Motherhood at a later age
'Today, motherhood is less about age and more about readiness—physical, emotional, and situational,' says Dr. Charulata Bansal, Consultant Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Cocoon Hospital, Jaipur. 'Thanks to advances in fertility care and prenatal monitoring, women in their late 30s or 40s can plan pregnancies more confidently and safely than ever before.'
In today's world, delaying parenthood is often an empowered and intentional decision. Women may choose to postpone motherhood for various personal reasons—whether to pursue a fulfilling career, wait for the right partner, or simply because they don't yet feel ready. For many, reaching a place of emotional and lifestyle stability allows them to approach parenthood with a stronger sense of self.
Advancements in reproductive medicine, such as IVF and egg freezing, have expanded options and provided reassurance that motherhood can still be possible later in life. While delayed pregnancy does come with unique physiological and emotional considerations, it also calls for thoughtful lifestyle adjustments and a personalised medical approach to ensure a healthy and supported experience.
Risk-Balancing with Control
The primary worry in late pregnancy is decline in fertility because the number and quality of eggs steadily decline after the age of 35, with older mothers presenting with relatively increased risk of chromosomal or genetic defects like Down syndrome, hence the general recommendation for non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). Fortunately, due to advanced technology, the detection and diagnosis of many gestational issues of concern, allows couples to make informed decisions even before attempting pregnancy.
Women older than 35 are actually more likely to have health complications in pregnancy - i.e. high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, and potentially serious complications like placenta previa or preeclampsia. Previous or existing health concerns such as thyroid imbalances or autoimmune disorders require even more monitoring and care. While these risks can seem daunting, they can often be mitigated or lessened, via early intervention, more aware habits, and routine appointments with care providers.
Ideally, planning for pregnancy later in life should happen before conception. You can have a preconception health assessment before conception to identify some areas of preconception health. When you can assess parameters like thyroid levels, blood pressure, and your weight, you can make lifestyle changes, if needed, days, weeks, or months ahead of time. Being aware of this information beforehand can set the stage for your pregnancy early on.
After you have confirmed your pregnancy you will usually be referred for ultrasounds, blood sugars, and blood pressure monitoring, throughout pregnancy, but especially as you approach your third trimester. Clinical protocols are one part of the picture, maternal mental and emotional health is important too.
The Importance of Support Systems During Late Pregnancy
Women who find themselves pregnant at a later age, generally find support from those around them extremely beneficial. That support could be people, friends, family, or understanding workplaces that are sensitive to the emotional & physical challenges that can come with the highs and lows of pregnancy. The people in your community can help you with doctor appointments and other related tasks, offer assistance in places you may need it, and, most importantly, allow you to ease some of the your burden arising from a lone sense of being pregnant.
Supportive communities of peer support groups, classes, or courses can allow reassurance, provide a safe place to discuss your experience, and allow for shared experience, especially for women who feel isolated from pregnant peers or because they are simply older than most of their pregnant peers. Women living in urban places have had access to an array of maternity coaching, doula support, or even online communities for meaningful support, education, and empowerment, even in later-life pregnancies.
Developing Lifestyle & Well-Being
Nutrition and movement are still important parts of healthy late-pregnancy. A healthy diet containing iron, calcium, folic acid, and vitamin D, can help in healthy weight gain for the mother, thereby establishing mother and fetus's well-being. Moderate activities such as walking, prenatal yoga, or swimming help to regulate normal stress hormones and potentially prevent gestational diabetes, etc. Sleep hygiene, moderate caffeine intake, and avoidance of alcohol and tobacco consumption in late-pregnancy should be taken just as seriously.
A pregnancy after 35 comes with more checklists that may seem daunting, but it also presents more emotional maturity, greater financial stability, and clearer purpose. The most important thing is to welcome late-stage pregnancy with awareness, rather than anxiety - late pregnancy can be just as rewarding, at times more empowering experience as other stages of a woman's life with appropriate expert care, informed decision-making, and lifestyle to prioritise well-being.
