Itchy belly, insomnia, swollen feet… Ah, the joys of being in the 3rd trimester at the age of 36, something I never planned or imagined.
The biggest obstacle for women aged 35 or older may be getting pregnant in the first place. Fertility rates begin to decline gradually at age 30 and more so at 35. Even with fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization, women have more difficulty getting pregnant as they age.
For me this was not the case, apparently I am extremely fertile. I mean the proof is in the pudding, I conceived a 2nd set of twins at age 35, naturally!
Being an older mom has loads of advantages. You may be more financially secure, and you may have more life experience to bring to the job of parenting. Most older moms have healthy pregnancies and deliver healthy babies. Still, your chances of developing certain problems are greater when you’re 35 years old or older.
So what are the risks?
Remember, most moms 35 and older have healthy babies and normal pregnancies. The risks for you and your baby are a little higher than average, but still very low.
Some of those risks include:
Miscarriage.
Most miscarriages happen in the first 13 weeks of pregnancy. With age, your risk of early miscarriage goes up. At the age of 35, the chance is about 20%. By age 45, your chance is 80%.
High blood pressure and diabetes.
You may be more likely to develop high blood pressure or diabetes during pregnancy. These conditions can cause problems including miscarriage, growth problems in your baby, or complications during birth.
Placenta problems.
Placenta previa happens when the placenta covers all or part of your cervix. This can lead to risky bleeding during delivery. If you’re in your 40s, you’re three times more likely to have placenta problems than a woman in her 20s. Even so, the problem is rare.
Premature birth and low birth weight:
Older women are more likely to deliver their babies prematurely, before 37 weeks. As a result, older moms are at risk of having babies weighing less than 2.5kgs at birth.
Tips for Taking Care of Yourself
Pregnancy puts extra demands on your body. When you’re older, these demands may increase even more.
To maintain your health and the health of your baby, take extra special care of yourself no matter how old you are.
Preconception counselling.
Get early and regular prenatal care.
Take prenatal vitamins every day that contain 0.4 milligrams of folic acid, which can help prevent certain birth defects. Start at least 2 months prior to conception.
Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet that includes a variety of foods. An average-weight woman needs to add only 300 calories a day during pregnancy.
Maintain a healthy weight during your pregnancy by gaining the recommended amount of weight. These guidelines are based on whether you’re at a healthy weight, underweight, or overweight before you become pregnant. Of course, these are estimates. Check with your doctor about how much weight you should gain.
Best maternity products to purchase
I have worked full time throughout my pregnancy, and with the demands of an ever busy 16 month old, I have been really active with this twin pregnancy.
Thanks to my husbands support with the cooking and most (or all) of the household chores, there has always been time for me to put my feet up.
The best products for me with this pregnancy were the items listed below, I was lucky enough to be gifted with most of them. Please note that I have not used any of these in my previous pregnancies and I wish that I had.
The Yummy Mummy Tummy Belly Band from Yummy Maternity.
There are so many benefits of this belly band, it can be used for after birth too and can even be used as a bra. It's so soft and stretchy that it comes only in S/M and M/L. One size fits from bump to babe.
This is a seamless band is worn around the tummy to give you support and endless wardrobe options. Save a fortune by adapting your non-maternity outfits – still wear your regular jeans with the buttons undone. Hold up too loose maternity wear. Use as soft protective cover over a caesar scar so clothes don’t rub the incision. Use as a bra in the early days of crazy huge boobs when breastfeeding. Perfect for those in between days, when it seems that NOTHING fits. NO labels or branding of any sort so you can wear it completely discreetly.Easy sizing – so soft and stretchy that it comes only in S/M and M/L. One size fits from bump to babe.AND! It’s half price! Last chance to get this best selling style.
AND! it's on sale at the moment on the Yummy Maternity website for only R100.
The Comfy-Curve “C” shaped maternity pillow from Annabella Maternity.
Yes, you could definitely just use a body pillow or a bunch of regular pillows throughout your pregnancy. But an actual pregnancy pillow is a dream. I received my Comfy-Curve “C” shaped maternity pillow from Annabella Maternity and have been using it ever since, this could not have come at a perfect time – the beginning of my third trimester.
The Comfy-Curve “C” shaped maternity pillow is designed to follow the natural curves of your body. It may be used for support between the ankles, inner thighs and under your pregnant tummy. The slender sized Comfy-Curve is easy to manage under the covers and should not restrict freedom of movement during sleep. The pillow may also be used to support baby while breastfeeding, lying down or sitting upright. It will also make a comfortable back rest for mum while feeding.
The pillow includes a cover and is available from online from Annabella Maternity for R735.
A Great Pair of Maternity Jeans.
So when the 3rd trimester arrives, you clearly can’t pack yourself into your favourite jeans anymore, not even buy leaving them unbuttoned or below your belly. There are so many options out there now, unlike when I was pregnant the first time, 17 years ago(!!!), when the only choices I had were ugly stretch pants and…well, ugly stretch pants. I got these amazingly comfortable ripped maternity jeans online at Mr P Maternity for a steal online at less than R200 , so great and fashionable.
Bio Oil for itchy tummy and stretch mark reduction.
I used Bio Oil for the itchy tummy, but this product also assists to help prevent the formation of pregnancy stretch marks it is recommended that Bio‑Oil be applied twice daily to the most common areas for stretch marks from the start of the second trimester.
It should be applied by massaging in circular motions until fully absorbed into the skin.
The average price for a 60ml bottle is about R100 and available from pharmacies and leading supermarkets.
Sorbet 4-step pedicure treatment to care for those "cankles".
Yeah there is a thing called cankles… get some foot soak for those poor swollen feet and ankles. I tried this wonderful products from Sorbet, 4 – Step pedicure treatment. This 4-step pedicure treatment, infused with moisturising pomegranate oil extract helps to soften, cleanse, exfoliate & moisturise your feet. I used it on my legs too.
These are available at Sorbet stores for only R80.
And I think I may have turned my husband into an expert foot massager over night haha!
Mantelli's Ginger cookies to keep morning sickness at bay.
Yip, morning sickness has lasted me through to the third trimester with this twin pregnancy, even though it has been minimal, it has still prevailed and still been as awful as ever.
I kept the nausea at bay with these ginger cookies from Mantelli, so great to just pop in your bag as there are individual wrapped options as well.
I hope this post has assisted you in some way, every pregnancy is different and with new fears we all need some extra reassurance.
Take care.
xxxZ