Pregnant at 35 and beyond

If you’ve come across the terms “advanced maternal age” or — worse — “geriatric pregnancy” and felt your eyebrows hit the ceiling, you’re not alone. The labels are outdated and more than a little rude, and they badly misrepresent the reality: being pregnant at 35, 38 or 42 is completely normal in Australia now. Roughly one in four babies here is born to a mum aged 35 or over, and that share keeps growing. You are not an edge case; you’re a large slice of every maternity ward.

Why 35 at all? There’s nothing magical about the number — no cliff you fall off on your 35th birthday. Certain chances shift gradually with age, and 35 is simply the long-standing, somewhat arbitrary line where guidelines start suggesting a slightly closer look. Think of it as a dimmer, not a switch.

What actually shifts. Honesty helps more than hand-waving, so here it is calmly. With age, the chance of chromosomal conditions like Down syndrome rises (this is why screening conversations get a bit more airtime), and the chances of gestational diabetes, high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia edge up, as do twins, the need for a caesarean, and — particularly past 40 — a small increase in the chance of stillbirth, which is why closer monitoring near the due date is often suggested. Conception can also take longer, and early loss is more common, which many people in this age group have already felt firsthand.

Now the other half of the honesty: the absolute numbers stay small. A risk that doubles from tiny to slightly-less-tiny is still tiny, and the great majority of pregnancies over 35 — and over 40 — are healthy and end with a healthy baby and mother. “Higher risk than a 25-year-old” is not the same as “high risk”.

What your care might include. Depending on your age and health, your team may suggest: a more detailed chat about screening options (NIPT is often particularly relevant), possibly earlier testing for gestational diabetes, extra growth scans in the third trimester, closer monitoring as you approach your due date, and a conversation about whether induction around your due date is worth considering rather than waiting well past it. None of this is compulsory — they’re offers, and understanding the reasoning behind each one is your right. Ask.

What you bring to the table. It’s worth saying plainly, because the “geriatric” framing ignores it: older mums tend to come to pregnancy with more stability, more self-knowledge, better-established support and healthcare habits, and a deep intentionality about this baby. Those things matter for how pregnancy and early parenthood actually go, and no risk table captures them.

Things within your influence are the same as for anyone, they just pay a little extra here: going to your appointments, taking your folic acid and iodine, staying active, not smoking or drinking, and knowing your baby’s movement patterns in the third trimester — and calling your midwife promptly if the movements change.

If the statistics side of this is nagging at you — especially if this pregnancy took a long time to arrive — bring it to your GP, midwife or obstetrician and ask them to put your numbers in context, because your personal health picture matters far more than your birth year. And if worry is taking the shine off things, PANDA (1300 726 306) is there for that, too. You’re not “geriatric”. You’re just pregnant, and in very good company.