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Hans India
20-07-2025
- Hans India
Motherhood at a later age
More women today are choosing to become mothers in their late 30s and 40s, driven by evolving social norms, shifting career priorities, and improved access to fertility and reproductive healthcare. While late pregnancy does come with different risks and challenges compared to conceiving at a younger age, it is no longer considered a medical rarity. With the right awareness, preparation, and support, women can experience healthy pregnancies and fulfilling motherhood—regardless of the number on their birth certificate. 'Today, motherhood is less about age and more about readiness—physical, emotional, and situational,' says Dr. Charulata Bansal, Consultant Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Cocoon Hospital, Jaipur. 'Thanks to advances in fertility care and prenatal monitoring, women in their late 30s or 40s can plan pregnancies more confidently and safely than ever before.' In today's world, delaying parenthood is often an empowered and intentional decision. Women may choose to postpone motherhood for various personal reasons—whether to pursue a fulfilling career, wait for the right partner, or simply because they don't yet feel ready. For many, reaching a place of emotional and lifestyle stability allows them to approach parenthood with a stronger sense of self. Advancements in reproductive medicine, such as IVF and egg freezing, have expanded options and provided reassurance that motherhood can still be possible later in life. While delayed pregnancy does come with unique physiological and emotional considerations, it also calls for thoughtful lifestyle adjustments and a personalised medical approach to ensure a healthy and supported experience. Risk-Balancing with Control The primary worry in late pregnancy is decline in fertility because the number and quality of eggs steadily decline after the age of 35, with older mothers presenting with relatively increased risk of chromosomal or genetic defects like Down syndrome, hence the general recommendation for non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). Fortunately, due to advanced technology, the detection and diagnosis of many gestational issues of concern, allows couples to make informed decisions even before attempting pregnancy. Women older than 35 are actually more likely to have health complications in pregnancy - i.e. high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, and potentially serious complications like placenta previa or preeclampsia. Previous or existing health concerns such as thyroid imbalances or autoimmune disorders require even more monitoring and care. While these risks can seem daunting, they can often be mitigated or lessened, via early intervention, more aware habits, and routine appointments with care providers. Ideally, planning for pregnancy later in life should happen before conception. You can have a preconception health assessment before conception to identify some areas of preconception health. When you can assess parameters like thyroid levels, blood pressure, and your weight, you can make lifestyle changes, if needed, days, weeks, or months ahead of time. Being aware of this information beforehand can set the stage for your pregnancy early on. After you have confirmed your pregnancy you will usually be referred for ultrasounds, blood sugars, and blood pressure monitoring, throughout pregnancy, but especially as you approach your third trimester. Clinical protocols are one part of the picture, maternal mental and emotional health is important too. The Importance of Support Systems During Late Pregnancy Women who find themselves pregnant at a later age, generally find support from those around them extremely beneficial. That support could be people, friends, family, or understanding workplaces that are sensitive to the emotional & physical challenges that can come with the highs and lows of pregnancy. The people in your community can help you with doctor appointments and other related tasks, offer assistance in places you may need it, and, most importantly, allow you to ease some of the your burden arising from a lone sense of being pregnant. Supportive communities of peer support groups, classes, or courses can allow reassurance, provide a safe place to discuss your experience, and allow for shared experience, especially for women who feel isolated from pregnant peers or because they are simply older than most of their pregnant peers. Women living in urban places have had access to an array of maternity coaching, doula support, or even online communities for meaningful support, education, and empowerment, even in later-life pregnancies. Developing Lifestyle & Well-Being Nutrition and movement are still important parts of healthy late-pregnancy. A healthy diet containing iron, calcium, folic acid, and vitamin D, can help in healthy weight gain for the mother, thereby establishing mother and fetus's well-being. Moderate activities such as walking, prenatal yoga, or swimming help to regulate normal stress hormones and potentially prevent gestational diabetes, etc. Sleep hygiene, moderate caffeine intake, and avoidance of alcohol and tobacco consumption in late-pregnancy should be taken just as seriously. A pregnancy after 35 comes with more checklists that may seem daunting, but it also presents more emotional maturity, greater financial stability, and clearer purpose. The most important thing is to welcome late-stage pregnancy with awareness, rather than anxiety - late pregnancy can be just as rewarding, at times more empowering experience as other stages of a woman's life with appropriate expert care, informed decision-making, and lifestyle to prioritise well-being.
