Myths Debunked About Pregnancy

MYTH 1: I'll be able to conceive anytime.

This is not always so, Women can experience stress when getting pregnant, which can affect their ovulation.

They may also take time to work out their cycles - which may be irregular - and when the best time to conceive will be.

Women on the pill may also assume that they will be able to conceive straight after stopping it. While 85 per cent of women manage to get pregnant within the first year, it can take longer, so plan ahead.

MYTH 2: I'll be able to have...a baby after 35.

A 2003-2004 survey showed that 80 per cent of women were not aware of the risks of late pregnancies and declining fertility with age, while 60 per cent of women surveyed thought that assisted reproductive techniques could help them to conceive at any age.

High blood pressure, thyroid disease and diabetes are more common in women in their 30s and 40s than in younger women. These conditions can seriously affect pregnancies.

Older women are also more susceptible to pregnancy induced hypertension, gestational diabetes, ovarian cysts, endometriosis (growth of womb lining tissue in pelvic cavity), fibroids, and infections.

Traditionally, an older mother is defined as one who is 35 years of age or older at her expected date of delivery.

It is important for her to see an obstetrician early so that proper follow-up and tests can be performed.

MYTH 3: There won't be any complications if I have a baby in my late 30s.

As women get older, the chances of a Caesarean section increases from 20.5 per cent to 30.4 per cent after age 35. )

The risk of bearing a child with abnormalities, such as Down Syndrome, also increases.

About one in 1,400 babies born from women in their 20s have Down Syndrome; it increases to one in 100 babies for mothers in their 40s.

Still births are also more common in women over age 35, increasing to 25 per cent. as opposed to 12 to 15 per cent in women in their 20s.