Parenting and Pregnancy Over 35 - Myths vs Facts

Most women over 35 are fearful of having a baby because they view the common misconceptions as truth. My goal is to ease their fears by dispelling the myths with facts. Let’s look at four popular pregnancy and parenting myths. 

MYTH: Babies born to mothers over 35 will have Down Syndrome.

FACT: Down syndrome occurs when a baby is born with three, rather than two, copies of the 21st chromosome.
The effects of Down Syndrome vary from person to person but can include mental retardation, certain facial features and heart defects. No one knows for sure what gene(s) causes Down syndrome. Because younger women give birth more often, eighty percent of children born with Down syndrome are born to women younger than 35-years-old.  The chance of having a baby with Down syndrome does increase with the age of the mother. However, according to a report from the March of Dimes, most women over 35 have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies.

MYTH : Mothers over 35 do not have the energy to attend to the needs of a baby. 

FACT: I always laugh when I hear this one. Show me a mother under or over 35 who doesn’t feel overwhelmed at times especially doing the first year of motherhood and I’ll show you a mother who’s in denial. Or she has a slew of servants.

The average newborn cries more than any new mom ever anticipates. The average newborn sleeps from 15 minutes to 2 hours before waking up for feeding.  Translation: The best scenario with the best baby. Mom gets to bed at 11:00 p.m. She is awaken at midnight by the sweet whimper of her newborn. She is awakened at 2 a.m by the sweet whimper of her newborn. She is awaken at 4 a.m. by the crying of her newborn. Baby does not want to go back to sleep until 5a.m. You tell me what woman whether she is 25, 35, or 45 wouldn’t feel zapped after getting out of bed several times at night to feed or just to hold and comfort her crying baby?