Having a baby at any age is a blessing. Whether you are in your 20’s or 40’s the love is undeniable. More women than ever are trying to conceive over the age of 40, that is a fact. In most developed countries the world over we are finding that women have more freedoms and equalities than past times. There is no denying this is wonderful. This gives us the freedom to focus on career goals, travel, making our creative dreams a possibility, rather than feeling like we have to have children right away in our 20’s. We are no longer as stuck as we once were, but what about that nagging fear of fertility decline as we age?The only thing that may be different is how we physically feel.
I have always heard that the longer you wait to try to get pregnant the harder it may be and the risk of abnormalities rises. I was 42 when we first started trying. It only took us a few months and we got our first positive! We were so happy. After a few weeks the reality sunk in as did the fatigue and morning sickness. The lasted the next 5 weeks. A long hard 5 weeks. After that I started to feel good. I can honestly say I felt better than I did with my pregnancies when I was younger. My blood pressure was good. My weight gain was good. The months went by quickly and we were soon meeting our new baby girl. We had previously discussed trying again to try for a boy.
When our daughter was 6 months old we found out we were expecting again. We were once again so happy that it happened so quickly. We knew we weren’t getting any younger and time was not on our side. This time the fatigue and morning sickness was just as bad but I got through it once again. This pregnancy was went just as well. At the end of the 9 months we delivered a beautiful baby boy.
Having 2 under 2 is no easy task whether you are young or older. Almost every other mother who had babies close together gave the same advice ”just get through the first year and it will get easier. They will be the best of friends and keep each other busy”. We have to admit that it is getting better as they get a little older.
I think when I was younger I took for granted a lot of the little things. Now that I am older I seem to notice the little things that matter the most. Also I believe we are more patient parents. Do not get me wrong, when there are 2 crying babies and 4 other kids with wants it will test the best of us. There are some days when we can not wait until every one goes to bed just so we can sleep for a few hours.
The cons to having children later in life are your physical limitations are different. When the older kids were younger I was much more physically involved. Going outside running and playing ball was easy. Now it is more of a chore. That may be a good thing though because it pushes us to want to stay healthy and fit. We know that we won’t be around as long for them in their lives as the other kids. That is a sad thought to me sometimes.
Here are some tips to help you conceive
The single most important thing you can do, if you do not already eat a whole food diet, is switch to one!
I have seen the most dramatic improvement in egg health through diet changes alone, specifically by switching to a nutrient dense fertility diet that includes fertility superfoods like spirulina, maca, and royal jelly. Also, supplementing with key nutrients such as antioxidants, CoQ10 Ubiquinol, and folic acid have been shown to increase egg health.
Exercise. This will help your body get in shape before and after. We all know the older we get the harder it is to lose weight. If we are in shape before, it will be easier after. Also doing kegels is a great idea. This will help strengthen the pelvic floor.
A few more suggestions are to avoid or manage your stress in a healthy way. Also be in tune with your body to know when the best time is to try.
I wish everyone the best of luck on your journey whether you already have kids or just starting to try. Be patient.
I would love to for you to share your stories with me!