India.com
06-07-2025
- India.com
Fertility At 40: How Older Parents Are Redefining Parenthood
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Indian Express
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A real Sitaare Zameen Par: Living with Down syndrome, 45-year-old is dancer, champion swimmer and yoga instructor
At 45, Babli Ramachandran is a Bharatanatyam dancer, a yoga coach and a champion swimmer. Nobody quite enacts the navarasas the way she does on stage — be it pain, joy, fury or love. Overcoming physical difficulties and pain, she not only mastered her asanas but decided to become a yoga trainer. She has difficulty seeing underwater but by practising with float dividers, she developed her own sense of spatial awareness to keep her body on course. And win at the Special Olympics National Games. Currently, she is travelling across the UK with her mother, telling her to 'chill, feel the wind and not worry.' Born with Down syndrome, she may have had delayed learning but is a multi-disciplinary achiever. Babli, who was written off at birth, is more mainstream than normal people. And it is people like her who have inspired actor-producer Aamir Khan to make Sitaare Zameen Par, a film that argues for acceptability of neuro-diverse people. 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For that, she advises, parents have to absolve themselves of guilt. 'Most cases of Down syndrome, a condition when a human has 47 instead of 46 chromosomes, arise from a random error in cell division during the formation of the reproductive cells (egg or sperm) or in early embryonic development. While Down syndrome is a genetic condition, the extra chromosome that causes it is usually not passed down from parent to child,' she explains. Now the life expectancy of those living with it has increased to 60 years with some even living beyond, given the right environment. Dr Ramachandran recalls how Babli was born with cataract, required surgery, had multiple health issues and a bad bout of pneumonia, all within six months. But her heart was strong and she came back every single time. 'The fact that everybody believed she would die was an eye-opener. Everybody chose to focus on her limitations, her drooling, her seizures or the fact that she had to be given enema every day to clear out her intestines because her gut muscles were weak and unable to contract. So I decided to work on her strengths and treated her just like her brother. She realised she may be different but was equally valued,' says Dr Ramachandran. Of course, puberty brought its own challenges for Dr Ramachandran. 'Babli became detached, indulged in self-talk, had hallucinations and talked to imaginary people. There were bouts of aggression, eating disorders, facial tics, mood swings and repetitive, obsessive behaviour. While her behavioural issues compounded, I realised that it was also the time of developing her communication, self-care and motor skills,' she says. THE MAKING OF AN ACE SWIMMER AND MORE Dr Ramachandran enrolled her for swimming and dancing, both of which would enhance her cognitive and motor capacities. In fact, she signed up Babli for regular swimming classes and contests where there were bigger and stronger competitors. 'She would lower herself in the water, hear a whistle and then lunge forward. And then she would ask me to move away. That was a fantastic feeling. It meant that if I trusted her as a parent, she would be in charge,' says Dr Ramachandran. Similarly as a Bharat Natyam dancer, Babli developed her own grammar of finding her spot on the stage although she couldn't see the markings. She would follow the spotlight, go to its rim and assume her posture. 'Babli talks through her dance. She started emoting in her sleep, while eating, while bathing and throughout the day and night. It is her tool of self-expression,' says Dr Ramachandra. She has now been part of dance troupes to Singapore, Malaysia and MIT and since Covid imparts yoga lessons to people living with Down's syndrome. Despite the gloom of lockdown, Babli ensured that she spent her time doing all that she wanted to do. 'She swam, she dressed up, she had fun with her nephews and she kept herself busy with music and dance,' says her mother. 'There was a time when she sought companionship, wanted to get married, which is such a stigma. She even went into severe depression. That's why we encourage social meet-ups between those with Down syndrome, so that they can find their partners,' says Dr Ramachandran. WHY DOWN SYNDROME KIDS ARE TALENTED Children with Down syndrome often surprise us—not by doing what we think is impossible, but by doing it in their own time and in their own way. 'Scientifically, we know that the condition affects cognitive development, but this tells us little about the child's spirit, creativity or emotional intelligence,' says Dr Nathany. Many children with Down syndrome have extraordinary mimicry skills, strong musicality, a natural affinity for rhythm, and an infectious ability to connect emotionally with others. 'Their memory for faces, songs and daily routines can be remarkable. Their sincerity, lack of pretension, and empathy make them exceptional friends, coworkers, and sometimes, artists. We now understand these are not exceptions; they are expressions of neurodiverse potential,' adds Dr Nathany. When given access to early therapies and inclusive education, many go on to develop real-world skills—some become dancers, painters, athletes, even entrepreneurs. MAKING THEM A PART OF SOCIETY Dr Nathany believes that the biggest barrier is not chromosomal but societal. 'Scientifically, we know that the brain is plastic. Neurodevelopment is shaped as much by environment as by genes. A nurturing home can change a child's trajectory,' she says. Mainstreaming begins with inclusive education: schools must adapt curriculum and teaching strategies, not label children as 'slow.' 'Employers must open doors to roles that match their abilities. Policy must shift from tokenism to genuine accommodation—accessible transport, adult transition support, workplace sensitization,' suggests Dr Nathany. As for Babli, Dr Ramachandra tells us that she likes to call herself Purneshwari (one who is complete). 'But for me she is bubbling with life. She is so sentient that she always calms me down, saying, 'Everything will always be okay.''
