World-class NIPT

Experience unparalleled excellence in Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) at Hiro Clinic. Our world-class services blen...