If you're older than 35 and pregnant, you're in good company as
more women are having children later in life. A pregnancy after
age 35 may require some special precautions, because it can be
riskier than childbearing during the optimum years of ages 20
through 34. But advances in medical care have made it safer than
ever before, and most women in their late 30s and 40s have
healthy pregnancies and babies. Still, there are factors to keep
in mind if you're considering a pregnancy after age 35:
Decreased fertility. It may take you longer to become pregnant
because there's a general decrease in fertility that begins in
the early 30s. That's when women typically begin to ovulate less
frequently or are more susceptible to endometriosis, a condition
in which tissue similar to that lining the uterus attaches to
ovaries or fallopian tubes, which can make conception more
difficult. Other problems may also accumulate with age, which
may decrease the chance of conceiving. So if you're older than
35 and have been unable