During your 40s, it can be normal to have a strain on one’s ovaries (that is, the egg-containing part of the female reproductive system), which can decrease fertility by repressing ovulation. This rise in age also seems to affect the quality of a woman’s eggs and makes it harder for her to carry a healthy pregnancy. It doesn’t mean you cannot adopt at this stage though.
Your diet is extremely important when it comes to fertility, but you may have heard somewhere along the line that the weeks leading up to conception and early weeks of pregnancy aren’t quite as important as previously believed. New studies reveal that a healthy pregnancy begins prior to conceiving. By starting a healthy lifestyle before you get pregnant, you’ll improve your chances on bringing a full-term baby into this world. Some doctors suggest that women try the concept of a year-long pregnancy to represent the idea that pregnancy starts before conception does. Giving up smoking, not drinking alcohol and consulting your doctor before taking any unnecessary medications are all important factors as you can’t control what every person decides to do or put into their body. It’s also worth avoiding toxic chemicals to keep fit and eat well for optimal health during pregnancy.
A great way to stick to your healthy lifestyle is to plan on sticking with it long after the New Year has come and gone. Whether you celebrate the holidays or not, it is a good opportunity to give yourself some treats so that you can kickstart your healthy eating habits in the year ahead. You’ll feel less stressed, more energized, and much fitter if you are vigilant about sticking with a nutritious diet and also continue doing exercise. It’s also good for your peace of mind as you don’t need to stress about what may happen if you do fall off the bandwagon!
It’s recommended to start your preconception planning six months prior to getting pregnant. However, if you are over 40 years old, it becomes even more important, because the risk of complications or high risk pregnancy also comes with age.
