How late is too late?

Many career-minded urban couples are worried about their ticking biological clocks and are unsure about the right time to have a child. This phenomenon has given rise to delayed pregnancies. However, the crucial question is if this is the right approach.

Pregnancy is a beautiful phase, but planning it is vital. With pregnancy comes a truckload of responsibilities and a plethora of changes. Lack of proper planning can take a toll on both the mental and physical well-being of aspiring parents. Let’s take a look at the pros of delaying pregnancy:

Being prepared: Couples who wait longer are more mentally prepared to embrace parenthood. Kids need lot of attention, which may not be possible in the early days of the parents’ career and married life, as they are still getting acclimatised to the new chapter of life.

More ‘us’ time: Waiting for a few years after the marriage will ensure that the couple has had enough time to bond and spend time with each other. A few adventurous couples can even undertake activities like backpacking, trekking, taking a road trip etc, which would otherwise be difficult once the baby arrives.

Develop a stronger identity: In most cases, people enter into wedlock by the time they turn 25. Delaying the pregnancy by a couple of years will give them ample time to figure out their career goals and personal identities.

Emotional maturity: Couples are a lot calmer in their late 20s, this will help them deal with kids with much more ease. Such couples will be better equipped to manage the stress that comes with parenting.

Financial security: People who get married in their mid 20s will need sometime to get financially secure. A baby comes with a lot of expenses ranging from hospital to infant care, being financially sound is essential to have a happy family, which is well provided for.

Anecdotal reports suggest that, children born to older parents stay in the education system longer and are more focused in choosing their career path. Researchers also found that because older parents are likely to be career-oriented and well-read, they use more extensive vocabularies while interacting with their children. Studies have shown that this kind of parenting will have a positive effect on how children communicate and perform in school.

Just like there are several benefits of delaying pregnancy, there are some cons too. Here are a few reasons why late pregnancy can be problematic:

The older you are, the longer it takes for your body to get back to normal after pregnancy. Women who cross their 30s take more time to recover from post-natal issues.

A woman’s fertility starts decreasing after a certain age. They might start facing fertility issues after the age of 32, and once they cross 37, their chances of conceiving reduce drastically. In case of men, the sperm count reduces after a certain age. Low sperm count can result in infertility.

Children conceived at a later age are more prone to chromosomal abnormalities. This is one of the main reasons why doctors suggest couples to have children before they turn 35.

After the age of 35, women are more at a higher risk of gestational diabetes, obesity, hypertension, high levels of cholesterol etc. Most importantly, the risk of a miscarriage is high in older women.

In cases of late pregnancies, sometimes, parents will not be able to connect to their children at all because of the vast age gap.

Pregnancy is a personal choice. If you are planning to have a baby consider the pros and the cons and take the right decision based on your family situation and financial stability.

(The author is the head of Medical Operations, DocsApp.)